Learning Objective:
You will understand the proper order to add ingredients when making American buttercream.
You will understand the best texture for piping frosting.
Learning Goal:
You will make American buttercream using the ingredients in the correct order.
You will adjust the texture of the frosting to make it perfect for piping.
Most buttercream frosting recipes instruct you to add ingredients and mix the frosting to a "spreadable consistency". It's one of the hardest things to get right when you are making frosting. What does that actually mean?
Well, a spreadable consistency refers to a texture that is stiff enough to hold its shape yet spreadable enough for you to easily apply it to your cakes or cupcakes without damaging them. It sounds easy but really takes some practice.
Consistency depends on a few key players. The temperature of your kitchen, the temperature of your butter, and the amount of heavy cream or milk that you use can dramatically impact your frosting.
Kitchen Temperature - If you live in a warm climate the temperature can affect your buttercream. It will make the butter too soft and liquify your frosting. There are ways to combat this problem though. First, use less milk or heavy cream in your frosting if the temperature in the kitchen is high. Second, substitute some of your butter with shortening.
Butter Temperature - Most of us are confused about what room temperature means. We assume that butter needs to sit out of the refrigerator for hours to reach room temperature but that actually makes it too soft. Room temperature butter should not squish when it is touched. You should be able to leave a slight indent if you push on it with your finger using a bit of pressure. This only takes 30-60 minutes to achieve.
Amount of Liquid - Add your liquid a little at a time until you reach a spreadable consistency. Too much liquid can make your frosting liquidy and runny while too little can make it stiff and hard to spread.