Photo: Classic Vanilla Buttercream Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 cups sugar
- 1/2 cup water
- 4 egg whites
- 1 pound butter, cut up
- 1 to 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Directions
In a small clean dry saucepan, place 2 cups sugar and then pour 1/2 cup water down the sides of the pan. Make an X in the sugar with 1 finger to encourage the water to seep into the middle of the pan of sugar. Bring to a boil and cook until softball stage or 235 degrees F on a candy thermometer.
Meanwhile, in a mixer with a whip attachment, whip the whites until they form soft peaks. When the syrup is up to temperature, drizzle it down the wall of the mixing bowl with the mixer running. Continue whipping until light, fluffy and almost cooled down. Start adding the butter a few cubes at a time to cool the frosting and thicken it. When it gets thick you can stop adding butter; you may not use the whole pound (it depends on how much water you cooked out of your syrup). Add vanilla extract to taste.
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By apprentice101
on January 16, 2012
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Im far from an expert (17 and I thought it was fairly simple. I beat my egg whites for 10 mins and took my sugar off at 240 degrees. I added the zest and juice of two lemons and i thought it was amazing. I'm using it for my pink macarons. im just chilling it for an hour.
By nelly0702
Brooklyn, NY
on November 27, 2011
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This is very delicious. When I did it it came out a bit watery, but I left it in a frizzer for a bit an it was spreadable. Before preparing it I had read some of the reviews on some pointers, as somebody stated u have to cook the sugar mix until it thickens, I actually cooled down the sugar mix before adding it to the egg whites.
By ADKGRL
on January 15, 2011
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This recipe is definitely for someone that owns a stand mixture. I didn't have any problem like other reviewers here with separation - I think it may have been that their eggwhites were whipped too long (into stiff peaks and not soft peaks. If you are to do overdo anything in this recipe, I would cook the sugar mixture longer - it still comes out perfect at a hardball stage.
I have only one comment. I am a fan of unsalted butter (unsalted butter is usually of better quality than sweet cream since salt tends to hide impurities - therefore I had to add the salt (I added 1/4 - 1/2 tsp. when I was about 1/2 way through adding the butter. Not all of it dissolved. I think if I make this again I will get sweet cream European butter instead (faaaaabulous flavor! - or add the salt to the vanilla to dissolve....
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