Easy Peasy Buttercream Food

EASY CHOCOLATE CAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 190C/170C fan/gas 5. Butter the base and sides of two 20cm round sandwich tins and line the bases with baking parchment.
• In a large bowl, beat together 200g golden caster sugar, 200g softened unsalted butter, 4 large eggs, 200g self-raising flour, 2 tbsp cocoa powder, 1 tsp baking powder, ½ tsp vanilla extract, 2 tbsp milk and a pinch of salt until pale.
• Divide the mixture between the prepared tins. Bake for 20 mins or until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean.
• Leave to cool in the tin for 10 mins, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
• For the buttercream, put 100g chopped milk chocolate in a heatproof bowl and melt in the microwave, stirring every 30 secs. Leave the melted chocolate to cool for 5 mins.
• Mash 200g softened butter and 400g icing sugar together with a fork, then switch to a wooden spoon or electric beaters, if you have them.
• Sift in 5 tbsp cocoa powder with a pinch of salt and pour in the melted chocolate and 2 tbsp milk. Mix again until smooth.
• On a cake stand or large plate, sandwich the cakes together with half of the buttercream, then spread the rest on top. Decorate with chocolate shards, if you like.
• To make chocolate shards: melt 50g dark chocolate and pour it onto a tray lined with baking parchment or foil.
• Now melt 25g milk chocolate and 25g white chocolate and drizzle them over the dark chocolate before it sets.
• Shake the tray gently to level the mixture then leave to set somewhere cool. Chop into shards.

EASY BUTTERCREAM FROSTING

Steps:

• In a small bowl, using an electric mixer on low speed, beat together sugar, butter and salt until creamy. Increase speed to high and beat until light and fully. Add vanilla, beating until frosting is smooth.
• Spread icing on cooled cupcakes or cake with a knife or transfer to a pastry bag and pipe decoratively over cake or cupcakes.
• Makes enough for over 16 cupcakes.

BASIC BUTTERCREAM ICING

Steps:

• Combine all the ingredients in large mixing bowl and mix at slow speed until smooth. If stiffer icing is needed, or if the weather is very warm, add a little extra sugar. This recipe is enough to cover and fill a 9- by 13-inch sheet cake or two 9-inch layers.

BASIC BUTTERCREAM ICING

Steps:

• Beat the butter in a large bowl until soft. Add half of the icing sugar and beat until smooth.
• Add the remaining icing sugar and one tablespoon of the milk and vanilla extract and beat the mixture until creamy and smooth. Beat in the remaining milk, if necessary, to loosen the mixture.
• Stir in the food colouring, if using, until well combined.
• For the orange buttercream variation, omit the milk and vanilla from the basic recipe. Stir in the orange zest and juice until thoroughly combined.
• For the chocolate variation, omit the milk from the basic recipe. Cream the butter and sugar, as above, also adding the cocoa powder. Allow the melted chocolate to cool for 10 minutes before adding to the whipped butter and sugar. Beat until well combined.

EASY MERINGUE BUTTERCREAM

Steps:

• One of the best-tasting buttercreams is also the easiest to prepare. See the end of the recipe for flavoring possibilities.
• Place egg whites, sugar and salt in medium-sized heatproof mixing bowl over a pan of simmering water and whisk gently and constantly until egg whites are hot (about 140 degrees) and sugar is dissolved, about 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from heat and whip by machine until thick and cooled, about 5 minutes. Beat in butter and continue beating until buttercream is smooth and spreadable. Use immediately or refrigerate, covered, for up to 5 days. Before using, bring buttercream to room temperature and beat smooth by machine. Beat in flavoring, a little at a time, and continue beating until buttercream is smooth, about 2 minutes longer (always flavor buttercream immediately before using it).
• Flavorings: Liqueur: 2 to 3 tablespoons liqueur, such as Grand Marnier or dark or light rum. Lemon: 2 to 3 tablespoons lemon juice. Coffee: 3 tablespoons instant coffee (espresso, if possible) dissolved in 2 tablespoons water, coffee or rum. Raspberry: 3/4 cup thick raspberry puree made by cooking down and straining a 10-ounce package of frozen raspberries. Chocolate: 6 ounces chocolate melted with 4 tablespoons water, coffee or milk and cooled.

BUTTERCREAM ICING

Steps:

• Beat 600g sifted icing sugar and 300g butter together with your chosen flavouring and colouring if using, add 2-3 tablespoons of boiling water to loosen and beat until smooth.
• Fill a piping bag with a star nozzle and pipe onto cupcakes or smear in the middle and over the top of a 20cm cake using a palette knife.

REALLY, REALLY GOOD (AND EASY!) BUTTERCREAM FROSTING

Steps:

• Put butter, milk, and vanilla in the bowl of a stand mixer (if you don't have a stand mixer, a hand mixer will do).
• Mix on low speed until it just starts to come together, about a minute.
• Scrape the sides of the bowl with a spatula. Increase to medium low speed and beat for about another minute.
• Increase mixer speed to medium high and beat for about another or minute or so.
• Add powdered sugar (and cocoa, if using). Beat on low speed until sugar is just barely incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, and increase speed slowly to medium. Beat for about a minute.
• Check your consistency. This is very important because if your frosting is too thick, it will not spread well.
• If your spatula does not glide through the frosting, add about a tablespoon of corn syrup and beat on medium for about 30 seconds.
• When the frosting is just holding its shape, it is too thick (if you are wanting to pipe some decorations on your cake/cupcakes, now would be the time to set a little of this aside in a separate bowl).
• Add another tablespoon of corn syrup and beat on medium for 30 seconds.
• Repeat until the frosting seems to be of a good spreadable consistency (you don't want it too runny, or it will slide off the cake/cupcakes).
• Once you get your frosting to a good, spreadable consistency, increase mixer speed to medium high and beat for one minute. This will get your frosting nice and fluffy.

EASY VANILLA BUTTERCREAM FROSTING

Steps:

• In a large bowl, beat butter until creamy. Beat in the confectioners' sugar, vanilla and enough milk to achieve desired consistency.

EASY PEASY BUTTERCREAM

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine butter, marshmallow cream, salt and vanilla. Use an electric mixer with the whisk attachment on high to beat until well mixed.
• Add the cocoa powder and mix on low until just incorporated.
• Add the powdered sugar and mix on low until just incorporated, stopping to scrape the sides as needed. (Frosting can be refrigerated. Allow 10 to15 minutes after removing from refrigerator before proceeding.)
• Transfer the frosting to a large plastic bag with a corner snipped off, or piping bag fitted with a large icing tip.