The Contemporary Buttercream Bible (3 page)

in the fridge for about an hour for best results.

COVERAGE

If you make the basic buttercream recipe with the

amounts given, one batch will yield about

approximately 1–1.1kg (2lb 71⁄2oz) of buttercream.

This will be enough to cover the top, the sides and

fill a 20cm (8in) round or square cake, or decorate

about 20–30 cupcakes, depending on the design.

This can be your guide to determine how much

frosting you need to prepare. If you have any left

over, just label it with the date you made it and

store it in the fridge.

STABLE VERSUS UNSTABLE

We say buttercream is stable if it can hold its shape, regardless of the warmth of climate. Unstable

buttercream of course is not like this. Trying to

work with unstable buttercream is the most

common problem we see, so we came up with a

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really stable recipe that does not sacrifice the

yumminess of the buttercream.

The photo below illustrates both consistencies.

When buttercream is stable (right), you will see that the edges of the swirl are very precise and it holds

its shape well. On the other hand, the unstable swirl on the left looks droopy and soft and just doesn’t

hold its shape well at all.

Tip

Keep your buttercream inside the refrigerator

(chiller) and store it in an air-tight container or

food storage bags. You can freeze it for up to

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a month, letting it defrost thoroughly at room

temperature before use. Do not beat it again in

a mixer, just mix it manually. But of course,

nothing is better than fresh buttercream!

Adding Flavours

The flavour of the buttercream will enhance the

character of your cake. Your choice may be

influenced by the occasion, your own taste or that of the recipients, or even by different cultures.

Buttercream is flavour-friendly – you can easily

play with flavourings, adding just a hint or making

them as strong as you wish.

There are lots of different flavours you can add to

your buttercream. They come in the form of

powder, liquid (essence/extracts/oils/liqueurs) and

paste, or can include cream, jam, fruits, melted

chocolates, tea bags, and so many other ingredients.

You may or may not choose to omit the vanilla

essence before adding the flavour of your choice. To

simplify things, when adding any of these

flavourings to your buttercream, just be mindful of

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the consistency. You do not have to adjust the

amount of icing sugar or butter initially, just make a batch of buttercream according to our recipe, then

add your flavouring. If it becomes too soft at this

stage, add a little bit of icing sugar, or if it becomes too stiff, add a little bit of water. Simple.

Be cautious when adding squashed or pureed fruits

as these have a high water content that may change

your buttercream consistency dramatically.

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Equipment

In the following chapters we will be using plenty of

tools and equipment, in a wide range of sizes and

shapes – some commonplace, others more unusual.

You will find out all about the use of each one as we discuss

the

different

decorating

techniques.

Everything listed below can be easily sourced from

a local specialist baking shop or online suppliers.

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Nozzle Guide

Piping nozzles (also called piping tips) are those

plastic or stainless steel points that fit on the end of a piping (pastry) bag and that the frosting is forced through to create different effects. They come in

different sizes and brands, and each brand has their

corresponding numbers or letters inscribed on

them to indicate the output.

Here, we have illustrated all the different nozzles

we have used in this book. Each nozzle will produce

a different effect. For best results, the piping bag

and its nozzle have to be held at the correct angle as well, and we will teach you all about that that as we discuss piping techniques in the following chapters.

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