Swiss Meringue Buttercream

This frosting is super rich, smooth, and buttery. and I can’t lie, I love butter. So, I think this recipe rocks! It is a lot different than a typical buttercream, but it’s sturdy=great for stacking cakes and more elegant/gourmet=perfect for fancy cakes. It’s also great because you can add so many different flavors: lemon or strawberry for example.

This recipe can seem a little complicated, there are a few steps. I recommend reading the entire recipe before starting. And if you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to comment or email!

Swiss Meringue Buttercream (adapted from a few different recipes I’ve found)

Things that will be helpful, but are not required:

• double boiler

• standing mixer

• candy thermometer

2/3 C Egg Whites (from about 5 Large eggs)

1 C Sugar (not powdered!)

1 pinch of salt

1 1/2 C (3 sticks) unsalted butter cut into 1T bits, room temp

1 tsp vanilla

Start with a double boiler. Don’t have one? Make one! That’s what I do. Start with a pot, and add an inch or two of water. Put it over medium heat. Then, place a non-plastic bowl (for 1 less dish, use the bowl from your standing mixer if it works) and place it in/on the pot:

the bowl needs to sit high enough so that the bottom is not touching the water.

Now add your egg whites, granulated sugar and salt, and whisk together

Keep whisking/stirring. It doesn’t have to be vigorous, just enough to keep it all mixed together, and to prevent the egg whites from cooking around the edges. Believe me, you don’t want scrambled eggs in your frosting. Continue until at least 1 of 2 things happens: 1. your candy thermometer reaches about 160 degrees F and/or 2. If you dip a finger in and rub it against your thumb, it is completely smooth, the sugar is dissolved:

it will probably take 3-5 minutes

Transfer this mixture to your standing mixer. (I definitely recommend standing mixer, but it’s doable with a hand mixer too!) Use the whisk attachment and turn it on high. Let whip until the egg mixture becomes room temperature (the bottom outside of the bowl no longer feels warm) and you have pretty glossy peaks forming:

this can take anywhere from about 5-10 minutes

If you’re using a standing mixer, while the mixture is whipping is when I cut my butter into 1T bits. I like to cut the butter when it’s cold, it seems easier, then lay them out on a plate and microwave it for just a bit to get it to room temp

note: those are 2 Tblsp slices, I cut them in half before adding.

Once your eggs/sugar mixture is room temp with the glossy peaks, turn your mixer to low, and start adding the butter 1T at a time. Only add 1 at a time, and be sure that each incorporates, probably 10 seconds, before adding another bit of butter.

after you’ve added all the butter, it might look kind of weird:

a little soupy and probably not what you were expecting. Fear not! We’ll fix it.

• Turn your mixer on high, and whip away!

It might take another 5-10 minutes to get the mixture to come together, and it will start to look like this:

Isn’t it pretty??

Once it looks like this you can add your vanilla extract (or another extract) and mix it on medium to incorporate it.

Now, to help with air bubbles, I suggest switching to the paddle attachment and mixing on low for a couple of minutes. Then you’re ready to use!!

Because of the high butter content in this frosting, you will want to store the frosted cakes/cupcakes at room temperature. Otherwise, it will probably melt, or if you refrigerate it, it will become hard. Also be careful if you’re piping with it, since you’re holding it in warm hands, it can melt even faster.

If you want to store for future use, you can store it in the fridge in an airtight container for up to a few weeks. Before using, bring to room temperature, and whip to get light and fluffy.

Raspberry & White Chocolate Cupcakes

I actually had a hard time naming this post, because they are white cupcakes, filled with raspberry jam, with a white chocolate butter cream.  Got it?

How about now?

I know it’s a long description, but these are tasty!!  And I really wish that I had thought to bake these in blue cupcake holders, because that would have been super cute for the 4th.  Blast.  But you could do it. Or white holders with blue sprinkles? Or forget what they look like and just eat them……  because they taste great.

I started with 1/2 batch of the same recipe for white cake as this post.  But you could make it with a white cake mix, just know that it will make more than this recipe.

Raspberry & White Chocolate Cupcakes (makes about 20)

1 stick unsalted butter, room temp

1 1/6 C sugar (I just filled my 1/3 C measurer half full)

2 XL or 3 L eggs room temp

1 tsp vanilla

1 1/2 C flour

4 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

3/4 C milk warmed in the microwave a little bit to bring to room temp

• Preheat oven to 350F and line the cupcake pans
• Sift together flour, baking powder and salt, set aside
• Cream the sugar and butter, then add eggs one at a time, letting each one mix in before adding another
• Add the vanilla and mix until incorporated
• Then, alternating between wet and dry, add the flour and milk
• Divide evenly between the cupcake holders and bake 15-18 minutes, until a toothpick comes put clean
• Let cool in pan for about 10 minutes then flip on a cooling rack to cool completely

 

• While the cupcakes are cooling, I like to make the frosting.  I made a white chocolate buttercream, it compliments these cupcakes perfectly.

White Chocolate Buttercream (if you made a box cake, I would recommend doubling this recipe)

1/2 C (1 cube) butter, room temp

1 1/2 C powdered sugar

1 tsp vanilla

4 oz white chocolate *to make sure it is truly white chocolate, the ingredients need to include cocoa butter.  If it’s made with palm kernel or some other kind of oil, it will have a vanilla/candy melt flavor not white chocolate.  I buy Baker’s white chocolate squares

• melt the white chocolate squares in the microwave, in 30 second intervals, stirring after every 30 seconds. Then let cool

• Cream butter.  Add powdered sugar 1/2 C at at time, making sure it’s completely mixed in before adding more.
• After adding all the sugar, add the vanilla and mix in.  turn on medium high and mix for a couple of minutes
• Add all of the melted/cooled chocolate and mix on medium high until all incorporated, scraping sides as needed

 

• When the cakes are all cooled, fill them with jam.  I used the seedless raspberry, but I’ve also made these with strawberry jam and that is delicious as well.  This is totally your preference.

After they are filled, go ahead and frost them! I (surprise) used a 1M wilton tip for frosting

Enjoy!!

Stuffed Strawberries

Fresh berries are so fun!! 

I love these because berries are the main attraction, not just a garnish.  It’s basically glorified strawberries and whipped cream, so delicious.

 

How about with a blueberry on top?  Wouldn’t you like to take these to your 4th of July BBQ??

 

Stuffed Strawberries

Strawberries: How many exactly depends on how big the strawberries are, and also how much you fill them.  I used about 40 average size strawberries

Blueberries, if you want them!

1 small package (4 servings) Instant Vanilla Pudding

1 Cup Whipping Cream

1 Cup Milk

1/2-1 tsp (to taste) almond extract

• Start by hulling the strawberries
• Then starting at the small end of the strawberry, make a slice most of the way down  
• Now make a perpendicular slice.  You don’t want to do down too far, because then the strawberry might break, but far enough to make room for the filling.
• I set them on a plate, and pull the strawberries open a little bit
• 
• Now the filling: whip the 1 C cream until stiff (but not dry) peaks form
• While whipping, in another bowl, whisk the pudding into the 1 C milk
• Add the 1/2 tsp+ almond extract into the pudding, then fold in the whipped cream until it is completely combined
• Pipe the filling into the strawberries
• 

  Go ahead and laugh! One day I’ll learn how to pipe with my left hand
• I used a 1M star tip, but you totally don’t have to. and in the video, it doesn’t open the strawberry evenly, so, with your other hand, try to hold the 4 points of the strawberry open so that it fills evenly.
• Arrange on a plate/tray and top with blueberries

My Favorite Buttercream

I have always enjoyed frosting.  Especially buttercream.  I remember if there was ever left over frosting from something my mom made, I would sneak it later and eat as much as I dared with the hope that my mom wouldn’t notice. Pretty sure she always did.

When I started making my own, I would just get a little butter, dump a bunch of powdered sugar in, then add milk and mix until it was a good consistency.  Never the same, but decent enough.  I thought.  Then I came across this buttercream recipe in one of Martha’s Everyday Food magazines. and I haven’t looked back since.  This buttercream is delicious, I make it all the time.  Not only does it taste good, it is so versatile and the best part: easy to make!!

Buttercream Frosting

1/2 C (1 cube) butter room temp

1 1/2 C powdered sugar

1 tsp vanilla

1-2 tblsp cream or milk (opt.)

• cream the butter

• add the powdered sugar, 1/2 C at a time, mixing until it’s fully incorporated before adding more.

it doesn’t look like it will mix in right away, but just keep mixing and scraping the sides as needed, it will come together

• once all the sugar is added, add the 1 tsp vanilla, then mix on medium-high until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes

This frosting is pretty thick as is, I like to use it like this for piping cupcakes.  But, if I’m going to frost a cake, I will add some cream (or milk) to get to a better spreading consistency. I also use this for frosting sugar cookies.  I’m telling you, this frosting is pretty much awesome.

This recipe doesn’t make a whole lot, but it’s so easy to double or even triple if you need a lot. 

Lemon Cupcakes

I love lemon treats.  Lemon cakes, lemon bars, that kind of thing.  I’ve actually never been a huge fan of lemon candies, like starbursts and such, but lemon cake?? Oh yeah. 

So, I made some lemon cupcakes for a bake sale this past weekend!  I wanted something good, so people didn’t feel cheated on their purchase, but also easy.  Easy, because when you bake in big batches, or 3 separate things in one night, that just makes things, well, easier….  They turned out really yummy, so I thought I would pass along the recipe. 

Lemon Cupcakes w/ Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting

1 box of Lemon cake mix -I told you it was easy!  Bake as directed on box to make cupcakes. (I usually use Betty Crocker, but I used Duncan Hines this time, and they were good)

Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting (totally an experiment that I thought turned out nicely!)

1/2 C (1 cube) Butter room temp

8 oz Cream Cheese softened

3 C Powdered Sugar

1/2 tsp Lemon Extract

• Cream the butter and cream cheese together
• add the powdered sugar ~ 1 C at a time, mixing between each addition
• add the lemon extract and mix to combine
• if you need to add a bit of milk to make it perfect piping consistency, go for it!

I frosted mine with the Wilton star tip 1M, then sprinkled some yellow sugar on top, to make them look more yellow lemony, and because sometimes I like the added crunch sugar brings.

I am sorry about the lack of pictures.  I’m sad that I was so excited about selling my cupcakes that I completely forgot to take some legit pictures of them.  But, I will make them again, and when I do, I’ll update this post.  If you make some, post your picture on my Facebook page, I’d love to see them!!