Buttercream facts for kids
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| Alternative names | Butter Icing |
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| Type | Icing or filling |
| Main ingredients | Fats (usually butter; sometimes lard or margarine), powdered sugar |
Buttercream, also called butter icing or frosting, is a sweet, creamy topping. People use it to fill, cover, or decorate cakes and other desserts. The main ingredients are usually butter and some kind of sugar.
Buttercream often tastes like vanilla. Other popular flavors include chocolate, fruits, or other liquid extracts. People often add food coloring to buttercream when they use it for decorating. You can pipe or spread buttercream into many fun shapes and designs.
Contents
Types of Buttercream Frosting
There are several different ways to make buttercream. Each type has its own special texture and taste.
Simple Buttercream (American Buttercream)
Simple buttercream is also known as mock cream or American buttercream. It is made by mixing butter and powdered sugar until it is light and fluffy. Sometimes, people use margarine or shortening instead of butter. A little milk or cream can be added to make it smoother.
This type of buttercream is very sweet because it uses a lot of sugar. It is also quick and easy to make. However, it can melt easily in warm weather because it does not have a cooked base.
Meringue Buttercream (More Stable)
Meringue buttercream is made by beating soft butter with a special mixture called meringue. Meringue is made from whipped egg whites. The meringue must be cool before adding the butter. This helps the buttercream stay together and not melt.
Meringue buttercreams are more stable than simple buttercream. This means they hold their shape better, even when it is a bit warm.
Swiss Meringue Buttercream
To make Swiss meringue, granulated sugar and egg whites are gently heated. They are heated until the sugar melts. Then, this mixture is whipped until it becomes a fluffy meringue. After it cools, butter and flavors are whipped into it.
Italian Meringue Buttercream
Italian meringue is made by pouring hot sugar syrup into egg whites that are already being whipped. The whipping continues until the meringue is firm and glossy. Once it cools, butter and flavors are added.
Other Buttercream Styles
There are a few other interesting kinds of buttercream.
Ermine Frosting (Flour Buttercream)
Ermine frosting is also called boiled milk frosting or cooked flour frosting. It is made by cooking flour and milk together until they form a thick paste. This cooked mixture is then beaten with butter until it is light and airy.
Ermine frosting is an older style of buttercream. It is not as common today as other types. It is less sweet and feels a bit like whipped cream. Traditionally, people used ermine frosting on red velvet cake.
French Buttercream
French buttercream uses whipped egg yolks to make it rich and creamy.
German Buttercream
German buttercream is made by mixing pastry cream with soft butter. Sometimes, extra confectioners' sugar is added to make it sweeter.
See also
In Spanish: Crema de mantequilla para niños
