Making friends with buttercream

I admit it. I used to dislike buttercream. I didn't want to come near a recipe of it at all. The thought of it being all butter and sugar put me off...Well, that was the case until last Saturday. A few of my friends and I attempted to make a gateaux. Coffee buttercream was its filling.

Since then, I'm warming up to it. A little. I don't love it but I think buttercream is good. It's so versatile! The American version is easier to make and it's good as a filling or frosting on cakes, cupcakes, you name it. You can also add any flavour that you want into the basic recipe. So if you are someone like me, slightly health-conscious, or weight-conscious...make friends with buttercream. It's okay, once in a while :) 

Buttercream 

(recipe courtesy of my friend, Erisca) 

Ingredients

100g butter

25g pure icing sugar 

Method

1. Using a hand-held mixer on medium speed, beat the butter until it's soft.

2. Add the sugar

3. On the same speed, beat the two until combined

4. Continue beating, occasionally scrapping the sides of the bowl so that the mixture is evenly mixed

5. Beat until the mixture is fluffy, pale and not glossy

[the mixture should turn from yellow to pale yellow to almost white]

Flavoured Buttercream 
6. If you want to add vanilla extract, chocolate sauce, coffee or in my case maple syrup, add the flavour after the buttercream is done and mix on low speed thoroughly. Add to taste :D
7. FROST!

Okay, so I used a piping gun to try out this maple syrup buttercream on the six mini banana muffins I made the other day. Frosting is hard! It's not as simple as the end product make it look or how the chefs do it. I need practice! Anyways, it's frosted and then sprinkled with chocolate flakes. Banana, maple, chocolate~