The Perfect Buttercream.
Another of my silly cooking advice entries, this one is about a true quest of mine: Perfecting buttercream.
Now. Cupcakes are not cupcakes unless they have icing, no? Would you eat a naked cupcake? Didn't think so. Poor thing would be all embarrassed. There would have to be some SERIOUS stuff going on in that batter, and even then they'd just be bite-sized muffins.
Icing is the key. I have been icing the family Xmas cake for as long as I can remember, but sadly it has always had to be royal icing, for the simple fact that it needs to last a while. Cupcakes deserve special icing, and buttercream is always the best.*
Here's the greatest recipe I have found (and slightly altered) for the perfect buttercream. If you're not lapping up the bowl at the end of this, I will call you a liar.
You will need:
8 oz of good quality, unsalted butter at room temperature.
Half a cup of milk.
6-8 cups of icing sugar.
One teaspoon of good quality vanilla essence, or the scraping of one vanilla pod, for that oh-so-professional look.**
First off, grab yourself the biggest bowl you have and a good hand-whisk/food mixer.
Cut up the butter into cubes and put in the bowl. Add the milk, flavouring and 3 cups of the sugar. Mix it at a slow speed until you're sure the icing won't smother the entire kitchen in a fine dust of powder.
Then really, really, REALLY get at it. Put the mixer on a high speed and mix this shit to death. The recommended time is 3 minutes and people don't honestly know how long that time is. I suggest playing music (or use this adorable online egg timer) You want it looking light and fluffy, with no lumps of icing or butter. It should be smooth and look very creamy, like well whipped cream.
Then add more icing sugar, cup by cup. Mix well every time you add and you will be able to see and feel clearly when it is the right consistency. It should be good and thick but you can still spread it easily. You will also be able know from the texture when you nom on it if it is done - you want it to melt in your mouth and make you smile. That's my best way of describing it. =)
Now you want to have a fantastic piping tool. I go for star-shaped and as big as I can find them, so you literally only need two turns and the cupcake is smothered and looking perfect.
This is a perfect example:
The best part is you won't be ABLE to fuck this up. It's a fool-proof tool.
You also want to use a good-quality icing bag. I have a roll of plastic ones that are for one use only I got from Lakeland. They are a nag on my environmental heart but they are so much better and easier to use than the fabric ones I grew up with. If you have a big food bag that might do nicely. Measure your piping tool on a corner and cut accordingly.
Using a big spoon, get the icing inside the bag and as close to the pipe as possible. Watch out for air-pockets as they are an absolutely cunt to work with. Smooth out the icing in the bag every now and then so it doesn't happen. Twist the top TIGHTLY to where the icing starts with no air stuck inside and you've got yourself a perfect icing tool.
Do careful but confident swirls, making sure to do it in one go every time (so watch how much icing you have left in the bag before starting on the next). You'll then be able to tell if your icing is too hard/soft. (This is a trial and error process, sadly.) If you make a mistake, don't be afraid to scrape off the icing (carefully!) with a teaspoon and try again.
To finish, you can add a cake topper on each cupcake. I use sweets of various kinds because I find they work really well and make the cupcakes extra adorable.
Some examples of my best cuppycakes:
WARNING: Adding food colouring is an exact science. Add too much and your buttercream is not the same consistency and may need to be rewizzed with some extra butter/icing sugar. Still, it makes everything purty so don't let that stop you. =)
*You can argue that ganache or cream cheese icing is also amazing, and I agree, but for the classic cupcakes I suggest you go with buttercream.
** Substitute vanilla for whatever flavouring you fancy. You can also make this chocolate buttercream simply by adding 100g of melted chocolate and adding more icing sugar.
Now. Cupcakes are not cupcakes unless they have icing, no? Would you eat a naked cupcake? Didn't think so. Poor thing would be all embarrassed. There would have to be some SERIOUS stuff going on in that batter, and even then they'd just be bite-sized muffins.
Icing is the key. I have been icing the family Xmas cake for as long as I can remember, but sadly it has always had to be royal icing, for the simple fact that it needs to last a while. Cupcakes deserve special icing, and buttercream is always the best.*
Here's the greatest recipe I have found (and slightly altered) for the perfect buttercream. If you're not lapping up the bowl at the end of this, I will call you a liar.
You will need:
8 oz of good quality, unsalted butter at room temperature.
Half a cup of milk.
6-8 cups of icing sugar.
One teaspoon of good quality vanilla essence, or the scraping of one vanilla pod, for that oh-so-professional look.**
First off, grab yourself the biggest bowl you have and a good hand-whisk/food mixer.
Cut up the butter into cubes and put in the bowl. Add the milk, flavouring and 3 cups of the sugar. Mix it at a slow speed until you're sure the icing won't smother the entire kitchen in a fine dust of powder.
Then really, really, REALLY get at it. Put the mixer on a high speed and mix this shit to death. The recommended time is 3 minutes and people don't honestly know how long that time is. I suggest playing music (or use this adorable online egg timer) You want it looking light and fluffy, with no lumps of icing or butter. It should be smooth and look very creamy, like well whipped cream.
Then add more icing sugar, cup by cup. Mix well every time you add and you will be able to see and feel clearly when it is the right consistency. It should be good and thick but you can still spread it easily. You will also be able know from the texture when you nom on it if it is done - you want it to melt in your mouth and make you smile. That's my best way of describing it. =)
Now you want to have a fantastic piping tool. I go for star-shaped and as big as I can find them, so you literally only need two turns and the cupcake is smothered and looking perfect.
This is a perfect example:
The best part is you won't be ABLE to fuck this up. It's a fool-proof tool.
You also want to use a good-quality icing bag. I have a roll of plastic ones that are for one use only I got from Lakeland. They are a nag on my environmental heart but they are so much better and easier to use than the fabric ones I grew up with. If you have a big food bag that might do nicely. Measure your piping tool on a corner and cut accordingly.
Using a big spoon, get the icing inside the bag and as close to the pipe as possible. Watch out for air-pockets as they are an absolutely cunt to work with. Smooth out the icing in the bag every now and then so it doesn't happen. Twist the top TIGHTLY to where the icing starts with no air stuck inside and you've got yourself a perfect icing tool.
Do careful but confident swirls, making sure to do it in one go every time (so watch how much icing you have left in the bag before starting on the next). You'll then be able to tell if your icing is too hard/soft. (This is a trial and error process, sadly.) If you make a mistake, don't be afraid to scrape off the icing (carefully!) with a teaspoon and try again.
To finish, you can add a cake topper on each cupcake. I use sweets of various kinds because I find they work really well and make the cupcakes extra adorable.
Some examples of my best cuppycakes:
WARNING: Adding food colouring is an exact science. Add too much and your buttercream is not the same consistency and may need to be rewizzed with some extra butter/icing sugar. Still, it makes everything purty so don't let that stop you. =)
*You can argue that ganache or cream cheese icing is also amazing, and I agree, but for the classic cupcakes I suggest you go with buttercream.
** Substitute vanilla for whatever flavouring you fancy. You can also make this chocolate buttercream simply by adding 100g of melted chocolate and adding more icing sugar.