Foolproof Buttercream Frosting

"You can make this up to a week ahead; cover airtight and chill. Before using, let it come to room temperature and beat briefly at medium speed to restore texture. For interesting variations, replace vanilla with 2 to 3 tablespoons of liqeur, 6 ounces melted bittersweet chocolate, or up to 1/2 cup strained jam of any flavor. This recipe is from Sunset magazine."
 
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Ready In:
25mins
Ingredients:
5
Yields:
3 1/2 cups
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ingredients

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directions

  • In mixer bowl at high speed, beat egg yolks until pale yellow, 4 to 5 minutes.
  • Butter a 2-cup glass measuring cup (you will need it for the next step--so butter it now).
  • In a 2- to 3-quart pan, combine sugar and corn syrup.
  • Cook over medium-high heat and stir until sugar is dissolved and mixture comes to a rolling boil.
  • Immediately pour into the butter glass measuring cup.
  • Beating constantly at medium speed, pour syrup in a thin, steady stream into egg yolks (avoiding beaters).
  • Continue beating until mixture is at room temperature (7 to 10 minutes).
  • Add butter and vanilla.
  • Beat just until smooth.

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Reviews

  1. This was less intensely sweet than my usual beaten butter & icing sugar buttercream, with a richer, smoother mouth feel: I loved it! I added the sugar syrup directly from the pan rather than transferring it to a measuring jug and it still worked fine. I also tried the chocolate version and found that it still worked well with up to twice as much chocolate as the notes suggested and, of course, tasted even more chocolatey as a result! I would perhaps be more likely to use it as a filling for a cake rather than the top-and-sides frosting however: it has a different texture and quality of sweetness from that which I'm used to in a frosting (it's still delicious though!). And I'm not sure I'd want to tackle it if I didn't have an electric whisk: it does need a lot of beating!
     
  2. Oh my, this just was NOT what I was looking for. :( I followed the recipe exactly. I was looking for something with which to frost a wedding cake. First problem for me was the yellow color. It turned out a beautiful buttercup color. Pretty, just not at all what I wanted. Finally, the finished product was more like honey butter than frosting. All I could taste was butter with a twinge of sweetness. The only thing standing between this batch of frosting and the trash can, is the fact that my husband loves chocolate cake with butter on it. I'm throwing this in the freezer for the next chocolate cake I make. Maybe I'll get lucky and he'll think I'm brilliant! Sorry, I just don't know where this went so far wrong.
     
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RECIPE SUBMITTED BY

I live in the San Francisco area and love it here. I discovered Recipezaar (then Food.com..Genius Kitchen) in 2001 and have been so happy to have my favorite recipes stored safely here. I am mother to 7 and grandmother to 7. I love to knit, smock, sew, etc., but my favorite hobby of the moment is traditional rug hooking. This is a sample of what I do.? It's called "November".? I dyed most of the wool myself. It is made from wool flannel, cut into strips a little less than 1/4" and then worked into a linen backing. This is my 3rd rug.
 
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