Butter me up!

Do you always struggle to make the perfect icing? It’s either too runny, too thick and buttery or just all round wrong.... Well, we have the perfect butter cream icing recipe for you with a few tips to ensure it turns out perfect every time! The most import thing to remember is patience is a virtue – If you want perfect white fluffy icing you need to give it time, you can’t rush perfection.

What you will need:

200g butter at room temperature (2-3 mins on medium speed)
400g pure icing sugar (not icing mixture)
½-1 tsp of vanilla extract (not essence!)
2-3 tsp of milk

Equipment:

A stand mixer (we use a KitchenAid but any brand will do the trick!)
A large spatula
Piping bag and nozzle if you wish to pipe the butter cream

Step 1: Put all the butter in your mixer and mix for around 3 minutes on a medium speed. You want it to go pale and fluffy. Make sure your butter is at room temperature before you start. If it’s not, it simply won’t work.

Step 2: Sift your icing sugar into a big bowl. Add half the icing sugar into your mixer with the butter and mix for 4-5 minutes. Start slow so your icing sugar doesn't fly all over the place, then increase to medium. Add the second half of the icing sugar and do the same as the first half.

Step 3: Add your milk (tablespoon at a time) to the mixture and wizz up. You’re looking for a nice stiff consistency – not runny, but also not so firm it has air pockets.

Step 4: Add your vanilla and mix in. You want to make sure you use the good stuff!

Step 5: Using your spatula scrape down the sides of your mixer bowl, as great as these mixers are, there’s always a bit it misses. Mix up again for another minute or so.

This will keep in the fridge for 3-4 days – allow to come back to room temp before attempting to pipe or spoon onto your cake or cupcakes. Happy baking!

Tips:

Make sure you give your butter time to go pale and fluffy.
The amount of milk needed will vary depending on the climate you live in. In warmer weather you will need LESS milk. In cold weather you may need more milk to loosen the buttercream.
Use good quality ingredients – trust us, it’s worth the extra couple of dollars
Don’t be scared to mix it up – try adding flavourings and colour gels
Make sure your cakes cool completely before icing them – it’s butter, it will melt!