prep
10 minutes
difficulty
Easy
preparation
10
minutes
difficulty
Easy
level
Ingredients
- 250 g unsalted butter, at room temperature (see note)
- 4 cups (500 g) icing sugar, sifted
Coconut
- 4 tbsp coconut cream (see note)
- 1½ tsp coconut extract
- ¼ tsp table salt
Vanilla
- 3 tsp vanilla extract
- ⅛ tsp table salt
- 1-2 tbsp milk, as needed
Lemon
- 3 tsp lemon zest
- 1 tsp lemon extract
- 4 tbsp lemon juice
- ⅛ tsp yellow food colouring (optional)
Nutella
- 1¼ cups (335 g) Nutella
- ¼ tsp table salt
- 1-2 tbsp milk, as needed
Mint chocolate
- 2 tsp peppermint extract
- ¼ tsp green food colouring
- 1 tbsp milk
- ½ cup (50 g) finely chopped dark chocolate (70% cocoa), refrigerated for 30 minutes (see note)
Margarita
- 2½ tsp lime zest
- 5 tsp lime juice
- 2½ tbsp tequila
- ¼ tsp table salt
Peanut butter
- 6 tbsp (90 g) natural unsweetened peanut butter
- ¼ tsp table salt
- 2 tbsp milk
Bailey's Irish Cream
- 3 tbsp Bailey’s Irish Cream
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
Chocolate
- ½ cup (40 g) unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ⅛ tsp table salt
- 5 tbsp milk
Makes enough frosting for 2 x 20–23 cm layer cakes (sides, top and middle); 12 cupcakes, piped into tall swirls; 24 cupcakes, smeared on generously with a butter knife; top of a 23 x 33 cm rectangular cake.
Instructions
- Beat the butter in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or with hand-held electric beaters, for 3 minutes on the highest speed until it changes from yellow to almost white, scraping down the bowl once or twice. The butter should be smooth and creamy.
- Add the icing sugar in three lots. Start beating slowly (to avoid a powder storm), then increase speed gradually. With each addition, once the icing sugar is mostly incorporated, add more icing sugar and repeat. When all the icing sugar has been added, beat on high for a full 3 minutes until fluffy.
- If you're flavouring your frosting, add the flavouring and then beat for a further 30 seconds or until incorporated. If the buttercream is too thick, use milk to make it soft and creamy but it should still hold its form for piping. If it's too loose, use extra icing sugar to thicken. Use the frosting immediately!
Notes
• The butter should be soft enough that a dent remains when touched with your finger but not so soft that it leaves a shiny slick of grease on your finger. If you want to get technical, the temperature should be 17°C! If it is too soft, your buttercream may end up too sloppy.
• For the coconut frosting, you can also just use cow's milk as most of the coconut flavour comes from the extract.
• For the mint chocolate frosting, gently stir the dark chocolate in at the end and take care not to overmix as it will break the chocolate. If piping the frosting, chill your hands or the chocolate may melt in the piping bag and bleed into the green frosting.
• The frosting can be made up to 2 days ahead. Keep in the fridge with plastic wrap touching the surface (to prevent a crust forming). Bring to room temperature, then beat on high speed for 1–2 minutes to make it fluffy and creamy again.
• Buttercream leftovers need to be used immediately. Frosted cakes and cupcakes should be kept in the fridge. But always bring to room temperature before eating because buttercream goes hard in the fridge – it should be soft and creamy!
Images and recipes from Dinner by Nagi Maehashi, published by Macmillan Australia (RRP $44.99). Photography by Nagi Maehashi.
Cook's Notes
Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.
