Vanilla Buttacream Advice

I’m so vanilla. I’ll take it over chocolate any day.

But vanilla buttercream can be easy to mess up. And many do. So here are some tips to create perfect fluffy buttercream.

1.) Use Isa Chandra Moskowitz’s buttercream recipe from VCTOTW. It’s tried and true, and there ain’t no need to reinvent the wheel.

2.) Don’t use a stand-up mixer to beat shortening and/or Earth Balance. I have found it much better to have control of where to direct the beaters. And a glump of fat ain’t the best bite to get in your frosting.  Be one with your buttacream and use a hand mixer.  (But use a powerful hand mixer.)

3.) Sift the powdered sugar. Again, clumps and glumps aren’t appetizing.  Especially if you use organic powdered sugar.  I’ve found it to be more in need of sifting. Check out those sugar balls!

4.) Use a vanilla pod in lieu of extract when possible.  There is nothing more delicious than a beautiful white, fluffy buttercream with black vanilla bean specks.

5.) Don’t skimp on beating time.  Beating is not just to incorporate ingredients. It’s to aerate.  Aerating means fluffy and soft.

6.) Make more than you need.  It’s good on everything… like on a spoon.