French Buttercream
Photo by Fakiri Malik
MAKES
about 4 cups / 946 mL
(enough to generously frost (including piping and decor) 12 cupcakes, a 9x13 inch / 23x33 cm sheet cake, or a 2 or 3 layer 8 or 9 inch / 20 or 23 cm cake)
TAKES
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 30 minutes
Total: 35 minutes
✻ ABOUT THIS RECIPE
French Buttercream is made in a style similar to Italian buttercream - but with a mixture of whole eggs, augmented with egg yolks for richness. Because of its higher fat content, it is softer than meringue buttercreams - and it often contains a slight yellow hue due to the egg yolks. It’s immensely delicious, unbelievably creamy, and smooth to a level worth gushing about. I especially love French Buttercream for filling and frosting cakes, but less for decorative techniques like piping. It’s already so soft, and can warm dramatically with the additional heat of your hand, becoming too unwieldy to hold a shape with well.
INGREDIENTS
170 g / 3 large eggs
110 g / 5 large egg yolks
398 g / 2 cups granulated sugar
115 g / ½ cup water
510 g / 18 ounces (2 ¼ cups) unsalted butter, at room temperature
10 g / 2 teaspoons vanilla extract or 4 g / 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
3 g / ¾ teaspoon fine sea salt
Every Type of Buttercream:
METHOD
1. Whisk the eggs and egg yolks together in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. (Or, if you want to use a hand mixer, whisk them together in a large, heat-safe bowl.)
2. Combine the sugar and water in a medium pot and place over medium heat. Stir the mixture gently until it begins to simmer to help the sugar dissolve - once it begins to bubble at the edges, stop stirring. If any sugar syrup or visible sugar crystals were washed up on the side of the pot during stirring, wash them away with a pastry brush dipped into water.
3. Attach a candy thermometer to the pot, or insert a probe thermometer into the syrup to monitor the temperature as it cooks. You can also use a standard thermometer and check the temperature, but be very careful - the pot, syrup, and steam emitting from it are all very hot!
4. Continue to cook the mixture until it reads about 230°F / 110°C on a thermometer. When the mixture comes to temperature, start to whip the egg mixture - starting at low speed, and gradually raising to medium-high speed. The goal is for the mixture to become pale, soft, and thick - similar to ribbon stage or a soft-ish peak by the time the syrup reaches the final temperature of 240°F / 115°C.
5. With the mixer running, immediately add the hot sugar syrup to the mixer in a slow, steady stream. Continue to whip on high speed until the mixture is very pale, super thick, and the bowl no longer feels noticeably warm to the touch.
6. Then, with the mixer running on medium-high speed, gradually add the soft butter in about 14 g / 1 tablespoon chunks. Continue adding and mixing until all of the butter is incorporated and the buttercream is light and smooth. If the buttercream looks curdled or separated, continue whipping - it should come together!
7. Add the vanilla and salt and mix well to combine. If desired, mix with a paddle attachment or spatula slowly to help remove excess air bubbles before using (this step is totally optional).
8. The buttercream can be used immediately, or refrigerated in an airtight container. To reconstitute the buttercream, bring to room temperature, and mix with the whip attachment in the mixer to bring it back to a smooth, fluffy consistency.
✻ HAVE YOU BAKED IT?
Tag @emcdowell on Instagram or use #happybaking. I’d love to see your bakes!
