Variations: Chocolate Neoclassic French Buttercream; Coffee Neoclassic French Buttercream; Lemon Neoclassic French Buttercream; Maple Neoclassic French Buttercream; Mocha Neoclassic French Buttercream; Orange Tang Neoclassic French Buttercream; Strawberry Neoclassic French Buttercream; Raspberry Neoclassic French Buttercream
Cake and photo by sugarpie © Sarah Phillips
We use this recipe with the White Velvet Butter Cake Recipe.
This recipe is adapted from Rose Levy Beranbaum's Cake Bible, which we have turned into a tutorial. Rose's recipe is really a classic French Buttercream Recipe, that's as old as the hills, and has a rich flavor, a richly ivory color and is silken smooth and not too sweet. We have developed a tutorial to make it easier for you to make this recipe and highlighted it with our CraftyBaking.com tips and techniques for your better understanding.
The recipe is not as fluffy and much softer than egg white-based buttercreams, such as the Italian Meringue or Mousseline Buttercream or IMBC; IMBC which is better to use when piping decorations.
FROSTING, ICING, ETC RECIPE HELP
INGREDIENTS
6 large (4 ounces; 112 grams) egg yolks (can use pasteurized, but fresh work better)
3/4 cup (5.25 ounces; 150 grams) sugar
1/2 cup (5.75 ounces; 164 grams) corn syrup
2 cups (1 pound; 454 grams) unsalted butter, softened
2 tablespoons (1 ounce; 28 grams) vanilla extract or eau-de-vie of your choice (optional)
NOTES: Here's more information about using raw egg yolks in the recipe
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Grease a 1 cup heatproof glass measure and place near the stove.
2. In the mixing bowl of a stand mixer, and beat the yolks with the whisk attachment, until light in color and fluffy.
Meanwhile, combine the sugar and corn syrup in a small heavy-bottomed saucepan and heat, stirring constantly, until the sugar dissolves and the syrup comes to a rolling boil and its entire surface is covered in tiny bubbles (238 degrees F). (The syrup must come to a rolling boil or the resulting buttercream will be too thin.)
Remove the pot from the heat and immediately transfer the syrup to the glass measure to stop the cooking. Do not scrape the bottom of the pan to get the remaining sugar syrup from it into the glass measuring cup.
3. Pour a small amount of syrup over the yolks, and immediately beat at high speed for 5 seconds. Stop the mixer and add a larger amount of syrup. Beat at high speed for 5 seconds. Continue with the remaining syrup. For the last addition, use a rubber scraper to remove the syrup clinging to the glass measure. Continue beating until completely cool.
NOTE: Using a hand-held beater makes this easier. If using, beat the syrup into the yolks in a steady stream. Don't allow syrup to fall on the beaters or they will spin it onto the sides of a bowl and will harden.
4. Fit the stand mixer with a paddle attachment, so too much air isn't beaten into the mixture.
Gradually beat in the butter, 1 to 2 tablespoons at a time. The egg/syrup mixture must be completely cool before adding the butter. The buttercream will begin to thicken once all of the butter has been added.
SARAH SAYS: If the butter is too cold (the mixer bowl will feel cold, as a result), sometimes the mixture will curdle. To fix, stop adding butter, soak a dish towel in hot water, wring it out and wrap it around the bowl while increasing beater speed to high. The gentle warming of the mixture plus the additional mixing will bring it back into a smooth mixture (emulsion). Or, beat the frosting on low speed, and it will bring it back together. When the icing does come together, resume with adding butter. If the bowl still feels hot, and/or the butter melts when you start to add it, stop adding butter and continue to beat on medium until the bowl cools down.
Add the flavorings and beat to combine.
The final buttercream.
STORAGE
Place in an airtight bowl and keep refrigerated. Keeps 1 week refrigerated; 8 months frozen. Bring to room temperature before using and/or rebeating to restore texture, if necessary, to prevent curdling.
VARIATIONS
The buttercream can be used plain or as a base for a number of flavors. One recipe can accommodate 1/2 cup liquid, such as raspberry or strawberry fruit puree, without becoming too soft. (Fresh apricot puree causes curdling, so use heated, strained apricot preserves, cooled to room temperature. Liqueurs as flavoring are best kept to around 2 tablespoons.) Liquid includes the optional vanilla extract or liqueur, if adding.
Chocolate: Beat 6 ounces melted and cooled bittersweet or semi-sweet chocolate into the finished Neoclassic Buttercream Recipe, where directed.
Coffee: Beat 2 tablespoons instant espresso powder (preferably Medaglia d”oro) dissolved in 1 teaspoon boiling water. If desired, add 2 to 4 tablespoons Kahlua. Beat into the finished Neoclassic Buttercream Recipe, where directed.
Lemon: Add in 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice, instead of using vanilla extract or a liqueur. After adding the butter, beat in the lemon juice with 1/4 teaspoon lemon extract.
Lemon Neoclassic French Buttercream used with the White Velvet Butter Cake (lemon)
Maple: Replace the corn syrup with an equal amount of pure maple syrup. Beat in 2 teaspoons maple extract into the finished Neoclassic Buttercream Recipe, where directed.
Mocha: Beat 2 tablespoons instant espresso powder (preferably Medaglia d”oro) dissolved in 1 teaspoon boiling water. Beat into the finished Neoclassic Classic Chocolate Buttercream Recipe, where directed.
Orange Tang: Add 1 teaspoon (13.5 grams) Tang dissolved in 1/3 cup orange flower water, 1 tablespoon (18 grams) grated orange zest (peel), and 2 tablespoons Grand Marnier.
Orange Neoclassic French Buttercream used with Priscilla's Orange Sponge Cake
Strawberry:
Beat 1/2 cup unsweetened strawberry puree into finished Neoclassic Buttercream Recipe, where directed. If not planning to use the same day, add a few drops of red food coloring to prevent fading.
Unsweetened Strawberry Puree:
20 ounces (567 grams) whole strawberries, frozen without sugar (can use fresh strawbeeries, but the puree will not be as intensely flavored)
2 teaspoons (10 grams) lemon juice, freshly squeezed
1/4 cup (1.75 ounces; 50 grams) sugar, optional
a few drops French essence of wild strawberry, for flavor intensity, optional
In a strainer, suspended over deep bowl, thaw raspberries completely. This will take several hours. Press the berries to force out all of the juice. There should be 1 1/2 cups juice.
In a saucepan (or a microwave on high power), boil the juice until reduced to 1/4 cup.
Puree the strawberries in a food processor and seive them with a food mill fitted with a fine disc or use a fine strainer to remove all of the seeds. You should have 1 liquid cup of puree. Stir in the strawberry syrup and lemon juice. To make a lightly sweetened sauce, measure again. There should be 1 1/4 cups. If you have less, add less sugar. The correct amount of sugar is 1/5 the volume of the puree. (To 1 cup puree, add 1/2 cup sugar. Stir until sugar dissolves. Store 10 days refrigerated, 1 year frozen. The puree can be thawed briefly and refrozen several times with no ill effect.
Pointers for success: Be sure to use unsweetened berries. Fresh strawberries are fine to use if they are full of flavor. If using, you need 20 ounces or 5 cups. Freeze and thaw to break down cell membranes. Cuisinart evidently makes a power strainer attachment that is a dream since straining the puree can take a very long time.
Raspberry:
Beat 1/2 cup lightly sweetened Raspberry sauce into finished Neoclassic Buttercream Recipe, where directed. If not planning to use the same day, add a few drops of red food coloring to prevent fading.
Raspberry Sauce: Makes 1 1/3 cups puree or lightly sweetened sauce
2, 12 ounce (24 ounces; 680 grams) bags frozen*, unsweetened raspberries
2 teaspoons (10 grams). lemon juice, freshly squeezed
2/3 cups (4.75 punces; 132 grams) sugar, optional
In a strainer, suspended over deep bowl, thaw raspberries completely. This will take several hours. Press the berries to force out all of the juice. There should be 1 cup juice.
In a saucepan (or a microwave on high power), boil the juice until reduced to 1/4 cup.
Puree the raspberries and seive them with a food mill fitted with a fine disc or use a fine strainer to remove all of the seeds. You should have 1 liquid cup of puree. Stir in the rsapberry syrup and lemon juice. To make a lightly sweetened sauce, measure again. There should be 1 1/3 cups liquid. If you have less, add less sugar. The correct amount of sugar is 1/2 the volume of the puree. (To 1 cup puree, add 1/2 cup sugar. Stir until sugar dissolves. Store 10 days refrigerated, 1 year frozen. The puree can be thawed briefly and refrozen several times with no ill effect.
Pointers for success: Be sure to use unsweetened berries. Berries in syrup cannot be reduced as much because sugar thickens the mixture before the intense flavor can be obtained. Cuisinart evidently makes a power strainer attachment that is a dream since straining the puree can take a very long time.
