| Level: | Intermediate |
| Total: | 30 min |
| Prep: | 25 min |
| Cook: | 5 min |
| Yield: | 6 cups |
Ingredients
- Scant 1/2 cup water
- 2 1/4 cups plus 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 5 large egg whites
- 2 1/4 cups plus 1 tablespoon cold unsalted butter, cubed
- Raspberry jam, for assembly
Instructions
- The first step is to start cooking the sugar. Pour the water and sugar into a 1-quart heavy-bottomed saucepan and place over medium-high heat. When the bubbles start to form around the edge of the pan, insert a candy thermometer in the mixture.
- Place the egg whites in a large mixing bowl and whip with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until foamy and slightly holding soft peaks.
- The sugar is ready when it reaches 250 degrees F, what is known as the soft ball stage. Make an Italian meringue by pouring the cooked sugar down the side of the bowl while you continue to whip the egg whites. Do not pour the hot sugar onto the beaters, or it will splatter. Continue whipping the meringue on medium-high speed until the outside of the bowl is warm but not hot, about 5 minutes. Add the butter all at once and beat on medium speed until incorporated. Increase the mixer speed to medium-high and whip until the buttercream is thick, smooth, and shiny, about 10 minutes. At his stage, you can add flavoring, if desired.
- The buttercream can be used immediately or can be stored in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days or in the freezer for several weeks if held in an airtight container. If it has been chilled or frozen, allow the buttercream to come to room temperature before using, then whip it with an electric mixer on medium speed until it returns to its initial volume and is once again thick, smooth, and shiny.
Reviews
Delicious and easy
I just made this buttercream for the first time after reading all the wonderful reviews. I did add one thing that made it come out just the way I wanted it to: 1 teaspoon of cream of tartar. Perfection!! Now I’ll try in on cupcakes. I make cupcakes to sell, and this will be so fabulous!!!
I have to say this butter cream recipe is perfect. I worked at a bakery that used an italian butter cream and I’ve been trying to find a perfect recipe that is just as good and this one is and if not it’s better. I definitely wish it were a little thicker but there’s so much I can do to create that consistency. Thanks to Jacques!
I tried making this exactly as written, but it turned out with the sugar syrup getting too hard and grainy… The result? Hard grains and even lumps of sugar in the meringue. On the second attempt, I followed my thermometer’s temp for soft ball stage which is 234-240 and it came out beautifully fluffy. If you adjust the temp, it will work.
This was an EXCELLENT recipe! I did make a few modifications: I added only 1 cup of butter and a little meringue powder. I added the butter after letting the egg/sugar syrup mix sit for about an hour to cool. At one point the mixture did get a little “soupy” so I put the bowl on top of ice and waited until it was cool then I added 1 Tablespoon of Meringue Powder to thicken the Buttercream. I suggest using the buttercream the next day, it tastes even better and it’s easier to use (for piping/spreading). NOTE: BE CAREFUL when pouring the hot sugar syrup into the egg whites!!! It needs to be hot to cook the egg however, it needs to be tempered. Pour approximately 1 Tablespoon in the egg whites at a time otherwise YOU WILL SCRAMBLE the eggs (I’ve had this happen before and had to start all over). Really a great recipe, Love it!!!!!
Excellent recipe. However, I made a few changes. I cut down on the sugar and only added 1 1/4 cup. . .. and also only added 1 cup of cold butter. It still had perfect consistency and it was not too sweet! I made a strawberry mascarpone center filling, so I had about 1 cup left over. Will definitely make again!
I have spent the better part of 30 years looking for a buttercream icing that would knock my socks off. THIS IS IT! This one is so good, I almost didn’t have enough for a two-layer devil’s food cake. My wife was eating the stuff off a spoon! My eternal thanks to Jacques Torres and anyone else responsible for this exquisite recipe. By the way, we’re in the Rockies at 7600′, and almost nothing designed for sea level works here. This one worked beautifully.
I used this recipe on my grandmothers 81st birthday cake last night and everyone loved it. Not overly sweet and very light. It paired very nicely with a lovely dark chocolate truffle cake. I did change a few of the techniques though. I let my butter to come to room temp. I whipped the sugar and eggs for 10 min wih the wisk then changed to a paddle attachment to add the butter a little at a time it took another 10 min or so to get it all light and fluffy but really worth the time and effort I think.
This is a very rich frosting and not for the faint of heart, but just a little sweet, more like that of a sweetened whipped cream, as opposed to an American buttercream of a grocery store origin.
As intimidating as this particular method may seem, it really is easy and forgiving, once you have benefit of experience, your own, as well as that of others.
It does not take very long for the syrup to reach it’s temperature requirement, so have your egg whites ready to go at room temp. Do be careful with the syrup when adding it, as author said, don’t let it splatter, it’s wicked hot and will burn you if it lands on you. Not a good time to have any little ones, human or pet, underfoot.
If you find yourself with that rather loose and runny mixture after whipping for the requisite time, all is NOT lost. Ice water bath is a good solution but a pain to deal with. Here is the easy route, remove the wire whisk from the mixer and place in the bowl and place the bowl into the refrigerator. When the bowl and whip have chilled, along with some of the frosting, similar to prepping for whipping cream, then you are ready for round two. Just put the whip back on the mixer and let it do it’s thing. VOILA! You now have this wonderfully fluffy and light sweetened cream. The change is incredible, truly an amazing feat of molecular physics that Alton would probably love getting his chalkboard out for. Just that little bit of chill time allows for the complete cooling of the sugar and coagulation of the fat molecules into this fluffy rich concoction.
As intimidating as this particular method may seem, it really is easy and forgiving, once you have benefit of experience, your own, as well as that of others.
It does not take very long for the syrup to reach it’s temperature requirement, so have your egg whites ready to go at room temp. Do be careful with the syrup when adding it, as author said, don’t let it splatter, it’s wicked hot and will burn you if it lands on you. Not a good time to have any little ones, human or pet, underfoot.
If you find yourself with that rather loose and runny mixture after whipping for the requisite time, all is NOT lost. Ice water bath is a good solution but a pain to deal with. Here is the easy route, remove the wire whisk from the mixer and place in the bowl and place the bowl into the refrigerator. When the bowl and whip have chilled, along with some of the frosting, similar to prepping for whipping cream, then you are ready for round two. Just put the whip back on the mixer and let it do it’s thing. VOILA! You now have this wonderfully fluffy and light sweetened cream. The change is incredible, truly an amazing feat of molecular physics that Alton would probably love getting his chalkboard out for. Just that little bit of chill time allows for the complete cooling of the sugar and coagulation of the fat molecules into this fluffy rich concoction.
I’ve tried making Alton Brown buttercream recipe a few times and always ended up with yellow soup. This recipe worked great! It also tasted great!
I ran out of unsalted butter and so had to use salted instead. Don’t do this – make a trip to the grocery store.