Editor's note:Use this French Buttercream to make Allison and Matt Robicelli'sTarte BourdaloueandChocolate Peanut Butter Pretzelcupcakes.
This is it—the star of the show, the main event, the most important part of our cupcakes—buttercream!
As this is French buttercream, this is tres, tres serious. You will pay attention, follow along, and execute these directions! C'est Sérieux!
Ingredients
Step 1
In a heavy nonreactive saucepan, add water, then add sugar, corn syrup, and cream of tartar. The last 2 help keep the sugar from crystallizing. (Candy thermometer. Non-negotiable!)
Step 2
Put the pot on high heat. It's going to be there for a while. Be patient and keep your eye on it. Don't go walking away and watching TV or something.
Step 3
Put yolks and eggs in a stand mixer with the whisk attachment and turn to high. Just let it go! Eggs will triple in volume and go to "ribbons stage." You can't overwhip!
Step 4
Wait on the sugar—looking for 230°F, aka "soft ball." When it happens, be ready to move quickly. Turn off the mixer and add the xanthan gum, turn back up to medium.
Step 5
Remove the thermometer from hot sugar. Lift with two hands. Rest the lip of the saucepan on the edge of the mixer bowl.
Step 6
Slowly tilt and pour sugar in a sloooow steady stream down the side of the bowl. Don't go too fast! If you do there will be chunks of scrambled eggs in your buttercream.
Step 7
Once sugar is all in, turn the mixer to high. Beat until cool. Gauge this by putting the inside of your wrist to the outside of the bowl. It's more accurate than your hands. Switch out the whisk for the paddle. Next we're adding the butter. It's too heavy for the whisk and you'll end up breaking your stand mixer if you stay with the whisk.
Step 8
Start cutting the butter into thin pieces—you could shave it with a cheese slicer if you'd like. Add butter piece by piece—pain in the derriere, yes, but we're making an emulsion.
Step 9
See, if you dump all the butter in at once, the butter and eggs will never combine properly, and you'll have a "broken" buttercream. You'll be able to identify this easily—it'll be a chunky, watery, hot mess.
Step 10
If your buttercream does break, you can fix it! Turn to medium high, then add a little more butter, piece by piece, until fixed. Or try adding a little guar gum! This is very strong, so add a pinch and beat for a minute, then check.
Step 11
Once your butter is added, turn the mixer to medium high to add some air—10, 20 seconds at most. Quelle Magnifique! It should be fluffy and make you want to eat it with your fingers.
Step 12
Once you have your base, there's so many ways to flavor it! Coffee powder! Vanilla beans! Dutch cocoa! Peanut butter! Caramel! Ham! Ok, maybe not ham. Party pooper.
Step 13
Congratulations! You did it! You made French buttercream! You are a god amongst men!
Step 14
Fin
Leave a Review
Reviews (17)
Back to TopFor shriek's sake...the commentary is GREAT! Like I used to say to our kids, "NO FUSSING!" for those who entered negative comments. I am anxious to try this for the never-ending stream of visitors that come through our farm boutique, cheesemaking dairy and historical farm. Thanks for the recipe AND the comments. They are a piece of light hearted fun.
Allegra
Ångermanland, SWEDEN
8/21/2022
This is a question, not a review. Does pouring the hot sugar syrup into the eggs cook them enough to destroy salmonella? I believe the magic number is 160 degrees F.
Bay Area Lady
Bay Area, CA
2/22/2022
Anyone who does not use this (crème au buerre) or similar formula (e.g., meringue italienne) for buttercream to describe their frosting is a poser and knows or cares nothing about pastry other than to dupe the public with Crisco-based frostings and 10X sugar. There is no substitute for the unctuousness of butter. Bravo epicurious!
duspin
Boston, MA
9/7/2019
This is absolutely the best buttercream recipe ever!
Anonymous
Canada
4/6/2019
pastrieslikeapro.com has a recipe with no unusual ingredients, and with softened butter, so you can stick with the whisk attachment. Much easier.
Anonymous
Ohio
3/28/2019
Excellent recipe! Very similar to something my European parents and grandparents would make. LOVE the commentary as much as the recipe. Will certainly make again - and use the best butter you can afford - it makes a huge difference - trust the recipe. Many thanks! Naomie
baileyanddaisey
Castaic, CA
4/26/2017
I think this recipe is supposed to be 1 1/2 cups of butter, not pounds. Big difference! Had to throw mine out. Ick.
Patty772
Fargo, ND
3/3/2017
Great recipe, would definitely make over & over. For those who don't know what Xanthan Gum is: (P.S. If you can use the internet to find a receipt, then same applies to looking up the unknown ingredients listed...just saying) Xanthan Gum is a plant-based thickening and stabilizing agent. It is named for the bacteria, Xanthomonas campestris, which plays a crucial role in this description. Technically speaking, xanthan gum is a polysaccharide, which is just a fancy way to say "a string of multiple sugars." To create xanthan gum, the Xanthomonas campestris bacterium is allowed to ferment on a sugar. The result is a gel that is then dried and milled to create the powder substance.
rosebud20
BC, Canada
10/27/2016
Surprisingly easy to make and wonderfully smooth. definitely a keeper.
yigenuren
Edmonton, AB
8/20/2015
Delicious and worth the effort.
catherineaustin
Denver, CO
6/12/2015
This is the best buttercream recipe I have ever made or tasted - bar none. Yes, it takes some time and an extreme amount of butter, but the end result is light, fluffy, creamy and utterly fantastic. Invest in high quality butter like Plugra and you won't be disappointed. I loved the commentary!
mtuminel
Chicago, IL
4/6/2015
Labor intensive. But fantastic. Used "only" one pound of butter and twelve ounces of lightly melted dark chocolate chips. We had a goopy sauce after 3/4 of a pound of butter, so put the mixer bowl in the freezer for a few minutes to chill. Ta Da! Suddenly the rest of the butter incorporated smoothly, and we had a beautiful, fluffy, delicious product. We used it on a chocolate birthday cake that everyone enjoyed. And making this frosting turned into a great candy - making lesson for an eleven year old baker.
Azimat1
Panama City Beach, FL
3/31/2015
I have just made this buttercream and am delighted with the result it is creamy, rich and smooth can I ask how long this can be stored and how best to store it thanks
brandi64
UK
8/14/2014
Elegant and tres francaise!! I thought commentary was fun.
suziq5004
7/29/2014
Elegant recipe that might benefit from a quick edit to remove all but the ingredients and instructions. When followed exactly will speak for itself. Many cooks will know what to expect from just the instructions and the quantity of butter. French Buttercream simple yellow cake a few colored sprinkles candles = perfection.
alicekwhite
Lagune Beach, CA
4/10/2014
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