Buttercream Cupcake Frosting Recipes

source: http://www.howtocookthat.net/public_html/buttercream-cupcake-frosting-recipes/

NB: To completely cover and fill two 20cm (7.87 inches) round cakes layered on top of each other you will need to double this recipe.

Basic Buttercream Frosting for Cupcakes Recipe

1/2 cup or 120g (4.23 ounces) butter
2  1/2 cups or 330g (11.64 ounces) icing sugar (icing mixture is fine it does not have to be pure icing sugar)
1-4 tablespoons of milk or cream

Leave the butter to soften at room temperature then beat together with the icing sugar and 1 tablespoon of milk or cream until smooth and light in colour. Add extra spoons of milk one at a time until the desired consistency is reached.

Vanilla Buttercream Frosting for Cupcakes Recipe

Follow the basic buttercream recipe above and add 1 tablespoon of vanilla extract with your first tablespoon of milk.

My Very Vanilla Buttercream Recipe

300ml cream
2 tsp vanilla
2  1/2 cups or 330g (11.64 ounces) icing sugar

Whip the cream and then continue to whip until it turns to butter.  Pour off the liquid, mix slowly for 30 more seconds, pour off any extra liquid – repeat until most of the liquid is gone.  Add the vanilla and icing sugar and beat until smooth.

Lemon Buttercream Frosting for Cupcakes Recipe

Swap the milk in the above basic buttercream recipe for freshly squeezed lemon juice. Yum! The tartness of the lemon helps offset the sweetness of the buttercream.

Coffee Buttercream Frosting for Cupcakes Recipe

Dissolve 1/4 teaspoon of instant coffee in 1/4 teaspoon of boiling water. Add it in with you first tablespoon of milk in the basic buttercream recipe above.

Fresh Raspberry Buttercream Frosting for Cupcakes Recipe

1/2 cup frozen raspberries
50ml freshly squeezed orange juice
Combine in a saucepan and stir over low heat until the raspberries soften and fall apart. Strain through a fine metal seive – you will need to push the pulp through so that you are left with mainly seeds.
Return the raspberry puree to the pan and heat until it reduces in volume down to two tablespoons. Cool completely – to speed up the cooling process you may wish to spread on a plate and place in fridge.
Swap the milk in the basic buttercream recipe for the raspberry puree.

Top cupcakes with a swirl of raspberry buttercream and a fresh raspberry.

Smooth Coconut Buttercream Frosting for Cupcakes Recipe

240g (8.47 ounces) butter
1 cup shredded coconut
2 1/2 cups or 330g (11.64 ounces) icing sugar
1-4 tablespoons milk or cream

Heat butter and coconut in a pan and bring to the boil. Strain through a fine metal sieve – push on the coconut until you have 120g (4.23 ounces) of butter. Allow to cool.
Whip the now flavoured butter, icing sugar and 1 tablespoon of cream until smooth. Add remaining cream one tablespoon at a time until you reach the desired consistency.

Top cup cakes with coconut butter cream and sprinkle with shredded coconut.

Fresh Stem Ginger Buttercream Frosting for Cupcakes

Fresh ginger is such a unique flavour, here is my recipe (shhh it’s a secret) for infusing that flavour into butter cream.

300ml cream
10g (0.35 ounces) (2 tsp) peeled and grated fresh ginger
2 1/2 cups or 330g (11.64 ounces) icing sugar

Place the cream and ginger in a saucepan and bring to the boil. Leave to cool completely, this allows the ginger flavour to infuse into the cream.
Strain using a fine wire sieve – pushing on the ginger will give a more intense flavour. Discard the ginger.
Using a stand mixer beat the cream for approximately 10 minutes – it will thicken and whip and then separate into butter and a milky liquid. Drain off the liquid and beat for another 30 seconds. Repeat this last step until most of the liquid is gone.
Add the icing sugar and beat until smooth.

Popping Sugar Buttercream Frosting for Cupcakes

This one is always popular at kids parties and when the boys take cakes in for cake day at school.

Make the basic vanilla butter cream recipe (or any of the flavours you like) and mix in 2 tablespoons of popping sugar. When the kids, or adults take a bite the popping sugar pops on their tongue.

Banana Buttercream Frosting for Cupcakes Recipe

180g (6.35 ounces) butter
2 really over ripe bananas mashed
2 1/2 cups or 330g (11.64 ounces) icing sugar
1-4 tablespoons of cream
Melt the butter in a pan, add bananas and stir and cook for a minute. Leave for 10 minutes to cool slightly but not set.
Strain through a fine metal sieve – do not push the banana through you just want the butter. Leave the butter to cool completely and set.
Measure 120g (4.23 ounces) of the banana butter and beat with the icing sugar and 1 tablespoon of cream. Add more cream as needed to reach desired consistency.

Pipe onto cupcakes and top with candied fresh banana – for help making candy see sugar decorations post

Chocolate Buttercream Frosting for Cupcakes

120g (4.23 ounces) butter
1 1/3 cups icing sugar
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1-2 tsp milk

Leave the butter to soften at room temperature then beat together with the icing sugar and cocoa powder and1 tsp of milk. Beat until smooth adding extra tsp of milk if needed. Note for a more intense choc flavour frosting beat this in equal quantities with dark chocolate gnache.

Smooth Buttercream Base Colour for Piping Designs or Flowers

125 icing sugar
25 butter

Melt the butter, add the icing sugar and mix well. It may be a little runny at first, simply allow to cool a little and then place on cupcakes.

Alternatively if you have already made you butter cream you can heat some spoonfuls of it in the microwave and add extra icing sugar to make the desired consistency. Covering the cupcake in the warmed buttercream gives a smooth glossy finish.

N.B Two quantities of this buttercream will cover the top and sides and one inside layer of a cake 20.5cm (8.07 inches) in diameter and 9cm (3.54 inches) tall