I LOVE this frosting!
It’s so wonderfully rich and creamy.
It’s not an overly sweet frosting, which I really like.
I’ve made a few batches trying to find the combination I liked best.
I found recipes on Cake Journal, Food.com, all recipes, and King Arthur Flour.
I found many tips on making it and made many batches until I got it just the way I liked it.
Bring sugar syrup to 240 degrees
mix egg whites with cream of tartar
whip egg whites until stiff
Cold butter is the key to keeping the Italian Buttercream a wonderful creamy texture.
Ice packs on the motor of the Kitchen-aid Mixer help keep the motor cool, while you are mixing it for 15 minutes.
It’s getting there!
This is what it looks like when the butter is being added.
Finished Italian Buttercream Frosting, smooth and creamy.
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- ⅔ cups water
- 6 egg whites
- 1 pinch salt
- ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
- 1¼ pounds room temperature butter, cubed (unsalted)
- 2 teaspoon vanilla
- Heat granulated sugar and water in saucepan until it reaches 245 degrees.
- While the syrup is heating, mix egg whites on low until foamy with whisk attachment.
- Add cream of tarter then mix on medium to high until stiff.
- Pour hot syrup in a slow stream into egg whites while mixer is on high.
- Beat for 8 minutes or until mixture is cool.
- To help the mixers motor stay cool and prevent over heating place an ice pack on top of the motor and wrap ice packs around the sides of the bowl. You can tie them on with a thin dish towel.
- Keep butter in fridge until this point.
- Remove whisk attachment and put paddle attachment on mixer.
- Add vanilla and butter in small cubes a bit at a time.
- Beat until all butter is combined.
- If it looks like it’s separating or curdled or soupy looking, keep beating and keep the bowl cold if needed. The frosting will come together as long as you didn’t add the butter while the syrup/egg mixture was warmer than room temperature.
- The frosting will be smooth and creamy.
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This sounds amazing!! I want to make an Italian Rum cake next month..wondering if this might be the perfect frosting.
Oh that sounds DELICIOUS!
This sounds like a tasty frosting:) Cute cupcakes! Merry Christmas!
Italian buttercream is my favorite. It is so smooth and creamy, and as you say not too sweet. I love it before the butter is added. My mom and I can’t get enough of it!
great info Diane!!
ooo Nice! Saving this recipe!
Oooooo…I love playing with different frostings. This looks like a great one!
These are gorgeous. How do you get your frosting to look that way once it is on the cupcake?
Looks really great Diane! I have pinned this to try later, I’m always up for buttercream!
When heating your sugar syrup, do you stir it gently, or let it sit until it comes to the right temp?
Sorry I’m just seeing this now, you message landed in the spam folder for comments.
I just let it boil, I dont’ stir it.
The images and directions say to place an ice pack around the bowl to keep the motor cool, as well as one on top. What do the packs wrapped around the bowl have anything to do with keeping the motor (which is in the top of the mixer) cool? Does the mixture need to stay chilled while mixing hence the ice packs around the bowl? I’m just really confused as to why ice packs around the bowl keep the motor cool.
How much frosting does this recipe make?
This recipe makes about 8 cups, plenty of frosting to pipe onto 24 cupcakes at about 1/4 cup each.