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Butter cream or buttercream or mock cream is a type of icing used inside cakes, as a coating, and as decoration. In its simplest form, it is made by creaming butter with icing sugar, although other fats can be used, such as margarine. Colourings and flavorings are often added, such as cocoa powder or vanilla extract.

A notable use of buttercream is in butterfly cakes, although it is popular as a topping for many other forms of Victoria sponge. |

Contents 1 Major types of buttercream 1.1 Simple buttercream 1.1.1 Decorator's buttercream 1.2 Meringue-type buttercream 1.3 French buttercream 1.4 Pastry cream-type buttercream 1.5 Fondant-type buttercream 2 Choice of shortening 2.1 Butter 2.2 Vegetable shortening 2.3 Other shortenings 3 Handling 4 See also 5 External links

Simple buttercream, also known as American buttercream, is made by creaming together fat and confectioners' sugar to the desired consistency and lightness. Small quantities of whole eggs, egg whites, egg yolks, or milk may be included. Some recipes also call for non-fat milk solids.

Sometimes called Rose Paste, this buttercream is creamed much less than a regular simple buttercream resulting in a stiff paste suitable for making flowers and other cake decorations.

A very light and airy mix of butter and meringue.

French buttercreams are made by beating a sugar syrup which has reached the soft-ball stage into beaten egg yolks and whipping to a light foam. Softened butter is then whipped in. This icing is very rich, smooth, and light but more delicate than a simple buttercream. French buttercreams can melt alarmingly fast in warm weather.

Pastry cream types are made by beating together thick pastry cream and softened butter, and may be additionally sweetened with extra confectioners' sugar.

Fondant buttercream is made by creaming together equal parts fondant and butter.

Sweet cream unsalted butter is traditionally the shortening of choice for buttercreams, as evidenced by the name. Butter provides a more delicate texture and superior flavor and mouthfeel (texture) when compared to vegetable shortening, but it can be more difficult to work with because butter is less stable at room temperature. A small amount of vegetable shortening can be blended into a butter-based buttercream to help stabilize it.

Hydrogenated vegetable shortenings have become a popular ingredient in commercial icings during the 20th century because they are cheaper and more stable at room temperature than butter. Icings made with vegetable shortening are more stable in warm temperatures and therefore easier to work with than butter, but shortening does not dissolve in the mouth like butter does leading to a heavy, greasy feeling coating the inside of the mouth. Shortening is also favored over butter because the icing comes out white instead of having a yellow tint that butter possess.

Other shortenings such as lard or palm oil are rarely, if ever, used in icings.

Keeping one's work area sufficiently cooled will make decorating a cake with buttercream much easier. When the weather is warm, the cake needs to be kept cooled before serving to prevent melting. A room (or car, if it needs to be transported) air conditioned to around 70 degrees Fahrenheit should be sufficient to prevent melting. Cakes frosted in buttercream can also be chilled in the refrigerator with no ill effects.

Buttercream icings may be stored, covered, in the refrigerator for several days. Before use, the icing needs to sit for at least an hour outside the fridge so it can come up to room temperature. If it must be warmed quickly or if it curdles, it can be warmed over warm water (such as a bain marie or double boiler) and beaten until it becomes smooth again.

• Neenish tart

• Cooking For Engineers - American Buttercream - recipe with step-by-step photographs