Buttercream & frosting
There are 15 products.
A good buttercream fills cakes, coats them smoothly and holds rosettes and flowers in shape. Which type to choose depends on whether you want to pipe, coat a cake under fondant or serve it at room temperature. Here you will find FunCakes mixes and ready-to-use ganache.
Which buttercream for which job?
- American buttercream: butter and icing sugar, sweet and firm. It forms a light crust and is ideal for rosettes and Russian piping tips.
- Swiss meringue buttercream: egg whites heated with sugar, whipped and combined with butter – silky, less sweet and perfect for coating layer cakes. The mix (800 g or 4 kg) saves you heating the meringue.
- Buttercream mix (500 g or 1 kg, also gluten-free): just add butter and water and whip.
- Enchanted Cream: whipped with water or milk and stays stable at room temperature; also available in chocolate, from 200 g to 10 kg.
- Ganache in dark or white chocolate: for fillings, drips and as a firm layer under fondant.
Colouring, covering and storing
Colour buttercream with gel food colouring; liquid colours make it soft. Because butter is slightly yellow, shades turn pastel, and strong colours deepen further over a few hours. Before covering with fondant, apply a thin crumb coat, chill the cake, add a second smooth layer and chill again – this gives you sharp edges. Well covered, buttercream keeps for a few days in the fridge; let it come back to room temperature and beat it briefly before use. For mixes, follow the instructions on the pack.
Frequently asked questions about buttercream
Which buttercream is the most stable?
Ganache and American buttercream are the firmest, and Enchanted Cream stays stable at room temperature. Swiss meringue buttercream is more delicate and softens sooner in warm conditions.
Why has my Swiss meringue buttercream curdled?
Usually the butter and meringue are at different temperatures. Keep whipping; if it is too cold, warm the bowl briefly.
Which filling works under fondant?
Ganache or a firm buttercream, well chilled. Whipped cream is too soft.
See also: Piping tips · Gel food colouring · Fondant and gum paste · Icings & frostings