I am addicted to cake and cupcake shows, and after watching Cupcake Wars on TV tonight, decided I wanted cupcakes. I was going to just go buy some tomorrow, but instead decided to make them, at 930pm, which first involved a trip to the grocery store for ingredients. I also decided I wanted to try to make homemade frosting, yummm. The cupcake mix was a generic box brand which I made funfetti with sprinkles, yumm. Once in the oven, I set to make some frosting.
Buttercream Frosting
foodnetwork.com
3 cups confectioners' sugar
1 cup butter (softened)
1 tsp vanilla extract
1-2 Tbsp whipping cream/milk
3-4 Tbsp cocoa powder if making chocolate frosting
cream butter, mix in sugar slowly until well-blended, add in vanilla and 1Tbsp of whipping cream at a time and blend to reach desired spreading consistency. To make chocolate frosting, take out vanilla extract (can leave in if desired) and add in 3-4 Tbsp of cocoa powder.
recipe frosts approximately 24 cupcakes
I used this recipe from the foodnetwork.com to make vanilla and chocolate frosting. It was relatively easy, but I learned a few things for next time:
1- make sure your butter is softened or it is rather difficult to cream!
2- a stand mixer would have been so much easier than a hand mixer, but that's all I have so hand-mixed it I did! (however, stand mixer is #1 on wedding registry!)
3- I halved the recipe and it frosted approx 12-14 cupcakes, so definitely make the whole batch or even double the recipe for a whole batch of cupcakes.
4- the recipe was a little too buttery (yes, I know it is a buttercream), a little too sweet, and a little too vanilla-y, but I really dont know how to fix that! I could try to add more suagr to offset the butteriness, but that would make it sweeter... I could add less vanilla, but that would make it taste more buttery........ some reviews of the recipe suggested adding a pinch of salt (I did use salted butter already) and decreasing the amt of sugar slightly, and adding 1 T orange juice.... still dont know how that would all work out without ruining the batch of frosting, but I might play next time and see if I can work something out...
5- I added cocoa powder to a second batch for chocolate frosting, and it turned out GREAT! (fiance agrees....) it actually tasted like something store bought but better, and better for yes (as far as less preservatives go....) I probably might add a touch of coffee or maybe even vanilla to offset the chocolate and bring it out more, as just cocoa powder alone was a little flat tasting, but still turned out good!
6- the frosting is really soft, and smooth and creamy, so I scoped it in ziplock baggies, put the frosting in the refrigerator for 10min before frosting to set it up a little, then cut a small corner off the bag to pipe the frosting on the cupcakes and it was perfect!
All in all, a great buttercream recipe, and yummy cupcakes! I will definitely use this frosting in the future for cupcakes and cakes, and maybe even brownies and cookies! end time of midnight cupcakes: midnight... blog posting time: 1am.... sweet dreams!
