Name: Buttercream Icing recipe
Prep time: 5 min
Total time: 5 min
Yield: 10
Ingredients: 150 g butter softened; 250 g icing sugar sifted; 1 tsp vanilla essence; 2 tsp hot water; 1 tsp liquid food colouring

by ellicats31 Last updated on 07/29/2020

Whether it's enveloping a birthday cake in sweetness, being piped onto cupcakes for a bake sale or used to sandwich biscuits for afternoon tea, buttercream icing is a classic choice for decorating cakes and sweet treats. And this easy recipe is set to be your new go-to! - Australia's Best Recipes Team

Ingredients

150 g butter softened
250 g icing sugar sifted
1 tsp vanilla essence
2 tsp hot water
1 tsp liquid food colouring

Method

Step 1

Beat the butter and sugar with an electric beater until well combined.
Step 2

Add vanilla and water then beat until creamy.
Step 3

Tint with colour if desired.

Equipment

1 electric beaters

Recipe Notes

from Australia’s Best Recipes team

You can substitute vanilla for other flavours like lemon, strawberry etc.

Best if you use a large bowl or mix at first by hand as the icing sugar will tend to puff out of the bowl with the electric beaters.

Does buttercream icing go hard?

After a short while, buttercream icing will develop a thin crust, but the icing beneath will still be soft and fluffy. This is especially ideal for piping, as it helps the piped decorations to hold their shape.

I made buttercream icing before and it went grainy. What can I do to avoid this?

Grainy buttercream icing is usually caused by either lumps in the icing sugar or too-cold butter. Make sure you sift the icing sugar before using to remove any lumps, and remove the butter from the fridge ahead of using to give it enough time to soften.