It’s always spring somewhere in the world, even if it isn’t, we’re in Malaysia. Here we always have flowers that bloom at some point in the year.
With their bright and vibrant colours, it’s no wonder we love putting them on our cakes, cookies and macarons!
However, not everyone is an expert baker with years of experience. So this article is here to introduce to you the wonders of one of the most favoured frostings when it comes to floral designs on your baked goods.
What is Buttercream?
Buttercream is a well beloved frosting to many people besides being absolutely delicious, it can come in almost any colour. There’s a reason why people love to use it to decorate after all.
Soft and creamy, but firm enough to create beautiful and detailed designs.
Types & of Buttercream
American Buttercream
Difficulty level: Beginner
Colouring: Ivory white
Characteristics:
Creates crust when exposed to air. This means that it’s a good base for your other designs. Also, if you are making a lot of designs close to each other, it won’t get destroyed as easily if you accidentally brush against it.
It is the easiest recipe to make, especially for non-professionals.
Usually made using a ratio of 2:1 of sugar to butter, so it can be sweeter than some people may like.
Swiss Meringue Buttercream
Difficulty level: Intermediate
Colouring: Pale white
Characteristics:
Stable, silky smooth, less sweet, strong butter flavour.
Uses the double boiler method to heat egg whites and sugar.
Italian Meringue Buttercream
Difficulty level: Advanced
Colouring: Pale white
Characteristics:
Light texture, not too sweet.
Great for colouring and designs because it is the most stable.
Korean Buttercream
Difficulty level: Beginner
Colouring: Glossy, almost transparent
Characteristics:
Stiffer and heat resistant, meaning that it holds its shape easier.
EEasier to create realistic colouring
Takes a longer time to make than most other buttercream recipes
How to Make Buttercream
As you can see, there are so many different kinds of buttercream frosting recipes, with their own pros and cons.
We have our own recipe at My Weekend Plan that’s great for decorating. In fact, we use it in several of our baking classes such as Mermaid Cake, Faultline Cake, and Unicorn Doughnuts.
Although not quite the simplest recipe like American Buttercream, this recipe is great because it is versatile and great for colouring with its texture adding to your design.
My Weekend Plan Buttercream Recipe
Ingredients
250 gm creamwell
125 gm butter
150 gm icing sugar
1 tsp vanilla paste
Instructions
1. Mix the creamwell and butter.
2. Until the cream expands a bit, add in sugar.
3. Continue to beat until all the sugar combines.
4. Add in vanilla and beat again for 3 minutes.
5. Enjoy!
Piping Tips
You can’t start designing your flowers until you get basic piping tips like;
- No. 127,
- No. 122,
- No. 104,
- No. 120,
- No. 61,
- No. 143,
- No. 401,
- No. 349.
If you’re interested in trying out more advanced flower designs such as chrysanthemums or dahlias you need to get these tips;
- No. 81
- No. 352
But you don’t need an expensive set of tips; any off brand pack of 24 tips that you can get from any grocery or baking store can do the job just as well.
Floral Designs for Beginners
As with any skill, piping a consistently beautiful flower needs to be earned and learned. There are hundreds of flower design tutorials that you can find online, varying in difficulty and complexity.
Here is a list of some simpler designs to start you off on your road to be a flower piping artist!
Classic rosette – 2D or 1M tip
Rose – No. 104 tip
Carnations – No. 104 tip
Hydrangeas – No. 224 tip
Camellias – No. 104 tip
Peony – No. 123 tip
Buttercream piping is an artform as well as a craft that takes time to master. But it is never too late to start branching out for new skills and hobbies!
If you’re interested in trying to learn other new baking recipes and techniques, come and check out our available classes!
https://www.myweekendplan.com.my/
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