How to make basic buttercream

[gables1]

I am going to make a cake tonight and wanted a good basicc choc buttercream receipe it has to be a good consistancy as I will be using it to pipe flowers onto a cake (first time) any hints on how to do this correctly by the way will be great.

Tara

[Kerplunk]

Makes 400g (14oz)
250g (9oz) Icing Sugar, sifted
125g (4�oz) Butter, softened
30g (1oz) Plain Chocolate (70% cocoa solids), melted
1-2 tbsp Milk or Cream
Vanilla Extract, a few drops

Cream the butter and sugar until soft and light.
Add the vanilla and melted chocolate and enough milk (or cream) to produce a fairly stiff consistency.

[PinkFlower]

PRACTISE ON A PIECE OF KITCHEN PAPER FIRST!!!!!! other wise things could go really wrong!....keep a steady hand and when you ar e practising try to pipe with consistent strength (i.e not a sudden squeeze!) and say 1 missisippi and you should have a normal soze flower....as for the butter cream....

50g butter
100g icing sugar
1 tbsp of cocoa powder

always add more cocoa powder if you want itmore chocolatey and add more icing sugar if it is too runny....it should be quite thick ...a bit like the paste you put in sandwiches :-P

sorry its a long post hope it hepls xxxx

[osprey]

I would practice on greaseproof or silicone paper first as then you can reuse the buttercream.

[gables1]

Thanks guys just another quick question one of you has put use coco powder the other chocolate does it matter which? Which will use the best consistancy for piping?

[PinkFlower]

erm....i have always used cocoa powder as you then dont have to use extra icing sugar to thicken the buttercream....as it is a powder itself (if you understand what im getting at ) but just use whatever you feel would be best...let us know how the cake goes! xxx

[Kerplunk]

Good quality chocolate gives nicer taste, but cocoa powder is fine to use.

[Scots-babe]

how do u make the buttercream without choc? like just buttercream but it still tastes lovely

[snapdarlich]

Same recipe without the vanilla or chocolate.

[aurelia]

Do you have to use butter or can you use margarine.

I am lactose intolerant and have not found a non-dairy butter yet but have non-dairy margarine - would it work with it and without the cocoa s I can't ake the chocolate cause of dairy too.

I know ith margarine it won't taste just as nice as butter but the non-dairy ice cream I bought is pallatable and I can be well fussy. I've ot been diagnosed long but had not been well and that's what was causing it.

[xanderma]

aurelia, I've used margarine before today, it 's not quite as nice a flavour as butter, but what it lacks there can be 'disguised' with e.g. vanilla essence etc.

Basically you can add any kinds of flavour, I've done lemon and coffee successfully (I dissolve the coffee in a little water first, so need extra icing sugar to compensate).

As yours is a definite dietary need, I'd say give dairy free margarine a go, you've nothing to lose!