This buttercream is super easy and delicious! It's called V.2 because it is an altered recipe from the original (from Lauren Kitchens) for those who prefer a sweeter icing. I find it is also perfect for piping flowers! This recipe has more powdered sugar and a little more egg whites than Lauren's. You will also notice the final amount is 11 cups, which will happily fill a Kitchen Aid mixer (feel free to adjust using the adjustment serving box below). Use this with our Cake Calculator icon in the menu) to make your cake life more efficient!

An extra TIP! How I store my leftover buttercream!

When freezing buttercream or ganache, I will put it in plastic wrap and then into a zip lock bag. I find this much more space efficient for my freezer, fewer dishes to clean and cost effective! Take it out the night before you need it again, unwrap it while it's still cold and put it in a bowl at room temp to thaw overnight. Next day, whip up again and you're ready to go! Great for small amounts of different colors too!

Easy and Delicious Buttercream V.2

This recipe has been altered from Lauren Kitchen's recipe to better suit some palettes (sweeter) and also I find it a little better for piping/flowers. It's great for underneath fondant also as it gets nice and solid in the fridge.

Yield:11 cups

Ingredients

▢ 7 oz Egg Whites, Pasteurized
▢ 2.5 lbs powdered sugar - sifted
▢ 3 lbs Unsalted butter - SOFT, *if HUMID or hot hands, see notes below
▢ 2 Tbs Vanilla Extract

Instructions

Measure egg whites in your mixing bowl.
Tare. Measure powdered sugar in bowl. (Or in separate bowl, either way, add powdered sugar at this time)
Using the paddle attachment, beat on medium/high (6 on KA) for 5 minutes. You are essentially creating a soft peak, glossy royal icing at this point. If it does not "peak", do not worry, our main concern is to dissolve the powdered sugar. You can incorporate more air into it down the line.
Make sure your butter is SOFT. Room temperature often isn't soft enough for me, so I'll put it in the microwave for 10 more seconds to make sure it's super soft to the touch. This will allow air to beat into the mixture easier.
Set mixer to medium, gradually add butter. Scrape bowl.
Don't forget to add your vanilla! Now, beat for 5-10 minutes on medium/high (6 on KA) until light and fluffy. To help remove larger air bubbles that may have formed, I reduce it to a low setting and let it mix for approx 2 minutes.
Fluffy delicious buttercream! Nom nom nom. See below for storage and other notes!

Notes

Notes via Lauren Kitchens:

Storage: The day after you make the buttercream, you will need to whip it at medium speed for 5 minutes. Store at room temp (68-74 degrees F) for up to 2 weeks. (Yes, you heard her correctly). Store in the fridge for up to 2 months. Store in freezer for up to 6 months.

Color: Use gel paste or oil colors to color your buttercream.

Egg Whites: Purchase the pasteurized egg whites in the grocery store next to the eggs. Most carton eggs are pasteurized. You can use fresh egg whites but it will decrease the shelf life of the buttercream unless you pasteurize them yourself. I do not recommend using meringue powder as a replacement.

Tips from Avalon:

For hot and humid areas, you have the option to take anywhere from 1/4 to 1/3 of the total amount of butter out and replace it (in weight) with shortening. If you have particularly warm hands and are doing a lot of piping (that includes buttercream flowers), I suggest this recipe with 1/4 of the total amount of butter replaced with shortening. I'm not a huge shortening icing fan, BUT some places *need* it for climate purposes.