I’ve been fan girling over Bill Grainger for years and this has to be my favourite Bill recipe – it makes perfect buttercream every single time! I first gave it a go when I made Bill’s Cake for a Crowd and I’ve been loving on this recipe ever since.
This whipped buttercream is super easy to make but unless you have arms like Popeye, you’ll need a stand mixer or a Thermomix to help things along. This buttercream has been the star of the show on all the birthday cakes we’ve made, including this Moana Cake, this Lion Guard Cake and of course, the AWW Koala Cake.It goes great in a cake sandwich and works equally well for decorating the top and sides. Everyone tells me how much they love the buttercream and I have to confess it is beater-lickingly good.
Have you got a favourite celebrity chef? Do you like to lick the beaters too?
Ingredients
2 ¼ cups (280g) icing sugar
80g unsalted butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1-2 tablespoons milk
How to – Traditional
- Beat the icing sugar, butter, vanilla and 1 tablespoon of milk with electric beaters on low speed. If the buttercream is looking stiff, add the extra tablespoon of milk.
- Then beat for 3-4 minutes on high speed until pale and fluffy. Spread over the cooled cake.
How to – Thermomix
- Add butter and icing sugar to TM bowl. Mix for 4 minutes on reverse speed 2. After 15 seconds add 1 tablespoon of milk.
- After 2 minutes, scrape down sides of bowl and if the buttercream is looking stiff, add the other tablespoon of milk.
- After 4 minutes, the buttercream should be pale and fluffy. Spread over the cooled cake.
