What buttercream for covering an birthday cake

yogibear77

I'm planning on making the little ones birthday cake this year. I have ordered a cake topper picture.

I have never tried covering a cake before so don't know what buttercream cream recipe would be best. Also don't know if I will just cover in buttercream cream or if I will add a layer of fondant too.

Its going to be a 7 inch round Victoria sponge. What quantities would I need?

Thanks

confusticated

yogibear77 wrote: »

I'm planning on making the little ones birthday cake this year. I have ordered a cake topper picture.

I have never tried covering a cake before so don't know what buttercream cream recipe would be best. Also don't know if I will just cover in buttercream cream or if I will add a layer of fondant too.

Its going to be a 7 inch round Victoria sponge. What quantities would I need?

Thanks

Plain (American) buttercream is the simplest type to make. For a 7" round cake I'd use 200g butter and 400g icing sugar (assuming it's a sandwich cake, increase that slightly if you want to use buttercream to fill it as well). Just beat room temp butter, add in sieved icing sugar and continue beating until smooth. Add colour/flavouring as you like once smooth, then just spread on the cake. Loads of YouTube videos out there if you want a smooth finish etc.

If you want to use fondant, use about half the buttercream quantities to give a thinner layer under the fondant. Tbh if you haven't done it before, I find fondant quite fiddly but buttercream is a lot more forgiving!

scarepanda

American buttercream is certainly far more forgiving. It's basically twice as much icing sugar to your butter quantity. I also add a drop of milk to help consistency, add a little at a time. And I also add a teaspoon of vanilla.

If you go for fondant, put a very thin layer of butter cream around the edges of the cake and put it into the fridge until it has stiffened up. This will help with the overall finish of the fondant. Also, if you can, pay a bit extra for good quality fondant. I got 5kg for €20 in a cake supply shop earlier this year and it's done 2 big cakes with decorations and some left over. You can get it in smaller quantities as well. I'll never buy cheap fondant from a grocery store again as it was so hard to work with. The fondant I got was wedding cake quality and it made all the difference.

Oh and don't put fondant covered cake into the fridge! So make sure you don't use a cake filling like cream that needs to be refrigerated.

RacoonQueen

Russian/Condensed milk buttercream is pretty much my go to now. One pound butter and one tin of condensed milk + whatever you want to flavour it with (you can use a tin of caramel either). Very quick and easy, no measuring, sifting, icing sugar clouds.
Cupcake savvy kitchen on youtube has every flavour of it you can imagine (she uses 500g butter per batch but I prefer it with just the pound) the 500g might work better for sharper edges.

ax530

Also can buy tubs of ready made butter cream. I put thin layer on for the cake topper picture to stick to.

yogibear77

confusticated wrote: »

Plain (American) buttercream is the simplest type to make. For a 7" round cake I'd use 200g butter and 400g icing sugar (assuming it's a sandwich cake, increase that slightly if you want to use buttercream to fill it as well). Just beat room temp butter, add in sieved icing sugar and continue beating until smooth. Add colour/flavouring as you like once smooth, then just spread on the cake. Loads of YouTube videos out there if you want a smooth finish etc.

If you want to use fondant, use about half the buttercream quantities to give a thinner layer under the fondant. Tbh if you haven't done it before, I find fondant quite fiddly but buttercream is a lot more forgiving!

I was planning on putting a layer of butter cream and jam between the sponges. How much extra would I need?

The American buttercream sounds like the one I make for cupcakes. Sometimes that tastes very buttery. What can I do to avoid this as I don't want the cake to be too sickly since its going to be covered in it?

What type of buttercream cream do they use in cake shops to cover cakes?

phormium

[QUOTE What type of buttercream cream do they use in cake shops to cover cakes?[/QUOTE]

Big buckets of processed chemical goodness! I wouldn't be trying to replicate that you never will anyway with real kitchen ingredients.

Ordinary buttercream is usually double icing sugar to butter by weight, it shouldn't be overly buttery at that ratio, in fact I find it way too sweet and it is the standard stuff must people use on buns/cakes with whatever flavour necessary. The only time I make this type is for coffee cake as I like the old traditional type for that but I never measure and just add enough sugar until it tastes ok but the correct way is twice sugar to butter.

By far the nicer buttercream is a swiss meringue one but it is more complicated and really requires a stand mixer, it's more like a soft ice cream type texture, no gritty texture as sugar is dissolved before you start and made with the correct ratios especially butter/sugar it is not overly buttery either.

From a taste point of view you can't beat fresh cream and jam but it the rules out fondant and you must keep cake refrigerated until serving, this means only putting on pic at last minute.

confusticated

yogibear77 wrote: »

I was planning on putting a layer of butter cream and jam between the sponges. How much extra would I need?

The American buttercream sounds like the one I make for cupcakes. Sometimes that tastes very buttery. What can I do to avoid this as I don't want the cake to be too sickly since its going to be covered in it?

What type of buttercream cream do they use in cake shops to cover cakes?

I'd probably put about 250g but very much depends on how thick you want it. If it tastes very buttery flavour it with something like vanilla to give it a taste of something other than just "icing". To avoid it being too sickly I'd say just don't make it too thick. It will be sweet, not a lot you can do about it as that's kind of the point.

I don't like Swiss meringue buttercream, I know it's less sweet than the American stuff but the texture of it really doesn't appeal to me the way I make it anyway, I always seem to come out with it kind of slimy rather than silky! I've got it on shop cakes and it has been lovely.

phormium

Slimy definitely doesn't sound appealing! Must be something in the recipe ratios maybe.

yogibear77

Thanks so much for all you advice, I really appreciate it.

I have a stand mixer.....how complicated is it to do? I would like to be able to make a nice birthday cake and think it would be good for the future......or am I mad?

phormium

I don't find it complicated but I've made tons of the stuff, it's not half as delicate as recipes suggest but it is a bit time consuming but more hanging around time than actually doing stuff, bit like waiting for dough to rise!

For a single batch which is easily multiplied but is enough to do a small cake I use 160g egg white (4 large), 250g sugar, 250g unsalted butter (Lidl is my choice)

Now let the butter out of fridge to soften a bit, put egg white and sugar (ordinary granulated or castor, no need for icing sugar) into a metal bowl (my preference) and sit it over a saucepan of boiling water. Do not have the water touching the bowl but have it bubbling away nicely, now you must stir the sugar/egg white mix with gusto all the time, do not leave it for even 30 seconds, stir continuously with a whisk, make a whirlpool effect so that the mix goes up the sides of the bowl and dissolves any sugar crystals that stick up there or they will ruin your meringue. The mix has to get to sufficient temperature to cook the eggs but if you stop stirring they will cook as in white coagulated bits stuck to the bowl, stirring stops that.

It doesn't take ages and you don't really need a thermometer, you will know when they are hot enough, basically you shouldn't be comfortably able to stick your finger in there although you must check the mix by rubbing a bit between two fingertips to ensure you can't feel any sugar bits, don't burn yourself because it should be really hot at that stage. It only takes me 4 minutes so while you can't move from the spot it's not that long.

Take the mix off the heat and put it into the bowl of stand mixer with whisk attachment and let it beat until thick white stiff meringue and bowl is only barely warm to the touch. Now because the mix is so hot that can take ages so if it gets to stiff peaks and is still too hot then just turn off the mixer and let it sit there for a while until cooler, no point burning out the mixer too

When it's barely warm to the touch switch to the paddle attachment, turn back on mixer and start adding chunks of butter letting each one beat in before next one, mixture will probably turn like thick soup or melted ice cream, keep beating, it will finally come together into a stiffer mix that can be spread and piped, again if that seems to be taking ages give it a break to cool further, it's all about getting it to correct temp. When freshly made it is softer than final set consistency on cake as obviously it is a little warmer than room temp.

Use when freshly made or if you let it get cool or make ahead then you must beat it again until it's back to fresh consistency as once the butter solidifies again it needs rebeating.

It sounds long but you are not doing anything most of the time except listening to the mixer, once mastered it is a very handy buttercream to use, you can add any flavour you want, if making vanilla I always use unsalted butter, if making a stronger flavour though like chocolate for example you'd get away with ordinary salted butter.

Sorry for essay but if you follow that it should work

yogibear77

Wow, thanks so much for that. All the details and tips are great. I am dying to give it a go now. I wont be making the birthday cake till next week but think I will have dry run this weekend.

I just have a couple more questions if that's OK.

The quantities that you have given there would that be enough for filling and covering a 7 inch round cake?

Would it need any vanilla extract if so how much or is it ok plain?

phormium

I would add a little vanilla, good stuff though and not the artificial flavouring, tsp would be plenty.

If you are talking just a two layer cake then it should be enough for a reasonable filling and covering. Best to try it with the usual size batch first just in case for any reason it goes wrong

I usually make a double batch as it freezes very well and I always like to have some frozen for a few last minutes cupcakes or similar.

yogibear77

I have some Nielsen Massey Vanilla Extract that I could use.

Brilliant, thanks will make an single batch first, hope to try it tomorrow.

It can be frozen even better If it works out I will be converted. Have been looking for a nice buttercream.

You have been such a great help. Thank you :D:D:D;)

yogibear77

I did a trial run yesterday and it turned out perfectly. Used some on cupcakes and put the rest in the freezer.

Fingers crossed it will turn out just as good next week when I make the birthday cake.

Thanks so much

phormium

That's brilliant! If you knew the amount of people on cake decorating pages that cannot get smbc right, you've done well for first go!

Now just a word on the defrosting, when it defrosts you must rebeat it and it will look awful, it will look curdled and split, too warm smbc goes soupy, too cold goes curdled, answer to both is beat some more.

You may need to heat it a little to get it back to fresh consistency, I have a metal bowl on my mixer and a blowtorch so I just wave it back and forth until I can see the consistency is right again. Alternatively sit the bowl in some warm water and wait until edges are melty like ice cream and beat again. If in a hurry I often take the container of icing straight from freezer and into microwave on defrost for a few minutes until edges are melting but centre still firm and throw that into the mixer, if you get the right balance between warmed and cold stuff it whips up perfect quickly. Careful with microwave though not to melt it too much or you'll be all day trying to get it back right

yogibear77

Oh yay!!! Fingers crossed I can do it a second time it was definitely your detailed description that helped.

Thats great to know about the defrosting. Will be careful.

Could I almond more question? Is a Victoria sponge an ok choice for the cake and for covering or should I try a different one?

Thanks:)

ellejay

phormium wrote: »

I don't find it complicated but I've made tons of the stuff, it's not half as delicate as recipes suggest but it is a bit time consuming but more hanging around time than actually doing stuff, bit like waiting for dough to rise!

For a single batch which is easily multiplied but is enough to do a small cake I use 160g egg white (4 large), 250g sugar, 250g unsalted butter (Lidl is my choice)

Now let the butter out of fridge to soften a bit, put egg white and sugar (ordinary granulated or castor, no need for icing sugar) into a metal bowl (my preference) and sit it over a saucepan of boiling water. Do not have the water touching the bowl but have it bubbling away nicely, now you must stir the sugar/egg white mix with gusto all the time, do not leave it for even 30 seconds, stir continuously with a whisk, make a whirlpool effect so that the mix goes up the sides of the bowl and dissolves any sugar crystals that stick up there or they will ruin your meringue. The mix has to get to sufficient temperature to cook the eggs but if you stop stirring they will cook as in white coagulated bits stuck to the bowl, stirring stops that.

It doesn't take ages and you don't really need a thermometer, you will know when they are hot enough, basically you shouldn't be comfortably able to stick your finger in there although you must check the mix by rubbing a bit between two fingertips to ensure you can't feel any sugar bits, don't burn yourself because it should be really hot at that stage. It only takes me 4 minutes so while you can't move from the spot it's not that long.

Take the mix off the heat and put it into the bowl of stand mixer with whisk attachment and let it beat until thick white stiff meringue and bowl is only barely warm to the touch. Now because the mix is so hot that can take ages so if it gets to stiff peaks and is still too hot then just turn off the mixer and let it sit there for a while until cooler, no point burning out the mixer too

When it's barely warm to the touch switch to the paddle attachment, turn back on mixer and start adding chunks of butter letting each one beat in before next one, mixture will probably turn like thick soup or melted ice cream, keep beating, it will finally come together into a stiffer mix that can be spread and piped, again if that seems to be taking ages give it a break to cool further, it's all about getting it to correct temp. When freshly made it is softer than final set consistency on cake as obviously it is a little warmer than room temp.

Use when freshly made or if you let it get cool or make ahead then you must beat it again until it's back to fresh consistency as once the butter solidifies again it needs rebeating.

It sounds long but you are not doing anything most of the time except listening to the mixer, once mastered it is a very handy buttercream to use, you can add any flavour you want, if making vanilla I always use unsalted butter, if making a stronger flavour though like chocolate for example you'd get away with ordinary salted butter.

Sorry for essay but if you follow that it should work

I've wanted to try SMBC for some time, those steps look great.
Would it be suitable to add elderflower cordial or flavouring please?
I made an elderflower cake from Jane's patisserie but the buttercream was dreadfully sweet so I'm looking for an alternative

phormium

You can add flavouring to it no problem but not too much liquid, I have never tried it with elderflower cordial as it's not a flavour I like and it will depend how concentrated the cordial is as you can't add a load of liquid as it just won't amalgamate with the smbc correctly. Although I find I can add a good slosh of Baileys and get away with it

yogibear77

What went wrong???? I made it last night and it was a bit runny so put i it in the fridge for a bit. It seemed fine when I took it out so I whipped it again and started to decorate the cake but to just started to run every where....cake was cold. So I put it all in the fridge and just tried to finish decorating the cake as soon as it came up to room temp it started running every where....im gutted

phormium

Needed more beating, after you cooled it and then beat it again it needs to thicken up which happens when the butter fully incorporates into the meringue mix and the consistency gets relatively firm like stiffly whipped cream, if it isn't at this stage refrigerating it again never thickens it, it's just gives a temporary fix which solidifies the butter but it will soften again at room temp if it has not reached the proper amalgamated consistency by beating.

More beating, assuming all ingredient weights are correct, is the answer to practically all problems with meringue buttercreams.

yogibear77

Ah!!! I was afraid to over beat it so that's why I stopped. That's what I get for doing it when I was tired.

Have another birthday in the next few weeks so will give it another go

Thank so much for your help

phormium

Pretty much impossible to over beat swiss meringue buttercream but if beating for a long time use the paddle rather than the whisk so as not to introduce too much air

yogibear77

I was using the paddle didnt realise thats why you had to swap it over. Probably just being impatient :rolleyes:

I will make sure I beat it for longer next time

Thanks so much