Buttercream Recipe

I've had few people ask how I made the buttercream for the cupcakes in my last post so here is the recipe:

1/2 pound Egg Whites
1 pound Sugar
1-1/2 pounds Unsalted Butter, softened
1 pinch Salt
1/2 Vanilla Bean, scraped

I find it helpful to keep my vanilla beans stored in a bottle of vanilla extract or bourbon. That way you can cut the vanilla bean in half width wise and squeeze the seeds out like a paste. Then you can cut the bean length wise and scrape the inside to get every last bit of the seeds.

Place the egg whites and sugar in a kitchen aid mixing bowl. Whisk the mixture over a pot of simmering water until it reaches about 140 degrees Fahrenheit. Put the bowl on the mixer with the whip attachment and mix the egg whites on medium speed for about 5 minutes. Switch the speed to high and let it run until the bowl is cool to the touch.

Remove the whip attachment and replace with the paddle. Put the mixer on medium speed and add the butter about 1/2 stick at a time. Add the salt and vanilla bean seeds. Switch back to the whip attachment and mix on high until everything is Incorporated.

Store in the refrigerator until ready to use. Let the buttercream come to room temperature and then re-whip it on the mixer to bring it back to life.

The cupcakes in the last post were iced with a Wilton 1M tip.