Description
Smoothy and creamy american buttercream elevated with some freshly brewed coffee!
Ingredients
Units
Scale
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature (226g)
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 5 cups powdered sugar, sifted (500g)
- 2 tablespoons heavy whipping cream room temp.
- 1/4 cup brewed coffee (2 fl. oz.), slightly warm/room temp. (*see notes)
Instructions
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter at medium-high speed for 5 minutes, stopping to scrap down the bowl every 1 minute or so. Then, beat in the salt and vanilla extract on medium speed until incorporated, about 30 seconds. Scrape down the bowl again.
- With the mixer on low, gradually beat in your powdered sugar 1/2 cup at a time until it’s all incorporated, scraping down the bowl along the way (as needed, mostly at the beginning) and at the end. Turn the mixer back on low, add in the 2 tablespoons heavy whipping cream and once incorporated, turn the mixer up to medium-high speed and beat for 3 minutes. Scrape down the bowl after.
- Finally, with the mixer on low, slowly pour in/beat the brewed coffee (*see notes) into the mixture until fully incorporated. You may have to take the bowl off the stand and gently fold together with a spatula towards the end to get everything from the sides of the bowl mixed in.
This gives you enough for 12-15 cupcakes or spread over a 3-tiered 6 inch naked cake (plenty for a single-tiered snacking cake).
American buttercream is best used day-of, but can be stored at room temp. in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Beyond that, store it in the fridge (up to 2 weeks). See notes below for additional help with storing!
Notes
- *Coffee Temperature: the temperature of your coffee matters for this recipe!
- You want your brewed coffee to be room temperature or slightly warm—not cold or too hot. If your coffee is too cold from sitting out all day (depending on when you make this), it won’t properly mix in with the rest of your room temperature ingredients and make your buttercream all clumpy. Too hot and it can make it too greasy when it hits all the butter in there.
- Scraping Down the Bowl: this step is crucial in making sure all of your ingredients are combining evenly throughout the process! Yes, I have you do it a lot, but it’s necessary. If you let the sides/bottom of your bowl go untouched, you’ll end up with the wrong consistency.
- Storing
- Within 3 days, store at room temperature: just be sure to store the coffee buttercream in an airtight container. I like to lay a piece of plastic wrap overtop and make sure it’s touching the surface of the buttercream so it doesn’t dry out from any air that’s trapped in the container.
- If using after 3 days, store in the fridge: use the same methods of storing listed above, but keep in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. Just be sure to let it come to room temperature and give it a good stir with a spatula (or gently beat with paddle attachment on your stand mixer) before using.
- How Much This Makes: this makes enough for a batch of 12-15 cupcakes, plenty for one or two single-tiered snacking cakes, or a 3-tired 6 inch layer cake.