Basic Buttercream

This is the basic buttercream recipe I use pretty much every time I need a buttercream.  It can be easily halved or doubled depending on how much I need to use, and is super easy to colour with any colour you desire, I like to use gel colours as they don't add any extra liquid and keep the buttercream firm especial if you are adding a essences in for flavour.  Flavouring is just as easy as colouring, my favourites to use are a vanilla paste, a strawberry, a peppermint or a rosewater essence and cocoa powder is also great for a chocolate buttercream.

What you need…

• 125 grams of Butter
• 2 cups of Icing sugar
• colouring of your choice
• 1 to 2 teaspoons of flavour i.e.. vanilla, strawberry, peppermint, rosewater, or 1 tablespoon cocoa powder.
• 1 to 2 tablespoons of Milk if the buttercream is too thick.

How you do it…

• Let butter get to room temperature, dice it up and pop into a mixmaster, beat on high for 5 mins scraping down the side occasionally
• Start adding the icing sugar in 1/2 a cup at a time, when you've added half the amount of sugar in, add the colour and flavour, keep beating and scraping down the sides.
• Add the rest of the sugar in and continue to beat, it should be getting light and fluffy by now, if it is looking a little thick add some milk 1 tablespoon at a time.
• After all ingredient have been added continue to beat for a least another 5 mins.  Feel free to add extra colour and flavour if you wish, just make sure it is well mixed in.

Happy Beating