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Basic Recipes

French Buttercream

by Lisa

Trained pastry chef

A bowl of smooth, pale French buttercream

4.8 (9)out of 5, 9 ratings

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Prep
5 min
Bake
30 min
Total
35 min
Makes
1

Have you ever heard of French buttercream? This kind of buttercream is creamy and delicate and gives any dessert a luxurious flavor. With our quick and easy recipe you can make this delicious buttercream at home and take your baking to the next level.

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French buttercream is made from a mixture of eggs, sugar, butter and vanilla, which gives it a rich, silky texture. Unlike other kinds of buttercream, this one is very stable and easy to use in a layer cake or any other cake.

Our French buttercream recipe is easy to follow and needs only a few ingredients. With our step-by-step instructions and the right techniques, you can make a perfect buttercream in no time, ideal for decorating cupcakes or cakes.

So if you're looking for a luxurious buttercream that takes your dessert to a whole new level, French buttercream is definitely worth a try. Give it a go and let the creamy flavor win you over. We're sure you won't regret it!

This recipe makes enough to thinly fill and coat a 10-inch (26 cm) cake.

Notes:

  • When you heat the mixture over a water bath, the bowl must NOT touch the water!! It is warmed only by indirect heat.
  • If the buttercream has curdled, meaning the butter has separated from the egg, carefully warm it up a little. The best way is over a water bath for a few seconds, stirring constantly. Then beat it hard again.
  • You can vary the buttercream with fruit purées, melted chocolate and many other flavors.
  • It keeps for at most 2 days unrefrigerated and up to 10 days in the fridge.
  • If you want to use the buttercream again after chilling it, bring it back to room temperature and beat it briefly once more, then you can use it without any problem.

Ingredients

Makes 1

  • 1 cup plus 2 tsp250 mlwhole eggs
  • 1 ¼ cups250 ggranulated sugar
  • 4 sticks plus 3 tbsp500 gunsalted butterAt room temperature. German butter is unsalted and has about 82 percent fat. In the US use unsalted butter; European-style unsalted butter is closest. In the UK, unsalted butter.

Method

  1. Put the sugar and eggs in a heatproof bowl and heat them over a water bath until the mixture is above 158°F (70°C) and the sugar has completely dissolved. Whisk constantly and vigorously while heating so the eggs don't curdle.

  2. Take the hot egg and sugar mixture off the water bath and pour it into the bowl of a stand mixer. Whip it on medium-high speed until it has roughly tripled in volume and is completely cool. This can take a few minutes.

  3. In a separate bowl, beat the soft butter with a stand mixer or hand mixer until it is paler, airy and fluffy. This can take about 5 to 7 minutes, depending on the temperature of the butter.

  4. With the mixer still running, add the foamy egg mixture to the butter in 3 to 4 portions. Wait a moment after each addition so the butter can emulsify with the egg mixture. This gives you a smooth, creamy buttercream.

  5. Ideally, use the finished French buttercream right away, because that's when it is at its airiest and shows its full potential.

Notes

  1. - When you heat the mixture over a water bath, the bowl must NOT touch the water!! It is warmed only by indirect heat.

    - If the buttercream has curdled, meaning the butter has separated from the egg, carefully warm it up a little. The best way is over a water bath for a few seconds, stirring constantly. Then beat it hard again.

    - You can vary the buttercream with fruit purées, melted chocolate and many other flavors.

    - It keeps for at most 2 days unrefrigerated and up to 10 days in the fridge.

    - If you want to use the buttercream again after chilling it, bring it back to room temperature and beat it briefly once more, then you can use it without any problem.