My key baking equipment:
- Baking tins
- Baking trays
- Scales
- Stand mixer
- Greaseproof paper
- Measuring spoons
- Pastry cutters
- Cake lifter
- Bowl scraper
- Measuring jugs
- Sieve
- Worktop saver
- Rolling pin
- Mixing bowls
- Spatula
- Skewer
Buttercream - my favourite type of icing, it tastes amazing and looks pretty too!
Unsure how to make the perfect buttercream to decorate your cupcake or fill your sponge. Then look no further...here are some top tips to achieve an easy and delicious buttercream.
Firstly, you will need to understand how to make buttercream and what the right consistency should be. If you create one too dry than you will struggle to pipe and fill your piping bag, if the buttercream is too runny then it will not hold its shape.
Buttercream is formed by beating butter and icing sugar together until you reach a light and fluffy result. However there are a variety of recipes which involve different ratios of butter to sugar, so try out several recipes to find one that you like.
Once you have a light and fluffy buttercream, you can add different flavours, for example vanilla extract, lemon zest or cocoa powder.
TIB special tips:
- when I add cocoa powder to my buttercream, I always add a few splashes of milk as well. This prevents the taste of the buttercream from being too bitter.
- if I use caramel extract or peppermint or any other extract, I only add 1 drop at a time as the flavours can overpower the whole buttercream and can ruin the whole recipe.
- when I create the buttercream I make sure I beat it for about 5-8 minutes, using a stand mixer, however if you are using a hand mixer, you will need to beat for longer.
Ingredients:
Covers 12 cupcakes
250g butter @ room temperature (cubed)
500g icing sugar
Method:
- Place the icing sugar into a stand mixer with a whisk attachment and blitz for a couple of minutes to reduce the lumps in the sugar.
- Then add the cubes of butter, place a damp tea towel over the top of the mixer and the bowl to avoid the icing sugar going everywhere, and mix on a medium speed for a couple of minutes.
- Then stop the mixer, scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix again but this time on a high speed for a good 5 minutes.
- Add your desired flavours and then mix again for a minute or so.
