I will make this buttercream again; it turned out delightful and perfectly suited for the chocolate cake I made from Baked Explorations. Authors, Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito reinvented a whole range of classic American desserts and this old fashioned buttercream happens to be one of these. This is the same buttercream they made with coffee flavouring for their famous Chocolate Coffee Cake.
Before the celebrated Hungarian pastry chef Dobos came up with his quick buttercream, all buttercreams had to be cooked before the butter was added and then whipped into dreamy elegance. It is possible to make this buttercream with a hand held beater, heck; I remember the days when I was willing to stir the piskóta batter with a wooden spoon for half an hour and then whip the egg whites into hard mounds with a hand held rotary beater just like my grandmother. But those days are gone, gone is the kitchen slave; nowadays I use a KitchenAid.
OLD FASHIONED COOKED BUTTERCREAM
1-1/2 cups sugar
1/3 cup flour
1-1/2 cups whole milk
1/3 cup heavy whipping cream [25%]
1-1/2 cups unsalted butter, soft but cool, cut into small pieces
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
Suggested Flavourings:
For vanilla flavour add an additional 2-1/2 Tbsp of pure vanilla extract
For chocolate flavour add 1/4 cup of bitter cocoa
For coffee flavour add 3 Tbsp coffee extract
• In a medium, heavy-bottomed saucepan, whisk the sugar and flour together.
• Add the milk and cream and cook over medium heat, whisking occasionally, until the mixture comes to a boil and has thickened, about 10 to 15 minutes.
• Transfer the mixture to the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Arrange bags of frozen corn or peas pressing around the sides and bottom of the mixing bowl.
• Beat on high speed until cool about 7 to 9 minutes.
• Reduce the speed to low and add the butter; mix until thoroughly incorporated.
• Increase the speed to medium-high and beat until the frosting is light and fluffy, about another 1 to 2 minutes.
• Add the vanilla extract and the additional flavouring of your choice.
• Continue mixing until combined.
• I didn’t have any problems with the consistency, but if the frosting is too soft, put the bowl in the refrigerator to chill slightly, and then beat again until it is the proper consistency.
• If the frosting is too firm, set the bowl over a pot of simmering water and beat with a wooden spoon until it is the proper consistency.
