Adding a splash of milk to buttercream frosting can make all the difference, according to a baker who never skips this simple ingredient.
Why Milk is the Secret Ingredient
Ellen Jenne, a senior U35 spare time writer, shared her tip for achieving smoother buttercream. She explains that while traditional recipes use just butter and icing sugar, this doesn't always guarantee a lump-free result.
Jenne discovered that adding milk helps dissolve lumps of icing sugar and softens the stiff, dry consistency, reducing the grainy texture she often encountered.
How to Achieve Silky Buttercream
Once the buttercream is almost perfect, she recommends adding half to one tablespoon of milk, either full-fat or semi-skimmed. For her cake, she opted for semi-skimmed milk.
It's important to start with a modest amount and gradually add more to reach the desired consistency, as excessive milk will make the buttercream runny. The milk should not be excessively cold, as this may cause the butter to seize.
Decorating the 30th Birthday Cake
Jenne used this technique for her 30th birthday cake, which featured a gothic 'RIP 20s' theme. She chose red velvet flavour and swapped the traditional cream cheese frosting for American buttercream, as cream cheese would have slid off in the August heat.
She incorporated Sugarflair Extra Black gel food colouring to achieve a striking black buttercream. The buttercream also served as a sturdy foundation for the cream cheese filling between the three cake layers.
Jenne suggests applying a thin crumb coat first and refrigerating for around an hour to make it easier to apply an even layer of buttercream to the exterior.
Buttercream Recipe
Ingredients: 600g sifted icing sugar, 300g unsalted or salted butter (softened), milk, and food colouring (optional).
Method: Beat the icing sugar and butter together with any colouring. Once nearly smooth, add milk to loosen and beat until smooth. Use to fill and top a 17cm cake, or pipe for decoration.
