Sunday 30 March 2008

I Heart Buttercream!


Yeah! That too Swiss Meringue Buttercream!
OK, I'm sure I don't need to make it plainer that I got the coolest, lightest buttercream! It was fab :) When I saw this month's challenge by Morven, I thought "oh wow! the buttercream has come back to haunt me again," which was followed by a frantic mail to the very helpful Helen. Apart from other questions that I bugged her with, I wanted to know if you can make this particular buttercream with churned butter, because that's the only kind of unsalted butter I have access to. Helen had a simple answer, "you will have to try!" And try I did, once again. I have made this one twice earlier, but both the times I had been too nervous, too sure of failure, too sure that churned butter just wasn't the right kind of butter! The moment it started looking curdly or runny I would start trying all sorts of fixes to get it right. But this time I just kept a cool head, didn't even keep looking at the recipe, when I started adding the butter by spoonfuls to the super shiny white marshmallow cream, it did look slightly curdly and runny, but I just kept beating it with the paddle attachment, and suddenly it all came together in the lightest mass possible, I was on cloud nine!

This was followed by another quick mail to Helen! This time with the picture of the success, to which she said a very apt thing: 'Recipes are like animals, they know when you are nervous.'

I haven't even talked about the cake! What can I say... My mom said that we'd never need to buy a cake anymore, to which my Dad said, 'Even if we do, where will we get one as good as this!' That about sums it up! Though the cake was slightly on the sweeter side, I guess that was because I didn't have preserves and used some homemade guava jelly. Oh by the way, during the cooling I mishandled it and managed to break one of them, but you cant see it in the finished product!


The super shiny marshmallow cream.


The super fluffy buttercream! yeah!


The recipe and the yield.


That looks lopsided... (well it was actually) :)


No coconut. :( That's because I had been oh so sure that there was some desicated coconut in the fridge. As you can see, it just wasn't there.





Do check out the host Morven's blog for the recipe (it might not be up yet though) and the other Daring Bakers for more Perfect Party cakes!

Note: Since I didn't have cake flour, I used the microwave plus cornflour technique.

40 comments:

Anonymous said...

Your buttercream looks fabulous! Wonderful job!

Aisha said...

aamena, what a beautiful cake! i want one when i finally visit!

Anne said...

The color of the buttercream is so white...it's simply lovely :)

pixie said...

Yes, your butter cream is so white! How did you manage that? The moment I added my butter, it turned creamy...

fanny said...

your buttercream looks so white. it makes for a gorgeous looking cake
xxx

L Vanel said...

Excellent beautiful cake. Bravo on the buttercream. I guess churned butter is the way to go!

Anonymous said...

Gorgeous butter cream! Just a lovely cake all around!

Kristen said...

Beautiful cake! I love how pure white your buttercream is!

Jerry said...

Love the pipping! And it is ultra white!

SaraLynn said...

How did you do that?! I love it! It is very pretty! My buttercream was scary ;)

Anonymous said...

Wow! Worthy of a wedding! ...dainty, delicate, simple... simply perfect! Great job!

Anonymous said...

zomg! Your buttercream is absolutely gorgeous! But you know that already! Good job, seriously. I aspire in the future for my buttercream to look even 1/2 as pretty as yours did!

Unknown said...

Yes! THis is great...it looks like a little bitty wedding cake. So beautiful.

Joy said...

I wish I could pipe so prettily - lovely!

Renee said...

I have serious buttercream envy now. Mine was so much *heavier*...maybe I just didn't beat it long enough. Your cake looks delicious!

Chris said...

Wow! your buttercream is so prestine! Stunning job!

Jessica said...

Your butter cream really did turn out perfect! I can't believe the color and texture!

Namratha said...

So do I :) I loved this buttercream. Yours sure does look very fluffy, mine was a little dense but yummy though! Yours also looks extremely white...cool!

Anonymous said...

Wow, gorgeous cake! I wouldn't even want to cut into it!

Miss Ifi said...

Congratulations on your successful butter cream!!! I am glad that your parents enjoyed the amazing cake and you certainly did a very good job at decorating.
Can I get some guava jelly from you?? *loves guavas*
again.. Congratulations!!!

Anonymous said...

Fantastic job!

PAT A BAKE said...

Hey lovvvvvvvvvly.... .well done.

Shaheen said...

Gosh how heavenly does your cake look - I mean literally - so so nice and white!

Anonymous said...

Beautiful job... and I agree the buttercream was fantastic!

Unknown said...

hey guys thanks a lot for those lovely comments! And i guess my buttercream was white coz i used churned butter which is white...

Sheltie Girl said...

This recipe did turn out the most incredible light and frothy and fluffy frosting. I had so much frosting I ended up just mounded it around the cakes like a Baked Alaska.

Your turned out beautifully. Great job!

Natalie @ Gluten A Go Go

Big Boys Oven said...

looks so cool!will make up to it later! Was to busy with baking ordered cakes!

Unknown said...

You definitely won't need to buy a cake again - to me, it is how adaptable the recipe is that makes it so appealing. Nice job!

Deborah said...

That buttercream is pearly white!! Gorgeous cake!

Cheryl said...

Beautiful white cake. Yours reminds me of something you could make for Christmas with its beautiful stark color in the cool season.

Shandy said...

What a fantastic job on the buttercream, the cake, and the decorations! Your cake is picture perfect! =D Churned butter sounds wonderful too!

Kajal@aapplemint said...

oh that looks so silky and yet jut like a fluffy cloud in the sky. pure white gorgeousness.... but how is it so white ?

Kajal@aapplemint said...

oh that looks so silky and yet jut like a fluffy cloud in the sky. pure white gorgeousness.... but how is it so white ?

Lunch Buckets said...

Yay! Way to show that buttercream who's boss :)

T’s Treats said...

Great job, your cake is gorgeous!!

Big Boys Oven said...

Beautifully done!

Unknown said...

Kajal- I used churned butter, which is very white, unlike store bought unsalted butter, which is usually yellow.

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Sweet and Savory Eats said...

Ah, Helen is such a wise woman. It looks like you heeded her advice. Beautiful job!

Molly Loves Paris said...

Congratulations on your success with the butter cream. Your cake is beautiful. So well decorated. I'm thinking that one can actually use a little less sugar. Isn't it nice to think that you can do easily as good a job as the bakery?