The Best Way to Flavor your Buttercream Recipes

You can create just about any flavor under the sun and add it straight away into the base recipe of whatever buttercream recipe you love the most!

There is just one thing to keep in mind when you start experimenting with adding more ingredients to your buttercream.

DO NOT OVER SATURATE.

Buttercream is an oil based formula.

Butter= Fat.

Fat=Oil

Oil and water do not typically mix well together.

Wait a minute, you must be saying “Why would I add water to my buttercream?”

When I say “water” I mean liquid and liquid can come in many different forms when it comes to flavorings.

From puree to extracts and even concentrated juices, champagne and wine are all options that I have used to flavor buttercream.

But too much will almost certainly break your silky smooth buttercream and turn it into a horrific mess!

If the mixture starts to separate or “break” this means over saturation and once you get to that point, there ain’t no going back!

Ok that’s a lie, Sometimes when this happens, a hefty amount of vigorous blending will do the trick to help it come back together to a smooth emulsion

But if you have stepped too far over the line to the land of over saturation,  you will have to re balance, usually by adding more neutral buttercream.

CLICK HERE TO WATCH A VIDEO TUTORIAL ON HOW TO SAVE A FAILED BUTTERCREAM

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THE BEST OPTIONS TO FLAVOR YOUR BUTTERCREAM

Obviously we all know that vanilla extract can transform our recipes with just a a few teaspoons

This is also true with many other extracts like lemon, almond, coconut etc…

But we also know that vanilla bean paste will do the job even better.

The difference between emulsions and extracts

Extracts are typically made with an alcohol base that is a great neutral carrier for flavorings, the problem is alcohol evaporates and dissipates especially upon heat/baking thus taking some of that luscious flavor oil with it.

Bakery Emulsions are water and vegetable gum based flavors that won’t bake out like traditional alcohol-based extracts.

That means you don’t have to add extra to get the flavor you are looking for

But what about when we want super intense fruit flavorings?

Jams and jellies are an option, but with an already super sweet recipe like buttercream, jams and jellies are literally just adding a huge amount of more sugar.

Purees are not the greatest to add either, since their concentration of flavor is not as pronounced so you will tend to add more, causing breakage.

Don’t get me wrong, I do it in certain instances like adding a really strong, super concentrated Strawberry Puree is great

But even better than purees would be to use freeze dried fruit powders

*not sponsored

Literally just freeze dried fruit in little snack packs that you find at the supermarket can be ground down in a spice grinder to a powder for the most intense fruit flavors with no added liquid!

Just add the fruit powder to your buttercream at the last stage of mixing!

It is literally the best way to go, not only does it add intense flavor but it soaks up any excess moisture from the buttercream

Creating a more stable icing!

Oh yeah, and in the fall I do not hesitate to add pumpkin straight to it!

Just like I did here in my Pumpkin Velvet Cake with Spiced Pumpkin Buttercream!

 

HOW MUCH FLAVORING OR PUREE SHOULD I USE?

I have always flavored my buttercreams by “eye” simply by adding a little at a time of whatever I am adding to it and tasting it along the way.

Much of the flavorings are “to taste” and when I say this, it simply means, start with a teaspoon or two of extract or emulsion and then taste it.

Typically about a ¾ – 1 cup of super concentrated puree to an entire recipe of buttercream

I know many of you want a chart that says exactly how much of this to add to the buttercream, but not all BRANDS are crated equally!

I once purchased a mint extract from another source than what I was used to getting and wow!

It was like Listerine Mouthwash!

I talk all about that here in my recipe for Mint Chocolate Chip Layer Cake!

CLICK HERE TO READ ALL ABOUT MINT EXTRACTS!

I encourage you to play around with flavors whenever possible.

BE BRAVE GUYS! No recipes needed! 

Start to rely on your taste buds to guide you to perfect balances.

Just remember anytime you add anything to an already soft base ~like buttercream~ it is going to get even SOFTER!

So be prepared to refrigerate many flavored buttercream recipes not because they will go bad (unless you are using curds or custard of course) but because they are going to be super soft!

With the exception of Peanut Butter Buttercream and Chocolate Buttercream!

The addition of peanut butter powder to buttercream has the same effect as the dried fruit powders!

it soaks up any excess moisture and tightens up your buttercream recipe for more stability!

Same goes for the cocoa powder paste addition and coffee granules to make chocolate and/or mocha buttercream!

CLICK HERE FOR PEANUT BUTTER BUTTERCREAM RECIPE

CLICK HERE FOR MOCHA BUTTERCREAM RECIPE

*Chocolate buttercream is the same as mocha only leave out the coffee!

Here are just a few suggestions off the top of my head that you can achieve simply by adding some liquors, flavor oils or emulsions, extracts or fruit purees.

Simply stir desired amount into the buttercream and off you go!! 

Be sure to refrigerate accordingly if you are using an addition of fruit curds

• Amaretto – add liquor
• Vegan Bailey’s Irish Cream- Add liquor
• Peanut Butter – add peanut butter
• Nutella – add nutella
• Lemon Buttercream -add lemon Curd and lemon zest
• Coconut – add toasted coconut and coconut extract
  
• Key Lime – add key lime juice and grated lime zest
• Cinnamon- Duh!
• Kahlua- add instant coffee and Kahlua liquor
• Pineapple- add canned pineapple (drained first and patted dry) & some freeze dried pineapple powder
  
• Marachino Cherry – add the Juice from the canned cherries and even some pureed cherries too