– 1 cup (8 oz) pasteurized egg whites
– 1 kilo bag (Canada), or one 2 pound bag powdered sugar (about 8 cups)
– 3 ½ pounds unsalted butter, softened (you can use some salted butter, or for whiter buttercream you can substitute some of the butter for vegetable shortening) as long as your total fats weigh 3 ½ pounds total. Note* buttercream will not firm up as much in the refrigerator when shortening is added.
– 2-3 tablespoons clear or dark vanilla (to taste)
- In the bowl of a 5 or 6 quart Kitchen Aid mixing bowl, whip your powdered sugar and egg whites using the whip attachment for 2-3 minutes (start on low speed at first, to avoid a powdered sugar mess).
- Add all your butter (or butter and shortening) and mix on low speed for 30 seconds.
- Add the vanilla and mix to incorporate.
- Once the mixture start to come together, increase your speed to 3 or 4.
- Whip until really light and fluffy, 10-15 minutes (maybe longer if your butter isn’t very soft).
- Use right away, or store in a covered container at room temperature for up to 2 days. Store in the refrigerator up to 2 weeks, or freeze for up to 3 months.
- To thaw, place frozen buttercream in the refrigerator for 24 hours, then allow to come to room temperature on your counter.
- If buttercream is not used right away, give it a bit of a whip to break up and air bubbles that will have formed during storage.
TUTORIAL: Sue’s Swiss(ish) Buttercream