How I created a lighter buttercream with less butter

[@dariasmeh]

Another new invention / TECHNIQUE in the frosting repertoire. Thank you for advancing baking with science and kindness.

[@pt5659]

Your welcome 😊

[@amy.sleeps]

this is incredible!! I’ve been wondering about a lighter buttercream that’s more stable than whipped cream. this is perfect!

[@Sugarologie]

Hope you like it!

[@batacumba]

:crashes through wall like the Kool Aid man: Adriana’s back! 🎉

[@jilletdelphine]

*OH YEAHHH*

[@icyy_rxsesgaming]

Lolll

[@G__U__T__S]

And then disappeared for 9 months…yayyyy

[@justinwong1072]

Per unit volume, your recipe reduces the caloric content of American buttercream to roughly that of the European buttercreams, characterized broadly by their use of eggs. It's just that more of the calories in your recipe is in the sugar, whereas in the European buttercreams, more of it is in the butter -- this is reflected in your comparison graph which includes French and Swiss buttercreams. Since you have made American buttercream calorically competitive with European buttercream, the choice comes down to (1) the cost of buttermilk powder vs eggs, (2) preference for fat or sugar as a calorie source, (3) squeamishness with raw egg product, (4) perceived complexity of boiling sugar syrup (for French and Italian buttercreams) vs. incorporation of various powders. I like that you gave American buttercream its A-game, and the idea of frosting that tastes like ice cream is intriguing.

[@sheilabequette3299]

This frosting is very light, airy and flavorful. I didn't find it structurally sound for decorating. I live in Missouri where our humidity can be quite high at times so that may have contributed to the piping details wilting within a very short time. I may try it again and make a few adjustments for my area of the country and see how it holds up

[@guro4679]

You're a genius!!! Thanks for constantly adding to cakecraft! You should publish your findings in a baking magazine!

[@roselenat]

I would subscribe and pay monthly for that

[@mariannepeeka]

I made this over the weekend in a pretty warm house and it held up really great. The taste is light and buttery, but not overwhelming. It does have a little tart undertone from the buttermilk but that balanced out the sweet. But what was really great was the piping...smooth, with sharp sides and even in a hot house held it's shape. I dyed it a light blue and it took the color really well and looked great. There were a lot of steps, but it was the same simple step over and over (for example, adding the milk at two points in the recipe in four steps). You really are amazing. Thank you for all your good work.

[@Sugarologie]

Aww, I’m so glad you liked it 💕 Yeah it’s quite stable, even given all the milk that’s been added.

[@ameg2707]

Hopefully she pins this, recipe: Ingredients Note: You will need a stand mixer for this recipe. ‍ Yield: 1 cup (great for testing) 98g (7 tablespoons) unsalted butter, softened slightly 13g (4 teaspoons) sweet cream buttermilk powder* 41g (3 tablespoons) whole milk #1, cold from fridge 100g (¾ cup + 1 teaspoon) powdered sugar** #1, unsifted 41g (3 tablespoons) whole milk #2, cold from fridge 20g (3 tablespoons) powdered sugar #2, unsifted (optional) Pinch of fine salt (optional, but do it) ¼ tsp vanilla extract (optional, but I don’t) Yield: 3 cups 283g (1 ¼ cups) unsalted butter, softened slightly 40g (¼ cup) sweet cream buttermilk powder* 122g (½ cup) whole milk #1, cold from fridge 300g (2 ½ cups) powdered sugar** #1, unsifted 122g (½ cup) whole milk #2, cold from fridge 90g (¾ cup) powdered sugar #2, unsifted (optional) Pinch of fine salt (optional, but do it) ¼ tsp vanilla extract (optional, but I don’t)

[@susuhabibi]

I’m wondering how much she yielded in frosting in the video bc she def used more than 2 cups and 1/2 of powdered sugar in her video

[@anjolaoluwakoyejo5091]

Thankd

[@aatashiwadoremi]

If you’re wondering, she has a link in the description to the recipe that she posted to her website. I believe she does this with all of her recipes :)

[@fn1202]

At this point I have to say you're a pioneer of baking - your methods are literally used by people who don't even know you're the original creator! Thank you so much for all your amazing work

[@Sugarologie]

I'm still incredibly humbled when bakers make my recipes… that these random thoughts and experiments I put out can be useful. It’s the best compliment.

[@fn1202]

@@Sugarologie Honestly you deserve it Adriana you've literally changed baking for me and I totally mean that

[@InkyM4]

So glad you're back! I was wondering if you might consider experimenting with vegan butter substitutes in some of your recipes? I often have to make cakes that are not vegan but are dairy-free for Jewish dietary reasons, and it's so hard to come up with something that doesn't feel like just a big sweet clump of margarine.

[@sanikaborah7370]

If you can get ahold of it, try the flora brand of plant butter. It behaves eerily similar to dairy butter, and I was able to make amazing frosting and brioche without a stand mixer! You might need to check the ingredients to make sure that it's okay for the dietary reasons.

[@anidanielle]

Same! I've done a coconut oil based frosting before but it did not hold up well at room temperature. I'm trying to omit margarine and seed oils from my diet entirely, and trying to find pareve butter substitutes is so hard.

[@InkyM4]

@@sanikaborah7370 thank you, I'll look for it! 😊

[@FrostedCreations]

Would also appreciate this! I'm not vegan but I have a lot of vegan friends. I can make tasty oil-based vegan cakes but I always struggle with the frosting. Every vegan substitute I've tried is either not firm enough, splits or doesn't get light and airy. The only real success I've had is with vegetable shortening(palm oil), which really lacks any complex taste and is not good for either us or the environment.

[@KC-ym6uk]

Idk about vegan buttercream but there was a vegan "fresh cream" recipe that I did that held okay for a couple hours at room temp. Like, around 70°F. It used coconut oil, soy milk, and powder sugar. I also opted to add a stabilizer to make it stiffer and easier to make piping details.

[@cherylwalker8281]

From uk here. I absolutely love your dreamy frosting recipe. Tried and tested on work colleagues " it's the best they've ever had" it was smooth silky and just the right amount of sweetness and not grainy and sandy. Seems a lot of uk don't like their buttercream as sweet as american buttercream. Ivwint be using anything else unless they specifically asked for something else. It's amazing you've changed my baking life lol ❤

[@Nikki0417]

Have you tried substituting the buttermilk powder with powdered milk? I'm thinking about trying this recipe this evening but don't feel like going out to buy buttermilk powder. From what I can find on google, it looks like powdered milk can also be an emulsifier. *Edit:* I tried it. It worked! Although, I changed so many things, I'm not sure if it's even the same recipe. Since the dry milk doesn't have the same tang, I replaced a couple Tbsp of butter with whole milk Greek yogurt. I also didn't have whole milk, so I used heavy cream and milk as a substitute.😅 It doesn't taste like ice cream and probably has more fat because of the heavy cream, but it made tasty frosting.

[@annchovy6]

Sweet cream buttermilk powder doesn’t have tang.

[@picroger4510]

I think skim milk powder would work better for this!

[@annchovy6]

@@picroger4510The difference with skim milk powder is that buttermilk powder has a LOT more phospholipids, which help with emulsification, which is important here.

[@sedgwickyeah]

I'm thinking about trying this and subbing a combination of full fat milk powder and yoghurt powder which I normally have on hand! Can't find sweet cream buttercream powder in Australia at the moment and the American ones aren't available on Amazon right now..

[@jessstaples9758]

I live for your recipes! The combination of science, math, and dessert checks all the boxes!

[@MaruMaruPoyo]

I cannot tell you how satisfying this video is when every step's process is explained well.

[@AlterBound]

I love that you actually explain *why* things are occurring and what causes them. Most bakers can't explain why thy are doing anything or why a particular event is occurring!

[@pt5659]

Emulsify emulsify blah blah blah i love it

[@DianeH2038]

this is nothing short of brilliant! I don't even have a sweet tooth, really, but I *love* science and cooking and you explain things so well. and I like to bake for people around me, so your videos are always useful in some way, even if I won't end up eating much of the end product. being able to make a really special frosting for a cake for a friend or family member is priceless! thank you thank you thank you

[@selenabulanart]

It’s a good day when you see Adriana uploaded a new video

[@ji.ol.1490]

Your sunshine oops gave me a good laugh, because I so relate to that.

[@michellebalder4590]

I just made this and it turned out fantastic. Exactly like you say, the lightness of a whipped cream frosting. I didn't have enough butter on hand, so I made half-half with butter and hi-ratio shortening. I've been struggling in Europe because the sugar beet powdered sugar was always too grainy in American buttercream frosting and was much too sweet for my European friends. Will definintely be using this going forward.

[@evasdorling7555]

I wish i could taste the cakes you make! I love cakes, but i haven't got one in a long time that can satisfy my taste buds. Also here in the usa, the majority offers americn buttercream, and i just dont like it, it taste like store bought frosting. You have so many options and the cakes always looks soft. I could try making it myself but tbh, is so expensive and i dont have time. But i do enjoy your scientific breakdowns. You deserve more credit and recognition!

[@sombrerocordobes2256]

¡Gracias Adriana por tu tiempo y generosidad! Saludos de Texas.

[@honily]

A tip for all fellow scientists: Do _not_ do a pilot experiment for taste testing with only 40g of butter and using a manual whisk due to the small quantity. I should have known but you just can't get a stable emulsion with big bowls, manual whisking and small quantities. I still love the idea of the recipe and the direction it's going.

[@grannydeeallinforhealth]

So this is what you have been working on! I figured that you were working on something like this! You are my fav scientific pastry chef! You never disappoint! 👸🏾👸🏽👸🏻all hail Queen Adriana!

[@Calcifurr]

I think it’s absolutely amazing how you are experimenting and explaining your baking through research and science! I too have a BS & MS in a stem related field. I wished I’ve found you sooner & love all your videos. Thank you for sharing your research and new recipes! I am definitely trying them.

[@kiimmiia]

you should be awarded a phd in baking

[@erdiaz13]

I can't wait to try this! I tried the original version and wasn't the biggest fan, I thought it was WAY too buttery but had a lovely texture so it kinda grew on me. I absolutely loved your no-dye black frosting though! Your content is amazing I love how you explain everything and something about your voice is so soothing. Thank you for sharing and continuing your work here! 🥰

[@vidatalab8301]

Love this! It’s nice to have options for what frosting to use. I will say, practically, at least for me, I would only use this for dinner parties where the cakes would be inside at night. Something that sensitive to heat I would be cautious to use because where I live, it gets very hot year round.

[@isabellacullen1349]

The frosting looks so smooth and creamy. Thanks for sharing this video with us and totally want to try it too!

[@al3cccc]

I was just wondering where you’ve been! Glad to see you’re back :)

[@cabrina614]

I just made this. And accidentally used 1% low-fat milk and I was afraid it wouldn’t work but it definitely did! It just took longer to get there. It tastes so good. Thank you!

[@TheMCvamp]

You posted and I audibly gasped. Yay new video!

[@rp0110]

She's BACKKK. Been waiting for your video for agessss!! This is awesomeee!

[@nsimon1548]

Adriana blessings so happy you uploaded a new video and recipe. You do an awesome job explaining this information 👏 😀 🎉. Thank you

[@strawberryshortgirl2637]

This is really amazing. Your work is amazing. Im just impressed and super glad for this new invention. I had been wanting a new type of buttercream with lower butterfat that was like whipped cream but could be good for piping. And this hits the mark, didnt think it was possible but you did the seemingly impossible. Knowing how to use science to learn and develop these recipes is incredible! I cant wait to try this buttercream! I love sweet cream ice cream and had no idea thats the ingredient for it! I always wondered if sweet cream ice cream was just ice cream without vanilla in it, now I know

[@GiftFromGod4U]

THANK YOU!!!!!! Listening to your findings makes SO MUCH SENSE to me, even BEFORE I test it out! My confidence level is always elevated after learning from you. THANK YOU!

[@livesouthernable]

The science of this is brilliant. Thank you!

[@CRS980]

I love how scientific your explanations and experiments are. it’s fascinating!

[@wandaurie8102]

I love that you listen to your viewers. I love your Dreamy American buttercream. I recommend it regularly. :)

[@gmahajan3]

As a pastry chef and a (self credited) scientific mind, this is so so cool. Appreciate your work! 👍🏻

[@le_prenom_privee]

hi, finding u and your approach has been a real gift. there arent enough days in the week to dive into your recipes. years ago i examined puff pastry, pastry dough and chocolate chip cookies (soft and chewy or thin and crisp) through breaking down their components of fat, steam (moisture) and sugar along with their physical build with the help of a cookbook by Shirley O. Corriher, also a chemist. i had great ambition then to infuse what i made in the kitchen with science but now almost 2.5 decades later life happened and i realize in a bitter sweet way i didn't get as far as i would have liked. accepting that our ambitions sometimes exceed what's possible seems to be the message that envelopes the stage of life im in. what youve already accomplished on your journey just astounds me. im truly thrilled to have found your site and channel. im leaving a comment to support all that you do and am so in awe of your talents and your ability to bring ideas into fruition, sharing your results so selflessly and with such clarity.

[@Sugarologie]

💕💕💕

[@WandaLWright]

Tried this method today and really like it so far. (I did use salted butter instead of unsalted and I think I let the butter become to soft before starting) I stopped after the first addition of milk and powdered sugar(it was sweet enough) and didn't use the second. I will try the whole recipe the next time for a true comparison.

[@margiemengel9283]

Yeah!!!!! Miss you! Thanks for sharing your knowledge and love of sweets.

[@Sugarologie]

🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰

[@maryeileenloscos6081]

I have been looking for this kind of frosting! I appreciate that your recipe on the website has a small batch option for testing. Thank you for this recipe.

[@ltyrell405]

This looks fantastic for people like me who are on a lower fat diet but still would like to eat some luxury cake! The reduction of butter and still achieving the end result of light buttercream is amazing and I will definitely be trying this, and I don't mind the creamy colour at all, it looks delicious! :)

[@ExterminatorElite]

This is fantastic! I've been looking at candidates for a light buttercream frosting to infuse with lavender for an Earl Grey and lavender cake. This looks superb and like it should have just the right body and sweetness for what I'm going for. It helps a lot that it involves no double-boiler or other cooking methods. Thank you for sharing this!

[@Snowlily01]

Amazing. Your videos are absolutely phenomenal. In my Indian family we don’t have parties that would require lovely tier cakes so I never got the chance to make one. But hopefully some day I dream to bake and experiment like you. I was mesmerised by your ermine buttercream video and here I’m amazed again.

[@annchovy6]

I finally tried this and it’s delicious and I’m not sure what issue people are having. I made the small amount and it came together perfectly. That pinch of salt needs to be pretty generous. I kept adding to balance the flavor. I preferred it with vanilla extract added. I didn’t add the second amount of sugar. It’s still very buttery in flavor, though.

[@ayesha9792]

Is it as sweet as American Buttercream? I'm looking for something thats like Swiss Meringue Buttercream but just less buttery but same amount of sweetness!

[@thegayprometheus6097]

First of all I want to say - I absolutely love your videos and the scientific approach you take toward all things baking! That said.... in the beginning of your video you stated that this recipe "doesn't require any special ingredients, but rather takes advantage of some unique properties found in common dairy products." I'm not sure where you're from or what grocery stores you have in your area, but I wouldn't say that sweet cream buttermilk powder is necessarily a common dairy product. I personally had never heard of it until you mentioned it in this video (though I'm not surprised that it exists), and I have to imagine others would feel the same way. The recipe is still super intriguing and I'd definitely be willing to search for some sweet cream buttermilk powder in order to make it someday, but that's just it - I'd actively have to search for it, and it seems like my best bet would be to buy it online, in which case I'd also have to pay for shipping, upping the cost of making the frosting in the first place. All of this to say - awesome recipe, very fascinating, but it seems like it's a bit of misinformation to say that it doesn't require any special ingredients.

[@Sugarologie]

Yeah, I understand. I’m able to find buttermilk powder everywhere around me, including my Walmart. But if you live in another country, I can understand it may be difficult to source. That’s why I try to always communicate that I am based in the US, and can only really experiment with what I have access to here :)

[@annchovy6]

While you likely will have to buy it online because buttermilk powder isn’t necessarily sold in a typical supermarket, it needs to be said that most buttermilk powder IS sweet cream. The only brand I even know of that is cultured is Saco. Pretty much every buttermilk powder on Amazon is sweet cream. It’s just “buttermilk powder”. Unless you specifically search for “cultured buttermilk powder”, you get sweet cream, which is why you find reviews complaining of no tang on a lot of products.

[@tammiemartinez6485]

I'm glad you left this comment because this is my first time hearing about sweet cream buttermilk powder, too. I shop at Walmart every month and I've never seen it there. Then again, I never really looked for it, lol. Now that we've been informed that it can be brought at Walmart I'm going to take a look, lol. I don't do online ordering so if I can't find it in store this very interesting buttercream will be a wash for me. 🤞 I'm able to find it...

[@imasocialbutterflful]

If your in the US Walmart might have some.

[@bigredlittlewhitedog]

Thanks for asking this question. One of my grocery stores has bulk buttermilk powder. Nice to know it is likely sweet cream

[@americansafetytrainingsolu5795]

I am looking forward to trying this on my next cake design. I just used your newest iteration of the no dye black buttercream and it was a HUGE hit in the taste and texture department. I filled my cake with a standard buttercream and everyone commented how much better the black buttercream was…it was creamy and beautiful to frost and pipe with as well… I’ll never go back…🎉

[@KimUlrick]

It would be really great to see a demo of how your different buttercreams are for piping flowers, as well as your other tests. It seems like most people use gross american buttercream because it can be so firm and crusts up, but I would love to be able to use something that actually tastes good.

[@nickybronsozian6990]

Amazing!! Thank you for the Lesson of the day👍 I can’t wait to try this on my biscoff pumpkin cupcakes tomorrow for Thanksgiving ❤

[@____Ann____]

1:42 oh, you already get me excited! I hated buttercream as a kid. French buttercream was the only kind we had. It felt like eating wax. Never liked buttercream. Until I tried Ermine. My version has less sugar than yours. And I love Ermine: not so buttery/waxy and not so sweet. If this buttercream is even lighter maybe I will like it eve' more. Edit: buttermilk powder... There goes my plan. I will never be able to find a lactose free buttermilk powder here in Europe.

[@paulahare9955]

I have the same problem lol

[@imasocialbutterflful]

Wow! This frosting looks amazing. How well does it pipe? Like could I make buttercream flowers with this frosting? Amazing work Adriana!

[@michelleking9674]

I'm in Canada and could only find Saco cultured buttermilk powder. Will that work in this recipe? I'm also wondering how this butttercream would react to an introduction of another compound - such as melted chocolate, peanut butter or caramel? Lastly for colouring would you recommend a gel colour (e.g., Americolor) or an oil based colour (e.g., ColourMill). Thanks for all your research and recipes - all the ones I've tried so far have been so great.

[@Nope-fd1sq]

This is amazing! The cake looks fantastic and I love hearing the explanation behind your technique. You are truly a wonderful and smart baker

[@Tanktaco]

It's back! My birthday is soon and I am so gonna try this 💚

[@allisbe]

If I could use whipped cream for everything, I would… 🤤 Ermine frosting has become my go to, since it gets me the closest. I am super excited to give this a try! Have you ever worked with clotted cream? I have gotten into making it myself (since I don’t live in the UK and the imported stuff is not it) and sometimes wonder how i might use it to make a frosting.

[@grannydeeallinforhealth]

this is a great question! How about it Adriana? I want your opinion on this subject! 🤓

[@Sugarologie]

Ermine is so good... I don't think I've ever had real clotted cream before 😭 I'd have to take a look at the texture in person, but reading a bit, it definitely looks usable in a frosting, so long as the proteins are cooked so thoroughly that they have a rubbery texture.

[@allisbe]

@@Sugarologie I use cream from a local dairy that doesn’t have stabilizers and is a bit higher in fat. It goes in a shallow dish in a 180 degree oven for 12 hours, on the counter to cool for one hour, and then in the fridge for another 8-12. Then I scrape all the thickened cream off the top and drain the liquid (would this be similar to real sweet cream buttermilk?). It took several attempts to get it right, but was well worth the effort. Absolutely delicious, mild cooked cream flavor and a texture I can’t quite describe. I know people use it to make ice cream, and I just bought an ice cream maker so I could experiment with that. Edited to add: texture looks sort of stretchy, like a dairy based peanut butter. It is really thick, like cream cheese, but when it hits your tongue it melts kind of like ermine frosting that you ate right out of the fridge. It isn’t oily like butter and not nearly as rich. If it didn’t take 24 hours to make I’d have it all the time! 😛

[@louiselemon9717]

Love learning science from you! (Science was my worst class in 5th grade)😂 I'm definitely going to try this for a home cake. Thanks for your hard work!!!🧡

[@bdluejay]

best channel on youtube

[@hibabadreddine]

Oooooh, I'm so glad you researched further! This is definitely what I've been looking for! Thankyou!!❤

[@karencasselbury7929]

Wahoo you are back!

[@LyKrajuska]

this video is so good and informative and easy to understand, your content is gold.

[@jerrit20]

We made your buttercream for a cake and it was wonderful!

[@spaghelle]

This is fantastic especially for cakes in the winter. My kids (all winter birthdays) hate the grainy sweetness of American buttercream and find Swiss or Italian meringue buttercream way too rich. This may be the winning ticket to pleasing them!

[@queenkitsune4864]

I LOVE how scientific baking can get 🥰

[@cameton_youtube]

Made this with your chocolate indulgence cake, it was fantastic!

[@bloggerbriii]

You tried this frosting? Can you give me an idea for the sweetness factor? 1 to 10, with 10 being the sweetest! I’m wanting to try it out but I want it rich without being overly sweet… If that makes any sense? lol

[@cameton_youtube]

@@bloggerbriii I have a bit of a sweet tooth, so it's kinda hard to say, but maybe a 4 or 5/10 in terms of sweetness? I took the option in the recipe to skip the second portion of sugar tho, so ymmv

[@bloggerbriii]

@@cameton_youtube ok, that actually sounds like it will balance out the cake flavor and not overpower it. I also have a sweet tooth but don’t like when frosting is overly sweet. I’d rather it be rich in flavor and add to the cake versus it taking over.

[@pinkshamrock5590]

Brilliant! So I guess my question is regarding temperature... when the cakes are frosted, do you need to keep the cake refrigerated until cut into? And refrigerated when storing left overs? Thanks!

[@indyfmw]

I really enjoyed the first one. I can't wait to try it

[@kath976]

Thank you so much for all of the work you put into this! I can’t wait to try it!

[@beachgal2023]

New to your channel, 2 videos later and I'm smarter already. WOW, you are amazing.

[@muggystar]

Thank you so very much for your dedication to these videos and recipes!! Every cake from you has turned out absolutely mesmerizing and i thoroughly enjoy the amount of detail you put into these videos to really explain your process❤

[@therealpoppinfresh]

This is amazing! Thank you so much for all of this research ❤ I can't wait to try this out!

[@allesparty4690]

Just ordered some buttermilch sweet cream powder, really looking forward to trying this!

[@sarahbass8130]

I LOVE this new frosting you've created. It's the only version of American buttercream I'll use in my bakery. Do we know if it can be made into a chocolate version?

[@Sugarologie]

It definitely can, though I'm trying to sort in my head if melted chocolate is better to use or just cocoa powder. Melted chocolate has cocoa butter and various other fats plus emulsifiers, adding a bit of body, cocoa butter flavor, and stabilization to the frosting. Cocoa powder is the easier route and adds pure cocoa flavor with minimal fat, so you'll maintain the lightness of the frosting. All you'd probably have to do is bloom a bit of the powder in one of the milk additions and let it cool completely before using to make the frosting. That's probably what I'd start experimenting with first, using high-quality Dutch-processed cocoa powder.

[@HonourandBlessingCafe]

Thank you so much for sharing this! Truly appreciate all your explanations and all the work you put into the research and science! 👏🏻 Can't wait to try this frosting! 🤗

[@shreyatiwari649]

I made this frosting but put the frosting in fridge for an hour and it had hardened and split and I had to throw away. How to i make sure it doesn't split?

[@katymiller90]

Would this be stable enough for stacking your cakes? Like tiered cakes?

[@MicheVan28]

Wow. Youre incredible! So stoked to try this. 🎉

[@linusgallitzin]

I'm trying to replicate the "Satin whip" or "Bettercream" that is sold and used at the grocery stores locally. I love the texture and low level of sweetness that is more like a mousse than a sugar based icing. I tried your ermine recipe via the cakeculator by the gram for a 7" single layer, which seems like making a bowl of cream of wheat added to butter that was turned into whipped cream. In the past, I made whipped cream cake coverings exclusively, but it would look horrible in a short time with temperature. I would attempt gelatin once in a while, but it didn't help stability much at room temp. I don't like refrigerating cakes, because it seems to dry out everything and takes up so much space in the fridge. I'll cover exposed cake with icing to prevent the cake portion from drying out between servings. For me, a good icing more about texture and presentation than sweetness at all. Very lightly sweet is generally the goal as we prefer cream over sugar, but I'm going to try the ermine again with a lot less sugar and maybe the methods shown here. Thank for bringing the chemistry into the research. :)

[@debrashort7061]

Looks great 😊

[@sfr2107]

Interesting. Is this ok to be left at room temperature? I wonder if canned milk would give it more longevity outside of the fridge?

[@Sugarologie]

Yes, I'm updating my website to include all that information but basically, treat it like a cream cheese frosting or whipped cream frosting. Not for stability issues, this one lasted overnight with no problems, but just for food safety. For me, I'm ok with 4 hrs at room temp. USDA suggests 2 hours, so do what you're comfortable with. :) Oh and canned milk - like evaporated milk? That contains almost the same amount of water as reg milk (74% water instead of 88%) so it would change a few things to my formula and not really help with longevity. For longevity, go the one with condensed milk, which is Russian buttercream.

[@SincerelyYoursWill]

KZbin's algorithm suggested your video and I couldn't stop watching it! Very informative detailed and creative stuff here! I'm still learning more about frosting and the many variations and techniques that are out there - so this is something that is quite fascinating. Just have one concern..I've found - over the last few years that whole milk doesn't like me as I like it - so I've been using half n half or heavy cream as a substitute for most recipes. Usually, it works out fine. However, I'm wondering if it would work out well as a substitute using your technique. Perhaps diluting the half n half or heavy cream w water might help? Anyways, appreciate you going into the lab/kitchen and experimenting then sharing this for everyone to learn from. Pretty cool stuff! :)

[@Sugarologie]

Aww welcome! You can definitely try diluting half and half, which should provide enough fat and milk protein. Start with a 2 parts half and half to one part water, and see if you like the texture. If it's too heavy, scale down to 1 part each. :)

[@SincerelyYoursWill]

@@Sugarologie That sounds doable for sure! Again, appreciate that you took the time to share your expertise with this video and now tips/suggestions!

[@2GoatsInATrenchCoat]

I make my own butter sometimes and have extra liquid buttermilk left over afterwards. is it possible to adapt this recipe using that liquid buttermilk? could I replace some of the milk in the recipe with the buttermilk, for example?

[@EruHjoyn]

Given the focus on adding emulsifiers in this recipe, have you considered adding dedicated emulsifiers like xanthan gum, guar gum, or carrageenan? It's become quite easy to acquire these ingredients now, online or in some grocery stores, so they could be viable for average consumers.

[@Dolcevita_bakes]

Omg we missed you! So I have my own favorite vegan one and that’s using I believe it’s country crock and I believe it’s made of olive oil butter or something like that but it’s vegan. I used to use the Earth balance one but it has way too much salt in it I think but it’s OK but I like the other one better and I mix it in with some Crisco shortening sticks, I always do about four sticks of the regular butter, and then a whole stick of Crisco shortening sticks, and then probably about 6-8 cups of powdered sugar in it, and then some coconut cream and vanilla extract, and it always comes out really white and really fluffy and creamy. It’s always so delicious but I just had to see your recipe to see if there’s something I can do different because I’m always looking to improve. I just take what you make sometimes and I find a way to veganize it.. I love to see you make a vegan version of this as well

[@Sugarologie]

I'm almost ready to attempt the vegan frosting video. The good thing is butter alternatives are usually pretty generous with their emulsifiers, so I already have some ideas ;)

[@LilJake20]

Just found your channel. I enjoy your format, I love how you approach things from a scientific standpoint. I noticed you aren't really making new videos lately, that's too bad. Fortunately there are plenty to watch, I'm looking forward to them. I would be interested in learning more about what to do with meringue powders. Also, how does cornstarch affect sugar cookie dough, does it help keep its shape?

[@nirvanasingh2]

Thank you 😊

[@ytubehandle.]

Would love to see a video on the differences of whipped cream protein structure vs ur sweet cream buttercream

[@maryamabdulla179]

Hello! Thank you for this great recipe! I just ordered some buttermilk powder to try this out (i dont live in in the US!) I wanted to ask how should I store this frosting? I usually frost my cakes in the mornings but crumb coat the night before, how do I store this? Would it do well on the kitchen counter in an air tight container ready to use in the morning? Or would I need to put this in the fridge? Thank you in advance

[@Sugarologie]

I'd crumbcoat the night before, then place it in the fridge to harden a bit. It shouldn't take too long, prob an hour or so. Then I'd wrap the exterior lightly with plastic wrap to protect and keep odors out. Take it out in the morning, then frost as you normally would :) It's a hybrid between whipped cream and buttercream so has a slightly higher water content than regular buttercream. And so, I like to keep it fridged for long periods of time. I'm ok with keeping it out for 4-6 during the day though at indoor room temps.

[@maryamabdulla179]

Thank you so much! This is helpful! @@Sugarologie

[@PhillipTheBrandon]

Could I use browned butter for a portion of the butter to introduce that flavor, or does the loss of moisture content or proteins breaking down in heat change its emulsifying properties?

[@Sugarologie]

So I used to think that heating the proteins was the issue with browned butter - actually I think it’s the loss of butterfat crystallization of butterfat when melted to a liquid state. You lose the ability to form a solid buttercream when butter has been melted to that state because the crystals won’t reform

[@PhillipTheBrandon]

​@@Sugarologie ATK has a method of rescuing over softened butter by stirring it with ice cubes for a moment to rapidly chill it and reestablish butterfat crystals. I wonder if that would help enough. I also wonder where the critical threshold of butterfat crystals is to maintain the buttercream. You've managed to reduce the fat content so far here, there's probably not much margin to play with.

[@rowandoyle7]

This is really interesting! I'd love to learn more about dairy biochemistry in baking - do you have any good sources? Just finished my master's in food science but my focus was on wine😅

[@Sugarologie]

Wine chemistry is FASCINATING though! So I have yet to find a comprehensive book on biochemistry AND baking written for specialists, but there are a few good general audience texts: Paula Figoni's Fundamentals of Baking Science and Labenksy, et als book: On Baking. Specialist dairy biochemistry sources that I consult are usually peer reviewed papers or books, one good one is: Fox's et al's Dairy Chemistry and Biochemistry

[@mariatheresa3317]

Hi hello thank you for sharing, i just want to know was it too sweet? and pls. rate the sweetness from 1 - 5.

[@justinbouchard]

love this so much. you don't mention corn starch in the icing sugar. do you take that into consideration?

[@SimplyMUNA]

Your videos are so good and thanks for keeping that invention going on

[@callioscope]

I have a question for you about the Bob’s buttermilk powder. I have used it for years in my baking, but recently wondered if it was problematical. You see, my husband usually uses *real* buttermilk in his masa pancakes, but we had none the other night and he mixed up some from the powder. The cakes were appreciably flatter, so I wonder if my recipes should have used real buttermilk rather than that made from the powder and water. Would my biscuits have been higher and more tender, my cakes (gluten free particularly) better, etc? Looking forward to your answer ..l and so happy to see a new video from you. I know this video is not about that at all, but you are the baker mad scientist I trust most on the Tubes. Great video.

[@annchovy6]

You should look up Stella Parks’ article on buttermilk substitutes. I’d link it, but KZbin tends to eliminate comments with links. Now, I want to clear up the buttermilk issue because I see a lot of confusion here. Sweet cream buttermilk is the byproduct of making butter, hence the name. It’s the “traditional” buttermilk, but it’s not what’s called for in baking recipes. What’s called for in baking recipes is CULTURED buttermilk, which as Adriana pointed out is made with skim or low fat milk to which a culture is added. This is the buttermilk you want for any recipe (pancakes, biscuits, cakes, fried chicken marinade, etc) that calls for buttermilk. If you were going to use powdered buttermilk, you’d want powdered cultured buttermilk like Saco’s. The Bob’s Red Mill buttermilk powder you have is sweet cream buttermilk. It is not the correct buttermilk for what you’re making because all those things are made with cultured buttermilk. Having said that, if you read Stella Parks’ article, you’ll see that even cultured buttermilk powder is just not as good as fresh buttermilk.

[@callioscope]

@@annchovy6 Wow. And thank you. You explained a lot. I feel like all the delicious things to come from my kitchen could have been better, and that the fails might be explained by this. This may in particular explain some of my GF fails. THANK YOU!

[@cameton_youtube]

Just made one of your chocolate buttercream recipes recently, and it was great! Very excited for this

[@prettysloth]

Hi, I would really like to try this frosting, is this shelf stable? Does it need to be refrigerated? I am a cottage food operator and cannot use perishable frosting that needs refrigeration. Thank you so much for the great video!

[@alexdnda]

Absolutely fascinating! I’m wondering what the difference is between the sweet cream buttermilk powder in this and regular nonfat dry milk powder. Do you have any insights on this? And where do you purchase the sweet cream buttermilk powder?

[@annchovy6]

There are some fat differences, but the most significant difference is phospholipid content is much higher in buttermilk powder, which help with emulsification.

[@jimenaramirez2623]

You should make a book about all your discoveries and theories 😁