Category: Icing

Ermine Frosting (Roux-based)

3/24/2021

In my continuous search for less-sweet frosting options, I stumbled across this roux-based frosting that makes a fantastic base for various flavored versions that lets the flavors shine instead of the sugar!

5 tbsp flour
1 cup sugar
1 cup milk, warm
1.5 tsp vanilla
pinch of salt
1 cup unsalted butter
chocolate option: 1/4 cup cocoa powder, unsweetened

Thickening roux:

Place flour and sugar in a large saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring constantly, for 30 seconds.
While whisking constantly, slowly pour the milk in (this ensure it's lump free).
As the milk gets hotter, it will start to thicken - stir constantly so the base doesn't catch.
Cook until the mixture thickens in a thick, dolloping custard - see video for texture. TIP: Thicker texture = thicker frosting texture but won't make the frosting dense, it's still fluffy and spreadable but it just makes it "sturdier" with sharper edges when piped.
Remove from heat and scrape into a bowl. Cover with cling wrap, pressing down onto the surface to prevent a skin from forming.
Cool completely (I leave on counter for 20 min or so then refrigerate 30 min to speed up but don't let it get chilled, best at room temp to beat into butter). You can leave in fridge overnight but take it out 1 hour prior to using (to dechill - otherwise it won't mix well with softened butter).

Making frosting:

Place butter in a bowl and use either a handheld beater or stand mixer (with whisk attachment) to beat for 3 minutes until it's smooth and changes from yellow to very pale yellow, almost white.
Now start whipping in the Thickening Roux. On speed 5 (medium), start adding the thick roux one heaped tablespoon at a time. Take about 1 minute to add it all.
Once all added, add vanilla and salt, then whip for 2 to 3 minutes until you can see that it is still enough to hold peaks. Then it's ready to use!
For chocolate option: Beat in the cocoa powder at the end, just until mixed through.

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Extraordinary Cakes: Decadent Yogi

5/12/2016

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This is from Extraordinary Desserts' bake book Extraordinary Cakes, which I've replicated here as an easy reference to myself since I always bake from my phone. I would highly recommend picking up their book - as complicated as many of the recipes may seem, once I wrapped my mind around the ingredients lists and components, they haven't taken me more than 3 hours to both make and do ongoing clean-up (and as you can see, results in some seriously beautiful and decadent desserts!). Even better, they're not to the usual saccharinely American-sweet standards - I would suggest making it to the letter first and then adjust from there to your own taste.

As for this particular recipe, I've seriously made it 3 times in less than 2 weeks - that's how quickly it's been disappearing. The cake is wonderfully moist, even after sitting out overnight with no cover, and the chocolate crisp is a huge hit amongst all age groups. Even the frosting is quickly becoming my favorite - I'm usually not a huge fan of frosting (especially the infamous buttercream) but this didn't have nearly as much cloying butter and the 100% cocoa powder helped to cut the sweetness to something that complements the cake.

Chocolate Cakes

1 10" bundt pan or a 6-cup bundt pan
Vegan butter stick, room temperature (for greasing)
2 tbsp coconut flour
2 cups all-purpose flour or (gluten-free) 1 cup brown rice flour + 1 cup sorghum flour
1-1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 tbsp instant coffee granules
2/3 cup cocoa powder, sifted
1/3 cup grapeseed or vegetable oil
3/4 cup (packed) brown sugar
3/4 cup turbinado sugar
1/3 cup pureed banana (about 1 small banana)
2 tsp corn starch or potato starch
2 tsp vanilla extract

Chocolate Frosting

1/4 cup + 2 tbsp (3/8 cup) vegan butter, room temperature
2-1/4 cups sifted powdered sugar
1/4 cup + 2 tbsp sifted cocoa powder
3 tbsp soy milk
1 tsp vanilla extract

Chocolate Crunch

2 oz (1/3 cup) vegan chocolate chips
2 tsp grapeseed or vegetable oil
1 cup puffed brown rice cereal

Chocolate Cakes

Preheat oven to 300 F. Generously grease the cavity or cavities of the bundt pan with the softened butter stick.
Sift together both flours, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
Bring 1-3/4 cups water to a boil in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Remove from heat and whisk in instant coffee. When fully combined, whisk coffee mixture into cocoa powder.
In a stand mixture with a whisk attachment, combine oil, both sugars, banana, potato starch, and vanilla. Whip on medium until very well combined, 3-5 mins. Remove bowl from mixer and, using rubber spatula, fold in sifted dry ingredients in 3 additions, alternating with coffee-cocoa mixture.
If using a 10" bundt pan, pour batter into pan. If using 6-cup bundt pan, use a 1/2 cup dry measure to fill each cavity with 1/2 cup of batter.
Place cake pan on rack in center of oven and bake until an inserted knife comes out clean, about 30 mins for smaller cakes, 50 mins for 10" cake. Cakes should appear moist and spongy. Allow cakes to cool completely.
When fully cooled, remove cakes from pan and wrap tightly in plastic wrap. Can be made 1 day in advance and stored at room temperature.

Chocolate Frosting

Whip the butter on medium-high speed for about 3 mins. It will appear fluffier.
Combine the powdered sugar and cocoa powder and add to the butter. Whip on medium speed for about 2 mins. Add the soy milk and vanilla and whip until well combined.
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and hold at room temperature until ready to frost the cakes, but for no longer than 3 hours before using.

Chocolate Crunch

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or Silpat.
Melt the chocolate chips in a heatproof mixing bowl set over a pan of simmering water (do not allow the bowl to touch the water), stirring occasionally. Remove from heat, and using a rubber spatula, mix in oil until smooth and homogeneous. While chocolate mixture is warm but not hot, fold in cereal until well incorporated.
Using a metal spatula, spread mixture as thinly as possible onto prepared baking sheet. Place Chocolate Crunch in refrigerator until firm, about 15 mins. Break up crunch into larger pieces and reserve in refrigerator until ready to use, or for up to 4 hours.

After cake assembly:

Refrigerate the decorated cakes for 2 hours to set. When ready, place frosted cakes on a serving platter, and allow to come to room temperature for 1-2 hours before serving.

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Sour Cream Cheese Frosting

12/20/2015

I love the extra tang the sour cream gives this version of the common cream cheese frosting. While the sour cream may not be evident if you sample the frosting by itself, when garnishing something else - such as the pumpkin bread/cupcake - the sour tang becomes much more evident.

1 (8 oz) package cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup butter, softened
2 tbsp sour cream
2 tsp vanilla extract
1.5 - 2.5 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted
(less sugar for a slightly less sweet but softer spread, more sugar for a stiffer spread that will hold its shape - the photo used 2 cups for the frosting)

Beat cream cheese, butter, sour cream, and vanilla in large bowl until light and fluffy.
Gradually beat in confectioners' sugar until smooth. Add more sugar for stiffer frosting, leave some out for softer frosting.

Chinese Bakery-Style Whipped Cream Frosting

4/8/2015

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This style is used by Chinese bakeries to frost their cakes. It is much lighter and much less sweet than Western style frostings. As a result, it's often a favorite in my family, and it took quite a bit of research before I finally found this recipe - but it was totally worth it! My mother in particular was ecstatic with the results when I made her birthday cake using this.

2 tbsp cold water
1 tsp unflavored gelatin - can be found in the supermarket in the Jello section.
2 cups (1 pint) of chilled heavy cream
2.5 tbsp of confectioner’s sugar

Flavor options:

Plain: 1 tsp vanilla
Strawberry: 4 oz pureed strawberries + 1 tbsp strawberry powder or extract

Place your mixing bowl and wire whisk(s) into the freezer for about 5 to 10 minutes before using them to prepare the whipped cream. This will ensure that the cream stays as cold as possible.
Add the unflavored gelatin to a small bowl with the 2 tbsp of cold water. Let it soak for about 5 minutes and then dissolve the gelatin into the water by holding the bowl (carefully) over a pot of simmering water to slowly heat it while continuously stirring. Once dissolved, the gelatin and water should be almost clear. Set aside and let cool to a luke warm temp, but do not let the gelatin cool or sit too long or it will harden.
Take your chilled mixing bowl and wire whisks out of the freezer and add the 1-pint of chilled heavy cream to the mixing bowl. Beat the cream in your mixer or with your hand mixer in the following manner:
Beat the cream slowly until it just starts to form bubbles (30 sec.).
Increase the mixing speed to medium until the wire whisk leaves some trails in the cream (30 sec.).
Increase the mixing speed to high and mix the cream until it becomes billowy. Add the sugar and your flavor option of choice carefully while continuing to mix until the cream becomes just stiff. The cream will begin to stiffen within a minute of adding the sugar. As soon as the cream is just becoming stiff, add the dissolved gelatin while continuing to mix. Once the gelatin is added, the cream will further stiffen and dry out. After adding the gelatin, continue beating the cream for about 30 more seconds or until you are satisfied that it is stiff enough, but not too dry or clumpy.
Once you are finished with beating the whipped cream, use it immediately for frosting the cake, or refrigerate it for later use. If refrigerating the cream for later use, be mindful of the fact that the cream may stiffen slightly when refrigerated, but it will loosen up again once you start working with it.

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Chocolate Frosting

1/1/2015

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Can go with the Guinness Stout Chocolate Cake

1 cup butter, softened
3 cups confectioner's/icing sugar
2 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, melted.

Beat butter until smooth and creamy, then gradually beat in sugar, milk and vanilla, combining until smooth. Stir in melted chocolate until fully incorporated. Frost cake, or eat directly from bowl. *g*

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ARCHIVE: Buttercream Frosting

1/1/2015

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1 cup (8 oz/250 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 egg yolks
1 tbsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp salt
2 cups (8 oz/250 g) confectioners' sugar

Using an electric mixer on high speed, beat the butter until fluffy, 3-4 minutes. Add the egg yolks and beat until fluffy. Beat in the vanilla, salt, and confectioners' sugar. Remove the cupcakes from the pan and spread the buttercream evenly over the top of each cupcake.

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ARCHIVE: French Buttercream

1/1/2015

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From Epicurious

1 cup water
2 cups sugar
2 tablespoons corn syrup
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
5 egg yolks
1 whole egg
1/8 teaspoon xanthan gum
1 1/2 pounds cold butter, preferably European

In a heavy nonreactive saucepan, add water, then add sugar, corn syrup, and cream of tartar. The last 2 help keep the sugar from crystallizing. (Candy thermometer. Non-negotiable!)
Put the pot on high heat. It's going to be there for a while. Be patient and keep your eye on it. Don't go walking away and watching TV or something.
Put yolks and eggs in a stand mixer with the whisk attachment and turn to high. Just let it go! Eggs will triple in volume and go to "ribbons stage." You can't overwhip!
Wait on the sugar—looking for 230°F, aka "soft ball." When it happens, be ready to move quickly. Turn off the mixer and add the xanthan gum, turn back up to medium.
Remove the thermometer from hot sugar. Lift with two hands. Rest the lip of the saucepan on the edge of the mixer bowl.
Slowly tilt and pour sugar in a sloooow steady stream down the side of the bowl. Don't go too fast! If you do there will be chunks of scrambled eggs in your buttercream.
Once sugar is all in, turn the mixer to high. Beat until cool. Gauge this by putting the inside of your wrist to the outside of the bowl. It's more accurate than your hands. Switch out the whisk for the paddle. Next we're adding the butter. It's too heavy for the whisk and you'll end up breaking your stand mixer if you stay with the whisk.
Start cutting the butter into thin pieces—you could shave it with a cheese slicer if you'd like. Add butter piece by piece—pain in the derriere, yes, but we're making an emulsion.
See, if you dump all the butter in at once, the butter and eggs will never combine properly, and you'll have a "broken" buttercream. You'll be able to identify this easily—it'll be a chunky, watery, hot mess.
If your buttercream does break, you can fix it! Turn to medium high, then add a little more butter, piece by piece, until fixed. Or try adding a little guar gum! This is very strong, so add a pinch and beat for a minute, then check.
Once your butter is added, turn the mixer to medium high to add some air—10, 20 seconds at most. Quelle Magnifique! It should be fluffy and make you want to eat it with your fingers.

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Nutella Frosting

1/1/2015

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8 oz soft cream cheese
1_1/3 cups nutella
2 cups powdered sugar
~1 tbsp heavy cream

In a mixing bowl cream the Nutella and cream cheese. Slowly add the powdered sugar, 1/2 cup at a time, mixing well after each addition. When all the sugar has been added, increase the speed to medium-high and mix for 1 minute.
Add enough heavy cream to make it smooth and easy to pipe. Immediately frost the cupcakes.

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Ermine Frosting (Roux-based)

Extraordinary Cakes: Decadent Yogi

Sour Cream Cheese Frosting

Chinese Bakery-Style Whipped Cream Frosting

Chocolate Frosting

ARCHIVE: Buttercream Frosting

ARCHIVE: French Buttercream

Nutella Frosting

Sweet Enough

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