Vanilla Buttercream Recipe

I LOOOVE anything vanilla and don't know why it is referred to as the boring flavour choice and prefer to see it as classic.  Those little black specks of vanilla bean you see in the butercream make my mouth water.

Here's my preferred buttercream recipe for a cookie cake.  A printable version is available here. 

This recipe yields enough to make a 2 tier cookie cake (for most shapes except the really large ones).  You will need to double the recipe for more than 2 layers.

INGREDIENTS

250 grams unsalted butter, softened

4 cups (500 grams) icing (powdered) sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla extract (vanilla bean paste is the best if you can find it)

3 - 4 tablespoons milk

Pinch of salt

METHOD:

In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter until soft and creamy.  Leave it beating at medium speed as you gradually add in the sugar, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.  This can take 7 – 8 minutes.  Once the sugar has been incorporated into the butter add the vanilla and a pinch of salt.  Beat in the milk 1 tablespoon at a time until the icing is thick, smooth and glossy.

It is ready to pipe onto your cookie cake.  You can chill it in the fridge if it needs to thicken up a bit before piping.

NOTES: If the mixture looks like it is split - don’t panic!  Just keep on beating and it will come together to form a smooth creamy icing.