Quick and Easy Orange Buttercream

James Peterson

Cookbook Author

Homemade-style buttercream frosting sometimes leaves a very subtle roughness in the mouth that is not noticeable to most people. To eliminate most of this texture, beat the buttercream thoroughly—at least five minutes in a stand mixer—until it has the consistency of sour cream. It gets firmer once it is on the cake and chills somewhat.

Yield: 5 1/2 cups, enough for a 3- or 4-layer 9-inch cake or 2 sheet cakes

Method:

Using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or a handheld mixer on high speed, beat the butter for 5 to 10 minutes, until smooth and easy to work. Add the sugar and zest and beat until smooth, starting on low so the sugar doesn’t fly around and then turning the mixer to high. Switch to the whisk attachment or hand whisk and beat for about 5 minutes, or until the buttercream has the consistency of sour cream.

Variations:

Chocolate Buttercream

Add 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract per 1 cup of buttercream.