Caramel Buttercream
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Martha Stewart Living, February 2009
- Yield Makes about 4 cups
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Ingredients
- 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1/4 cup water
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- 12 ounces (3 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
- 4 large egg whites, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Directions
- Bring 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar and the water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Wash sides of pan with a wet pastry brush to prevent sugar crystals from forming. Cook, undisturbed, until caramel is dark amber. Remove from heat, and slowly add cream, stirring with a wooden spoon until smooth. Let cool.
- Beat butter with a mixer on medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl.
- Place whites and remaining 1/2 cup sugar in a heatproof mixer bowl set over a pot of simmering water. Whisk until sugar dissolves and mixture registers 160 degrees on a candy thermometer.
- Remove from heat, and attach bowl to a mixer. Whisk on medium speed for 5 minutes. Increase speed to medium-high, and whisk until stiff, glossy peaks form, about 6 minutes. Reduce speed to medium, and add beaten butter, cup at a time, whisking well after each addition. Whisk in vanilla.
- Switch to paddle attachment. With mixer on low speed, add caramel, and beat until smooth, 3 to 5 minutes.
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Is it okay to leave this out a few hours?
I just made this frosting and it came out runny. Did anyone have this problem?
This frosting is delicious! I made the caramel and it had crystals so I tried again and it worked out great -- I think the trick is not stirring it at all, just let it cook.
SO Yummy! The recipe from the Martha Stewart Cupcakes book is a bit different and I didn't have any trouble...going from memory...Step 1 said to swirl once and a while; Step 3 didn't require a candy thermometer, instead whisk until mixture is smooth when rubbed between fingers (sugar is melted); Step 4 said to add butter 1/4 cups at a time. I know my post is close to a year off, but hope this helps.
I didn't add the entire caramel mixture. I thought it would have made the frosting to runny. However, my egg whites didn't produce as much volume as I expected.
Vivianita the other 1/2 cup sugar goes into part #3. Hope this helps you.
I had the same problem so I reheated the carmel and added it hot to the butter mixture, but it still hardened as soon as it left the pot. I am not sure how this is supposed to work...
1/2 c 2 tbls is for the caramel and the remaining 1/2 c is for the egg whites. I made this recipe last night and would suggest not making caramel first. It hardens if it cools too much before mixing it into the buttercream. End result = caramel pieces in the buttercream rather than caramel buttercream. Still delicious though!
Hi.... I was wondering if the recipe calls for 1/2 a cup sugar or 1 cup sugar? In the ingredients it says 1 cup plus 2 tbs. In the directions it says 1/2 cup plus 2 tbs. Can someone please tell me which one is the correct....
Thanks!