Here's a good baking question from Evan. Can you help?
I made the lemon cake y'all reviewed recently, and it was delicious, but five sticks of butter on one plate is more than I can handle. Fortunately we were able to get people to come over and help us with it!
My question is: What are alternatives to buttercream frosting that still allow decoration? Glazes are nice (and actually tastier, in my book) but there's something undeniably festive about a nicely decorated cake. I just find the fat content terrifying, and frankly, find the flavor a bit rich and sweet.
Evan, I do understand; while that cake is wonderful, the Swiss buttercream that accompanies it is really full of butter. I just made that cake again last weekend for my sister's birthday party and I always groan a little bit at the amount of butter. It's a nice treat once in a while, and in moderation, but I usually make other sorts of icing.
There are some good alternatives to butter-based icings, though, that still let you make pretty swirls, dips, and even rosettes, if you are so inclined. They aren't as well suited to really formal decorating; there is nothing quite like buttercream for that. (Although most professional decorating icings are actually made at least in part with shortening.)
The issue in making icing is that something needs to give it thickness and body. Usually that will either come from butter or from sugar (like powdered sugar). The nice thing about the buttercreams with eggs, like Swiss buttercream, is that they don't need as much sugar. The buttercream I usually make isn't very sweet, although it is very buttery.
Your alternatives for building body and thickness in icing are usually cream or another kind of dairy, or eggs. Here are a few good recipes for some classic icings without butter:
• Marshmallow Frosting - This is perhaps your best bet. It is still sugary, but it's lighter and it can still be piped.
• Cream Cheese Icing - Another classic frosting.
• Whipped Cream with Cream Cheese - For a rich but lighter-tasting topping, you can bulk up whipped cream with cream cheese to help it hold its form. You could put almost no sugar in this.
Related:
(Image: Martha Stewart)
What about 7 minute icing -- I love this type of icing. Feather light, easy to make, low fat, low sugar, and absolutely delicious. Pairs especially well with citrus and summer cakes I think.
The recipe I use is from the Joy of Cooking if you have one.
view mlleErica's profile
What about a meringue icing? Just egg whites, sugar and a bit of vanilla? Pop into the oven for a quick minute to brown it just a bit.
http://www.paintedpeach.blogspot.com
view Elissa-D's profile
Martha's 7 minute frosting recipe is my go to. Its perfect every time, its light and airy and makes me swoon. perfection.
view laura sue's profile
my mother used to make frosting for birthday cakes when i was a kid that was half silken tofu and half cream cheese, obviously mixed with quite a bit of powdered sugar. i don't remember any other kids complaining.
i like to make a ganache-type icing, made by melting chocolate with a little bit of milk (i always use skim). i found that recipe as a vegan ganache, i think they suggested almond milk.
another frosting i make alot is bittersweet chocolate melted and mixed with peanut butter. it's still quite rich, but filled with protein too!
view shlowzi's profile
I am a loyal fan of cream cheese frosting. I would a million times rather have that than some heavy buttercream.
view Kakugori's profile
Love 7 minute frosting...
view renata's profile
I second the motion for meringue frosting. It's one of my favorites, and it looks really cool...
view 86themilk's profile
What about a roux icing? Like the kind found on proper red velvet cake?
Milk and flour, cooked til thick, then some sugar and butter and flavor. Not nearly as much of either the butter or sugar as a typical buttercream, and very light and tasty.
Not great for small/detailed decorations, but holds up fine for borders and simple flowers/decs.
Cream cheese icing the way most Americans think of it is not really any better than a buttercream. Cream cheese, butter and powdered sugar. Ugh.
There are lighter cream cheese icings out there that don't have as much fat or sugar.
Try whipping some neufchatel cheese with some sour cream and then folding it into some whipped cream. Add just enough sugar for your tastes and whatever flavor you like.
Try making a creme fraiche icing by folding some thick creme fraiche into several cups of sweetened whipped cream. Not great for decorations, but it works wonders for just a swirl design, and hold things like coconut and chocolate shavings on the cake very well too.
If you really need a buttercream, there are several other egg white based ones that don't require any cooking like Swiss, Italian or French buttercreams do, though those are by far the tastiest (in my opinion) of the buttercreams.
view sadiepix's profile
I'm a big fan of a whipped chocolate ganache, white, dark or milk, to which I sometimes add a mixture of fruit puree and jam. Its not exactly health food but its not quite as heavy as buttercream.
view jennywenny's profile
mascarpone man! mascarpone!!!
view skysky's profile