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French buttercream is an opulent frosting made with egg yolks as the bottom and easy syrup for sweetness. This offers the frosting a {smooth} custard-like texture. This frosting is nice for piping as a result of it holds its form properly!
For many recipes, you need to use French buttercream instead of American buttercream. You may attempt French buttercream with my white, Lemon blueberry, or lavender cupcakes.

Causes You’ll Love This Recipe
- Texture: French buttercream is extremely {smooth} and creamy. The usage of egg yolk provides it a custard like texture.
- Taste: French buttercream is much less candy than American buttercream, which makes use of powdered sugar. It’s also an amazing base for added flavors.
- Class: If you use French buttercream, you’ll wow all your visitors!
What’s French Buttercream?
French buttercream is a wealthy and creamy frosting made with egg yolks. The egg yolk base lends to its decadent texture and yellow shade. Not like American buttercream, which makes use of powdered sugar for texture and sweetness, French buttercream makes use of cooked sugar syrup.
What Elements Do I Have to Make French Buttercream?
Take your dessert recreation to the subsequent stage with this silky-smooth French buttercream! Utilizing only a few easy components, you may create a elaborate, connoisseur twist on the basic buttercream. For precise measurements, scroll to the recipe card on the backside of the submit.
- Egg yolks: Egg yolks stabilize the frosting. Additionally they add a wealthy, creamy, custard-like taste.
- Granulated Sugar: When cooked right into a syrup, sugar helps emulsify the butter, so it mixs completely with the egg yolk, creating a wealthy texture.
- Water: Used with sugar to prepare dinner into syrup.
- Unsalted Butter: Provides depth of taste and stability to maintain its form.
- Salt: Enhances all the flavors and completely balances the sweetness.
- Vanilla Extract: Offers a heat, inviting taste. You may substitute for various flavors and extracts.
What Are the Totally different Forms of Buttercream?
There may be one other world of buttercream outdoors of the straightforward American buttercream recipe that mixes butter and powdered sugar. Take a look at the listing beneath to see what units all of them aside from each other.
- Swiss Meringue Buttercream makes use of egg whites combined with sugar to create a meringue, then mixed with butter. The feel resembles French buttercream, however the taste is much less wealthy.
- Italian Meringue Buttercream is much like Swiss buttercream. The distinction is you prepare dinner the sugar right into a syrup after which mix it with the egg whites. It’s the most tough to make however seems silky {smooth} with simply the correct amount of sweetness.
- German Buttercream makes use of pastry cream combined with butter as a base. Its taste is divine, and its texture is {smooth} and extra custard-like.

Steps to Make French Buttercream
Observe these directions step-by-step to make sure your buttercream seems excellent. There may be additionally a ideas part beneath which you could reference when you have any questions!
Sugar Syrup
- Boil Sugar & Water: Add the sugar and water to a small saucepan or skillet and warmth over medium-low warmth till boiling.
- Scale back Warmth: Scale back the warmth and proceed to prepare dinner the sugar whilst you put together the eggs.

Make the Whipped Cream
- Whip Egg Yolks: Pour the egg yolks into the bowl of a stand mixer. Whip at medium-high pace with the whisk attachment till the yolks are thick and foamy.
- DO NOT overheat the sugar: I like to recommend utilizing a sweet thermometer to know when the sugar reaches 240 levels Fahrenheit. As soon as it has, you may take away the pan from the warmth and switch the mixer on to low pace. Slowly and punctiliously drizzle the new sugar syrup in a gentle stream into the egg yolks as they whip.
- Whip Sugar & Egg Yolks: As soon as all of the sugar has been integrated into the eggs, proceed to whip at medium pace till the bowl feels cool to the contact.
- Add Butter: Add the butter one tablespoon at a time. Enable the eggs to soak up every tablespoon earlier than you add the subsequent.
- Vanilla: Add the vanilla extract and a pinch of salt. Proceed to whip on medium pace till the buttercream is {smooth} and shiny.
Suggestions for French Buttercream
Be sure to comply with these useful ideas to make sure your buttercream seems good!
- DON’T overcook the sugar: Don’t prepare dinner the sugar past 240 levels Fahrenheit! Overcooking causes the sugar to harden when it touches the cooler egg yolks, stopping the yolks from absorbing it.
- Take a look at sugar doneness: Sugar syrup should be on the mushy ball stage. You may take a look at your sugar syrup and not using a thermometer by dropping a small spoonful right into a glass of chilly water. If it dissolves, it’s not prepared but. If it hardens, it’s overcooked. It’s prepared if the syrup types a mushy ball, may be squished between your fingers, and stays sticky.
- Low Velocity: To keep away from flinging sizzling syrup, hold your mixer on low when pouring the syrup into the eggs.
- Butter: The butter ought to be mushy sufficient to depart an indent together with your finger however NOT squish your finger by means of. Utilizing the inaccurate temperature could cause your buttercream to curdle.
- Refrigerate: If the buttercream isn’t cooling down after including the sugar syrup, place the bowl within the fridge for a couple of minutes, then whip it once more.

French Buttercream Storing Directions
If you’re fortunate sufficient to have some leftover French buttercream, right here is methods to retailer it correctly.
- Within the Fridge: Since this buttercream tends to get mushy and soften, hold it at room temperature for just a few hours. Retailer it in an hermetic container within the fridge for as much as 7 days.
- Within the Freezer: French buttercream stays contemporary for as much as 3 months within the freezer.Depart it within the fridge in a single day to thaw utterly earlier than softening it and whipping it earlier than use.
Re-fluff directions: To re-fluff chilled buttercream, let it sit at room temperature for an hour, then whip. You can too half-melt it in a double boiler earlier than whipping.

Extra Enjoyable Frosting Variations to Strive
This French buttercream will impress your visitors with its style and texture! It’s vital in your frosting assortment. If you wish to attempt one thing new and broaden your frosting expertise, listed below are some frosting choices to discover.
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Add the sugar and water to a small saucepan or skillet and warmth over medium-low warmth till boiling. Scale back the warmth and prepare dinner the sugar whereas getting ready the eggs.
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Add the egg yolks to the bowl of a stand mixer and whip medium-high with the whisk attachment till the yolks are thick and foamy.
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When the sugar reaches 240 levels Fahrenheit, take away the pan from the warmth and switch the mixer on low pace. Slowly and punctiliously drizzle the sugar syrup into the egg yolks as they whip.
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As soon as all of the sugar has been integrated into the eggs, proceed to whip at medium pace till the bowl feels cool to the contact.
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Add the butter one tablespoon at a time, ready for every tablespoon to be absorbed into the eggs earlier than including the subsequent.
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Add the vanilla extract and a pinch of salt. Proceed to whip on medium pace till the buttercream is {smooth} and shiny.
Energy: 1361kcalCarbohydrates: 102gProtein: 9gFats: 105gSaturated Fats: 63gPolyunsaturated Fats: 5gMonounsaturated Fats: 29gTrans Fats: 4gLdl cholesterol: 762mgSodium: 52mgPotassium: 86mgSugar: 100gVitamin A: 3529IUCalcium: 92mgIron: 1mg
Diet info is mechanically calculated, so ought to solely be used as an approximation.