Coffee Ermine Buttercream / Cooked buttercream

    This is a coffee flavoured buttercream adapted from https://gfpatisserie.com/recipes/ermine-buttercream#/
      It is perfect for those who love coffee and a not too sweet buttercream. A cooked flour pudding is added to well beaten butter and again beaten to give a very smooth frosting.

Ingredients
2 tablespoons instant coffee
1 cup granulated sugar (can reduce up to 2 tablespoons if needed)
4 tablespoons all purpose flour
A pinch of salt
1 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup unsalted butter

Combine the dry ingredients in a thick bottomed  pan. Slowly add the milk to bring the mix to a smooth consistency. Place over medium heat and bring to a boil stirring continuously to avoid it from sticking to the bottom. The pudding should thicken like the picture given below.

Take it off the heat and stir for some more time. Let the pudding cool completely (will become like thick glue) and mix in the vanilla.

Take the cold butter and cube it in the bowl of your mixer. Wait until it has softened a little..maybe 15 mins depending on the climate. You don't want it going all soft and spreading. It should be firm. Start beating the butter on medium speed till the colour has become very light. 

Add the cooled pudding a spoon at a time and beat well till it has combined into a smooth and fluffy cream.

 This can fill and coat a 3 layer 8 inch cake.

Chocolate Ganache

This is what I would call a perfect foolproof frosting for any cake, if you are a chocolate lover of course..:)
The chocolate ganache is just cream and chocolate.. with a flavouring if you like.. but it is so versatile and you can use it as frosting or filling, whipped or piped or even shaped using molds.

•  230g semisweet chocolate
•  180 ml heavy whipping cream
•  1 tablespoon (14g) unsalted butter

Break the chocolate into small pieces into a heatproof bowl. Heat the cream with butter over a medium flame and bring just to a boil. Pour it over the chocolate. Let it stand for 5 minutes. Now stir the mixture well but take care not to beat it so that you get a smooth creamy consistency without any bubbles.[ If you are going to pour it over your cake the bubbles will not look good] Bring it to room temperature stirring occasionally. When the ganache has cooled and thickened it can be poured over the cake like a glaze. It can also be refrigerated and spread like butter cream after whipping.
If you want it sweeter, substitute about 75g of semisweet chocolate with milk chocolate or add 1 or 2 tablespoons of finely powdered sugar while warm.
This can also be flavoured with vanilla extract or liquor.

 

Buttercream Frosting

This is a 'no fail' plain buttercream frosting... you could use it to decorate your cakes as it is or add some flavouring of your choice.. This makes about 1 cup frosting/icing.

Vanilla Buttercream frosting:

(20ml tablespoon and 250ml measuring cup)

• 75g butter, softened (unsalted butter)

• 1/4 tsp (1.25ml) vanilla extract

• 145g  icing sugar, sifted or superfine powdered sugar

• 1 tablespoon (20g) cream (35-40 percent fat)

•  a pinch of salt 

Using an electric mixer or electric hand-held beaters, beat butter and vanilla with a pinch of salt in a medium bowl until creamy. Add the icing sugar in three batches, beating for about one minute after each addition, and stopping the machine a couple of times to scrape down the side and base of the bowl. Add the cream and beat until completely incorporated.

Pipe or spread frosting onto cakes.

Chocolate flavoured buttercream:

Just beat in 25g melted chocolate (broken into pieces and melted in a double-boiler, then cooled slightly)

Coffee buttercream:

 Beat in 1tbsp coffee powder blended with 1tbsp hot water to the butter, vanilla and salt until creamy and then add the sugar. Add cream only if necessary.