For decades, the default cake for special occasions was yellow cake with chocolate buttercream (or, if you prefer, buttercreme) frosting. Or, if you preferred, chocolate cake with chestnut buttercream frosting (buttercream into which creme de marron has been whipped. Yum.).
Unfortunately, it's been years since we've had this, because of fear of eggs.
My Mom always made the French buttercream, which involves adding syrup to beaten egg yolks, then adding softened butter. The taste is divine.
Here is Mom's recipe:
Note: I think this is about the best cake icing. It contains egg yolks. Hot sugar mixture is added to them, but probably not enough to kill salmonella (present in about 1:10,000 eggs). Use fresh unbroken eggs when making. I lick the bowl, and if I don’t get sick I serve the cake. Not foolproof, but I have never gotten sick yet.
9 TBSP. sugar
1/3 cup water
¼ tsp. cream of tartar.
5 egg yolks
½ lb. Sweet butter, slightly softened
Mix first 3 ingredients in a sauce pan over low heat while stirring, until sugar dissolves. Increase heat and boil rapidly without stirring until reaches 238 degrees on candy thermometer. (Or, until it forms a thread when a small drop placed between fingers and fingers are separated)
Beat 5 egg yolks until light and fluffy. Gradually add syrup in a thin stream to mixing bowl while mixing. Continue to beat until the mix is thick and cool.
Gradually add ½ lb. Sweet butter slightly softened but still firm (about 1 TBSP at a time).
Vanilla: Add 1 tsp. vanilla extract.
Chocolate: 2-3 squares unsweetened chocolate melted over double boiler and cooled, added at the end.
Coffee: Add strong coffee instead of water for syrup
Mocha: Use coffee for water, and add chocolate
Strawberry: Add 5 TBSP pureed strawberries, plus 2 Tbsp. kirsch, food coloring
Chestnut: Add small can of chestnut paste and rum or brandy to taste, at the end.
(great on chocolate cake)
Praline: Stir 5 TBSP powdered praline to vanilla cream.
Chill for a few minutes after beating. Ice cake.
* * * *
The most recent Williams-Sonoma catalog had a recipe for Quick Buttercream Frosting. This is more of an American buttercream (or simple buttercream):
Using an electric mixer fitted with a flat beater, beat 6 cups of confectioners' sugar, 16 TBSP. (2 sticks) softened unsalted butter, 4 1/2 TBSP. milk, 2 tsp. vanilla and 1/4 tsp. salt on low speed, about 1 minute. Increase speed to medium and beat until fluffy, about 3 minutes. If frosting is dry, add more milk, 1 tsp. at a time, until creamy but still holding peaks. Tint with food coloring as desired.
Here's their chocolate buttercream.
[Illustration from Williams-Sonoma]
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