How to Make Strawberry Buttercream

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Learn how to make strawberry buttercream that tastes like real strawberries! This light and airy buttercream is full of flavour and is just like eating a mouthful of strawberry mousse.

The basic principle for making strawberry buttercream is quite simple - you only need to add strawberry flavouring to plain buttercream, and there you have it! But how to get that flavouring, you might wonder, and exactly how to make strawberry buttercream that tastes authentically of strawberries?

Here's the trick - to get that authentic flavour, I use freeze dried strawberries, which can be purchased from Amazon or from your local health food shop. As the moisture has been removed from the fruit, you're left with a concentrated dose of strawberry flavour. Fresh strawberries contain a lot of liquid, so you'd have to use a lot more to get the same intensity of strawberry flavour. All the extra liquid also runs the risk of making the consistency of the final buttercream too thin and runny.

If you already have a plain buttercream recipe that you've been using, then learning how to make strawberry buttercream couldn't be easier. Feel free to use your favourite, but if you need inspiration, then follow the recipe below, which uses my trusted Italian meringue buttercream icing. Italian meringue buttercream tastes great, is stable and easy to work with and also keeps very well - no wonder it's my favourite!

If you love strawberries, then this is the buttercream for you. The pop of colour always makes me smile, and I find this buttercream so pretty, with the tiny specks of strawberries dotted throughout. It provides a beautiful contrast to whatever cake you're decorating.

This strawberry Italian meringue buttercream will keep in an airtight container, either in the fridge for up to a week or in the freezer for up to three months. Before using, thaw and warm to room temperature, and whisk again to restore the buttercream's airy texture.

Why not also try these icing recipes:

• Chocolate Italian Meringue Buttercream
• Vanilla Buttercream
• Cream Cheese Buttercream

Read on to learn how to make strawberry buttercream. Here's what you'll need:
(Click here to jump straight to the recipe)

250g unsalted butter, cubed and softened
3 egg whites (from large eggs)
Pinch of salt (optional)
150g caster sugar
30ml water
20g freeze dried strawberries

And here's what you'll need to do:

• Weigh out the freeze dried strawberries into a small bowl. If your strawberries are in slices or chunks, blend them into a fine powder using a food processor or spice grinder. Set aside until needed.
• Cut the butter into cubes and set it aside to soften.

• Separate the eggs, putting the egg whites in a clean mixing bowl and saving the yolks for later. Make sure there is no greasy film or residue on the bowl or mixer attachments, and that they are completely dry.
• Put the sugar and water into a small saucepan, swirling to wet all the sugar.
• Place the saucepan over medium heat, and leave it to cook - do not stir! Swirl the pan, if needed, to ensure the sugar melts uniformly. Stirring here can cause the sugar to seize up and crystallise into clumps.
• If you can, whisk the egg whites whilst also cooking the sugar simultaneously. If you're unable to do this, whisk the egg whites first, then cook the sugar.

• Whisk the egg white until it becomes foamy and forms soft peaks (that's when the peaks droop a bit).
• When the sugar syrup boils clear, it is about ready. If you have a food thermometer, you can check the temperature - it needs to be about 121C (250F). Turn off the heat.

• With the mixer setting on low, VERY CAREFULLY pour the hot sugar syrup into the egg white in a thin stream, all the while whisking to combine. The sugar syrup should be poured in near the edge of the bowl and not too close to the mixing attachment, so that it doesn't splutter out and potentially cause injury.
• When all of the hot sugar syrup has been incorporated into the egg white, turn the mixer up to maximum speed, and continue whisking until the meringue cools and the outside of the bowl is cool to the touch. This could take up to 10 minutes, depending on the speed and power of your mixer and the temperature of your kitchen.
• If you like a bit of salt in your icing, mix it in now.

• When the meringue is cool, stiff and glossy white, add in the butter, one cube at a time, mixing to incorporate after each cube. Continue until all the butter has been mixed in.
• At some point, you may notice that your buttercream has a curdled look, as if it's separating. This is completely normal - no need to panic! Continue adding butter and whisking, and have faith - the buttercream will eventually come together into a smooth and creamy icing.

• Add the strawberry powder to the buttercream, gently fold it in, and then mix until fully incorporated, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary.
• And now that you have learnt how to make strawberry buttercream, use it to decorate your favourite cakes, or store for later use.

How to Make Strawberry Buttercream

By Wendy | Serves 4

Learn how to make strawberry buttercream that tastes like real strawberries!

Prep Time: 7 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes
Yield: 470g
Course: Icing, Dessert
Cuisine: Modern Italian, European
Tags: Strawberry Frosting, Italian Meringue

Ingredients

250g unsalted butter, cubed and softened
3 egg whites (from large eggs)
Pinch of salt (optional)
150g caster sugar
30ml water
20g freeze dried strawberries

Method

1. Weigh out the freeze dried strawberries into a small bowl. If your strawberries are in slices or chunks, blend them into a fine powder using a food processor or spice grinder. Set aside until needed.
2. Cut the butter into cubes and set it aside to soften.
3. Separate the eggs, putting the egg whites in a clean mixing bowl and saving the yolks for later. Make sure there is no greasy film or residue on the bowl or mixer attachments, and that they are completely dry.
4. Put the sugar and water into a small saucepan, swirling to wet all the sugar.
5. Place the saucepan over medium heat, and leave it to cook - do not stir! Swirl the pan, if needed, to ensure the sugar melts uniformly. Stirring here can cause the sugar to seize up and crystallise into clumps.
6. If you can, whisk the egg whites whilst also cooking the sugar simultaneously. If you're unable to do this, whisk the egg whites first, then cook the sugar.
7. Whisk the egg white until it becomes foamy and forms soft peaks (that's when the peaks droop a bit).
8. When the sugar syrup boils clear, it is about ready. If you have a food thermometer, you can check the temperature - it needs to be about 121C (250F). Turn off the heat.
9. With the mixer setting on low, VERY CAREFULLY pour the hot sugar syrup into the egg white in a thin stream, all the while whisking to combine. The sugar syrup should be poured in near the edge of the bowl and not too close to the mixing attachment, so that it doesn't splutter out and potentially cause injury.
10. When all of the hot sugar syrup has been incorporated into the egg white, turn the mixer up to maximum speed, and continue whisking until the meringue cools and the outside of the bowl is cool to the touch. This could take up to 10 minutes, depending on the speed and power of your mixer and the temperature of your kitchen.
11. If you like a bit of salt in your icing, mix it in now.
12. When the meringue is cool, stiff and glossy white, add in the butter, one cube at a time, mixing to incorporate after each cube. Continue until all the butter has been mixed in.
13. At some point, you may notice that your buttercream has a curdled look, as if it's separating. This is completely normal - no need to panic! Continue adding butter and whisking, and have faith - the buttercream will eventually come together into a smooth and creamy icing.
14. Add the strawberry powder to the buttercream, gently fold it in, and then mix until fully incorporated, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary.
15. And now that you have learnt how to make strawberry buttercream, use it to decorate your favourite cakes, or store for later use.

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