Hot Water Buttercream

Name: Hot Water Buttercream
Cuisine: United States
Ingredients: 900 g butter, at room temperature and soft; 720 g powdered sugar; 140 ml hot water; 60–75 ml heavy cream, at room temperature (optional); 10 ml extract of your choice; a pinch of salt

Also called hot water method buttercream

A very smooth buttercream made by dissolving the powdered sugar in hot water first, then beating it into whipped butter on low to work out the air bubbles.

Gluten-free

Ingredients

Scale

Pan sizes, times and temperatures in the method are not scaled.

900 g8 sticksbutter, at room temperature and soft
720 g6 cupspowdered sugar
140 ml½ cup + 1 tbsphot water
60–75 ml4–5 tbspheavy cream, at room temperature (optional)
10 ml2 tspextract of your choice
a pinch of salt

Method

Make the glaze. Mix the hot water (140 ml½ cup + 1 tbsp) and powdered sugar (720 g6 cups) until completely smooth. Let it cool until just warm to the touch.
Whip the butter. With the whisk attachment, whip the butter (900 g8 sticks) until pale and doubled in volume.
Combine. Switch to the paddle. With the mixer on its lowest speed, pour in the glaze in a slow, steady stream, then add the extract (10 ml2 tsp).
Add the cream (60–75 ml4–5 tbsp), if using, and the pinch of salt.
Smooth it out. Scrape down the bowl, then keep mixing on the lowest speed to work out the air bubbles.

Notes

Done when 3 or 4 ripples form on the surface as it mixes, and a spoon drawn across the top leaves it smooth, with no air bubbles.
Butter. It should be soft enough to dent easily with a finger before you start.