Buttercream

Few of us can resist the temptation of a cake covered with a rich buttercream frosting. When well made, buttercream still has the flavor of butter—never make it with shortening-in addition to whatever it’s been flavored with. Essentially sweetened and flavored butter, buttercream is made in various ways. By far the simplest, and the version favored by most home cooks, is made by beating butter with confectioners’ sugar and flavoring. The only drawback to homestyle buttercream is the very subtle gritty texture imparted by the cornstarch contained in confectioners’ sugar, but this is subtle enough that most people don’t notice it.