EASY RUSSIAN BUTTERCREAM RECIPE
Easy Russian Buttercream Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup ( 2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 14 oz ( 1 can) sweetened condensed milk at room temperature (1 cup+2 tbsp ) - I prefer Nestle brand
- 1 tsp vanilla extract (optional)
- pinch of salt (optional)
Instructions
- In a bowl of a mixer fitted with a whisk attachment whip room temperature butter until it has tripled in volume and became light and fluffy ( approximately 8 minutes). Stop the mixer to scrape the bottom of the bowl a few times.
- Add vanilla extract to the whipped butter. Now add sweetened condensed milk in thirds, whipping for about 8-10 seconds after each addition. Don't forget to scrape the bottom of the bowl after each addition.
Notes:
How can I not love everything about Russian Buttercream if I probably was born with it in my feeding bottle?(; If seriously, Russian Buttercream, simply made with Butter and Condensed Milk, is a signature frosting in Russia, former Soviet Union countries, and Europe. Almost every single dessert that I’ve ever ate while growing up in Russia/Ukraine was made with this delicious frosting, from pastries, cookies, to simple and intricate cakes. And to be honest with you, I understand why – it is light, silky, fluffy, incredibly delicious, pipes beautifully, but most importantly for any home, hobby, or even savvy baker – very easy to make. You’ve got to know a few tips and tricks, and that’s what I’ll help you with today!
To make Russian Buttercream you really need just butter and sweetened condensed milk, adding salt and vanilla (or other flavorings) is optional. In my Recipe below I skipped salt and vanilla, as I love the taste of condensed milk and since this Russian Buttercream is not too sweet, or overwhelming – no need to add anything else, but can be a personal preference!
Troubleshooting:
What may go wrong while making Russian Buttercream? Truly not much, if you carefully follow my Recipe. Bringing your sticks of butter to room temperature for an hour before making this buttercream, whipping it on high speed for no less than 8 minutes, and adding your room temperature condensed milk carefully, in small portions while mixing on medium speed - are the most important tricks. If your butter was too soft prior to adding the condensed milk, you may see your Russian buttercream starting to separate - don’t panic and simply pop your mixer bowl with separated Russian buttercream into the refrigerator for 10 minutes and then re-whip again. If your workspace is pretty cold, Russian buttercream may not whip up all light and fluffy; in that case, just place half of it into a microwave save bowl, warm up for 5-10 seconds, and re-whip with the other half.
Storing Russian Buttercream:
I highly recommend using Russian Buttercream within just a few hours of making it ( and since it’s so easy to make, no need to whip up large amounts!) However, if you do have leftovers or had to make it in advance - store your freshly whipped Russian Buttercream in the air-tight container, refrigerated for up to 7 days, or frozen for up to 30 days. Before re-whipping your refrigerated or frozen Russian Buttercream – let it come to room temperature.
What Russian Buttercream Is Used For:
Possibilities of using Russian Buttercream are endless – from filling in and decorating your sponge/chiffon cakes, to beautifully piped cupcakes, macarons, and many other desserts. Russian buttercream also takes color beautifully – my suggestion to always use gel food colorings in such case.