Buttercream recipe

For what kind of cake? Or lots of differing ones????

I never measure ingredients for butter cream, but I always put a drop of vanilla extract in it. If it needs loosening a bit I also add a drop of milk. That's probably no help at all, but there you go.

I use soft unsalted butter creamed then add icing sugar beating till light and fluffy, add a few drops of vanilla essence and a drop of milk if its a bit stiff.

www.deliaonline.com/recipes/occasions/easter/easter-chocolate-recipes/chocolate-fudge-cake

Sounds moreish! Ignore the Easter references!!

I no longer use commercial food colouring if I want a bit of colour. I just use a bit of decent quality seedless jam of an appropriate colour/flavour. Its easy enough to add a drop of lemon juice to make sure it does not end up too sickly. The resultant colour is always nice and subtle.

Same as above but if coffee and walnut then also a small splash of liquid coffee.

Don't forget to sift the icing sugar! And, then have fun cleaning the kitchen.

2:1 ratio icing sugar to butter, don't add the icing sugar in one go as it could end up to 'claggy' not fluffy.

A tip from a friend who had a cupcake business was to add a drop of water to the mix which results in the icing setting very slightly on the outsude (easier to transport).
Lemon or lime juice, coffee melted in the water, vanilla essence etc are alternatives.
If making a cream cheese topping, add some butter to the cheese and icing sugar otherwise the cream cheese/icing sugar ends up as a dripping mess as I found out!

Thank you for the tips.

rosesarered, I think I am going to do The Hairy Bikers Victoria Sponge, somebody has already picked to do 'my signature' cake which is Mary Berry's Lemon Drizzle cake. I didn't want to risk doing a cake that I have never baked before in case it's a disaster.

Half fat to sugar and make sure you whisk the butter really well and also add the icing sugar slowly as you continue to whisk.

As above. For coffee buttercream just a tsp of instant granules in very small amount of boiling water and add to taste and for chocolate ditto with good cocoa powder.

Why not do proper whipped double cream. She much nicer imho and less sugar. I declare my bias here as a T2 diabetes reversal success!!

Izabella, if I was doing it for home I would try for whipped cream but it will be out on display with the other bakes and if not eaten the cream may go off.

I could just eat some nice cake now

Oh yes Izabella, raspberry jam and whipped cream on a sponge cake any day. I'm not keen on buttercream as most I've had has been too heavy for my taste.

But I guess if the cake is being prepared in advance and transported to work you don't want to run the risk of the cream going off and buttercream is a safer option. I may just have to try some of these tips on lighter buttercream next time I bake.

I'd agree that whipped cream in a cake is yummy....trouble comes when its not eaten all in one go....sponge cake does not like being stored in a fridge!

WeLoveNewYork have you tried Mary Berry's variation of her lemon drizzle traybake - pecan and cinnamon? I made it for a change as I'd been making the lemon drizzle so often (too often ?) and it went down really well with everyone.

Betty Crocker is easy!

A Victoria sponge IMO is better for keeping a day or two after you've made it; it seems to improve the flavour and the texture, and unless you know it's going to be eaten the same day, I would be wary about putting fresh cream in it (lovely though it is!). As others have said, they are better kept out of the fridge.

The latest tip I heard is to make the sponge in advance, wrap it in cling film and freeze, then thaw and decorate at the last minute.

I have a recipe for a cream which uses the German quark. It's lighter than an all-butter cream. If I remember, I'll look it out tonight.

You can experiment with whipped egg whites and low-fat yoghurt, but these may need a little gelatine to firm them up.

I like Victoria Sponge with just good raspberry jam in the middle, no cream of any kind.
Perhaps a shake of caster sugar on the top

ps be careful to warn people if you use raw egg as in whipped egg whites; some people (pregnant women, those with low immune systems etc) should not eat raw eggs.