Cookie Butter Buttercream Icing

By Chez_Alexander

This recipe is a keeper! Wonderfully, smooth and creamy Cookie Butter Buttercream Icing is the perfect topping for any cake. Try not to eat it all before you frost your cake and use any leftovers to make buttercream cookie sandwiches.

Ingredients

• 1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup water
• 8 large egg whites
• 1 pound unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 jar cookie butter (e.g., Trader Joe's Speculoos)

Details

Servings 6
Adapted from howtocakeit.com

Preparation

Step 1

In a small saucepan over medium heat, bring sugar and water to a boil.

While your sugar mixture is heating, place egg whites in the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. When your sugar reaches about 230°F on the candy thermometer, begin to whip eggs whites at medium-high speed until stiff but not dry; do not over beat!

Once your sugar reaches 240°F, remove it from heat immediately, and with the mixer running, add it to your egg whites in a stream and beat on high speed. Be careful, it's very hot!

Continue to whip your meringue until no heat remains in the bowl. You can place your hands along the sides of the bowl to check - it should feel like it's at room temperature.

Cake Tip:

A word of caution to folks who are thinking about making this buttercream without a candy thermometer. It can be done, but it's very risky. Especially if you are a beginner. Some people have asked about using the water drop method (more info here) to gauge temperature. While this is possible, for this buttercream recipe, the temperature of the sugar mixture must be exact, and a candy thermometer is the best (and easiest) way to ensure precision.

Now, with the mixer still running, add your butter bit by bit, beating until spreadable, 3 to 5 minutes; then, beat in vanilla. If your buttercream appears curdled, keep beating until smooth.

Using a mixer, whip 3 cups of buttercream with 3/4 cup of cookie butter. The cookie butter is as thick as peanut butter, so using a mixer ensures a smooth finish.

Note:

Try this recipe as the filling in a buttercream cookie sandwich!