Vanilla Bean... Buttercream!

I've already posted my recipe for my Heaven on Earth Cupcakes which use a vanilla bean frosting.  For that recipe, I used a vanilla bean cream cheese frosting because I was going for that cheesecake-like flavor and I was avoiding going too sweet. 

However, I've been itching to use the vanilla bean paste that I just ordered from Amazon.com (link here); it was so cheap ($10.51 when I got it, plus free Prime shipping) and probably will last me as long as about 50 vanilla beans (which are about $3 a piece)!  With that said, a vanilla bean buttercream just seemed to be the way to go!  I learned a basic buttercream recipe way back in home ec. class in high school.  For some reason, it has always stuck with me: one stick of butter, two cups of powdered sugar, one tablespoon of milk or cream, and any flavorings.  I figured this was a good starting point for my frosting!  I decided to use heavy cream to make sure it whipped up nicely and held it's shape.  I decided to double it to be sure I made enough - in the end, I had plenty but I'm not sure a single batch would have done!  Also, please do not use salted butter! You need to control the level of salt - just a pinch will do. No one wants salty frosting!

 

Before we get to the buttercream recipe, I wanted to post some pictures of the filling process for the cupcakes.  I followed the same recipe for my Heaven on Earth cupcakes, except I decided to do the buttercream rather than the cream cheese icing.  Anyway, the filling is the same - see my "Heaven on Earth Cupcakes" post for the recipe.  I didn't get pictures of the filling process last time, so I decided to rectify that since I was making the cupcakes again...  From left to right: 1) Use an apple corer to get the center out; 2) Insert the corer about 3/4 of the way into the cupcake and twist several times to make sure the center will come out cleanly; 3) You can widen the hole with your finger (wash your hands first, please!); 4) Put your filling into a piping bag (or, as I usually do, a Ziploc bag with a corner cut off) and fill 'em up!

 

 

Vanilla Bean Buttercream

Ingredients:
  - 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
  - 4 cups powdered sugar, sifted or whisked
  - Pinch of salt
  - 1 1/2 T. vanilla bean paste
  - 2 T. heavy cream

Directions:
     1)  Using the whisk attachment of a stand mixer, beat the butter on medium-high for about a minute until it is smooth.
     2)  Add the powdered sugar, one cup at a time.  Mix on low or medium-low until the sugar is mostly incorporated.  Scrape down the sides when adding more sugar.  Do not worry about whether the consistency is smooth - just mix until it is mostly incorporated.  (You don't want to over beat it at this point.)  The picture below shows my batch at the end of this step.

     3)  Add the vanilla bean paste and the pinch of salt.  Beat on medium-high for about a minute until smooth.
     4)  Add the heavy cream and mix on low until incorporated.  Increase speed to high and whip for about five minutes until the frosting is light and fluffy.  Scrape down the sides as needed.  The picture below shows my batch just before I scraped down the sides for the final time.

     5)  Use immediately or put into a covered container.  If you will not be using it soon, put the frosting into the refrigerator.  When you are ready to use it, let it warm to room temperature for about thirty minutes and then re-whip in the mixer.  The picture below shows the final product!  Look how fluffy it is...

I was using mine right away, so there was no need to refrigerate it!  It was time to frost my cupcakes.  I used a big gallon Ziploc bag with a piping tip and coupler on the end.  I'm a big fan of the swirl method (in case you haven't noticed yet)....

All done! (Not my prettiest work, but I was a bit rushed!)

Note: I used vanilla bean paste here, but you could use an actual vanilla bean (or two).  One tablespoon is equal to one vanilla bean.  I intended to just use one tablespoon here, but I wanted more vanilla punch and more flecks, so I went with a little extra!

For this icing, I was lucky enough to use my mom's stand mixer.  Sadly, I don't have my own at the moment (they are a bit expensive), though I'd like to get one someday!  If you don't have a stand mixer, you can use a hand mixer.  If you use a hand mixer, pay more attention to the desired consistency than the suggested mixing time.