Cupcake Time

My wonderful friend Lauren inspired this post. Lauren is one of those girls that walks into a room and lights it up. She is gorgeous, smart, funny, laughs at all of your (my) jokes and is just all around charming. However, this December 28th she is taking it to a whole new level. She is MAKING a WEDDING CAKE for her best friend. Can you say Nobel Prize? Order of Canada? Saint-hood? uuhh huh!

Anyways, we were chatting about this buttercream and thought it was time to do a good old frosting post.

Martha Stewart paved my way with this icing. It works everytime and is a showstopper if you are willing to use a pastry piping bag to decorate.

1 1/4 cups of sugar

5 large egg whites

2 cups of butter (4 sticks)

1 tsp vanilla extract (the real stuff)

Food colouring (if you desire)

1) Place sugar and egg in a heat-proof bowl (if you have a double-boiler - this is the time to use it). Set bowl over pan of simmering water and whisk until sugar has dissolved and egg whites are hot to the touch. Test mixture, by rubbing between your fingers - you shouldn't feel any sugar granules.

2) Transfer bowl off of heat and beat with mixer until it has cooled completely and it forms stiff/glossy peaks (Martha says this takes 10 miunutes - I say more like 20)

3) Add room temperature butter - one peice at a time. Have faith during this part of the frosting experience, it looks like a complete failure until the end. Keep beating and adding butter slowly. Add vanilla once all butter has been added.

4) Use a spatula and mix by hand to eliminate air pockets.

NOTE: Use ROOM TEMPERATURE butter. If you rush this and use it when it is too cool, it will ruin the consistency of your frosting.