Best Caramel Buttercream Martha Stewart Recipes

BASIC BUTTERCREAM

Steps:

• Beat butter and 3 cups sugar with a mixer on medium speed until combined. Reduce speed to medium-low, and continue to beat, gradually adding remaining 6 cups sugar, 1 cup at a time. Raise speed to medium-high; add vanilla. Beat until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes more.

ORANGE BUTTERCREAM FROSTING

Steps:

• Blend all ingredients together in a bowl until smooth. To thin, add more juice, to thicken, add more sugar.
• Add a dash of orange zest or fresh grated peel, if desired.

BROWN-SUGAR LAYER CAKE WITH CARAMEL BUTTERCREAM FROSTING

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Butter two 8-inch round cake pans. Line with parchment. Butter paper, and flour pans. Beat together butter and sugars with a mixer until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla. Whisk together flour and salt. In another bowl, combine sour cream and baking soda. Gradually add flour mixture to butter mixture in 3 additions, alternating with sour cream mixture and starting and ending with flour mixture.
• Divide batter between pans. Bake until golden and a toothpick inserted into centers comes out clean, about 50 minutes. Let cakes cool in pans, about 30 minutes. Invert cakes, remove pans and parchment, and let cool completely on a wire rack.
• Trim tops of cakes with a serrated knife to make level, then cut each cake in half horizontally. Reserve 1 bottom layer for another use. Place remaining bottom layer on a cake stand, and spread evenly with 1 1/4 cups frosting. Repeat with a second layer and another 1 1/4 cups frosting. Place third layer on top. Spread entire cake top and sides with 1 1/4 cups frosting. Refrigerate cake until firm, about 30 minutes. Spread with 1 1/2 cups frosting, smoothing top and sides. Serve immediately with marzipan animals, or refrigerate up to 2 days; if refrigerated, let cake come to room temperature before serving.

CARAMEL BUTTERCREAM (MARTHA STEWART RECIPE)

Steps:

• 1. Bring 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar and the water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Wash sides of pan with a wet pastry brush to prevent sugar crystals from forming. Cook, undisturbed, until caramel is dark amber. Remove from heat, and slowly add cream, stirring with a wooden spoon until smooth. Let cool. Beat butter with a mixer on medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl. Place whites and remaining 1/2 cup sugar in a heatproof mixer bowl set over a pot of simmering water. Whisk until sugar dissolves and mixture registers 160 degrees on a candy thermometer. Remove from heat, and attach bowl to a mixer. Whisk on medium speed for 5 minutes. Increase speed to medium-high, and whisk until stiff, glossy peaks form, about 6 minutes. Reduce speed to medium, and add beaten butter, cup at a time, whisking well after each addition. Whisk in vanilla. Switch to paddle attachment. With mixer on low speed, add caramel, and beat until smooth, 3 to 5 minutes. Use immediately, or cover, and refrigerate for up to 3 days. (Bring to room temperature, and beat on low speed until smooth before using.) Read more at Marthastewart.com: Caramel Buttercream - Martha Stewart Recipes

CARAMEL BUTTERCREAM FOR LION CAKE

Steps:

• Make caramel: Combine 1 1/4 cups sugar and 1/2 cup water in medium saucepan; bring to boil over medium-high heat. Brush down sides with damp pastry brush to prevent crystallization. Continue cooking, without stirring, until dark amber color. Remove from heat; slowly stir in cream with wooden spoon until completely smooth; set aside until cool to touch.
• In an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter until fluffy and pale. Transfer to a medium bowl.
• Whisk together remaining 1 cup sugar and egg whites in clean bowl of mixer. Set over pot of simmering water; whisk gently until completely dissolved, about 3 minutes.
• Transfer bowl to mixer stand. Using whisk attachment, beat on medium speed until fluffy and cooled, about 10 minutes. Increase speed to high; whisk until stiff peaks form. Reduce speed to medium-low; add butter 1/4 cup at a time, beating well after each addition. Whisk in vanilla.
• Switch to paddle. Add caramel; beat on lowest speed 3 to 5 minutes. Leave at room temperature if using same day. If making ahead, refrigerate in airtight container up to 3 days. Bring to room temperature; beat until smooth.

BANANA CUPCAKES WITH CARAMEL BUTTER CREAM FROSTING (MARTHA STEWART RECIPE)

Steps:

• 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line standard muffin tins with paper liners. Whisk dry ingredients in a large bowl. Cream butter and sugar with a mixer until light and fluffy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating after each addition. Reduce speed to low. Mix any remaining wet ingredients in a bowl if needed. Add dry ingredients to butter mixture in 3 additions, alternating with wet ingredients and ending with dry. Scrape sides of bowl. Divide batter among muffin cups, filling each 2/3 full. Bake cupcakes until testers inserted into centers come out clean, about 20 minutes. Let cool in tins on wire racks. Cupcakes will keep, covered, for up to 3 days, unless otherwise noted.
• 2. 1.Make cupcakes as directed in Basic Cupcake How-To, using mashed bananas, buttermilk, and vanilla for wet ingredients. Stir pecans into batter. Once cupcakes are cool, frost tops with caramel buttercream. Frosted cupcakes will keep, covered and refrigerated, for up to 2 days. Top with banana slices before serving.

COFFEE-CARAMEL SWISS ROLL

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Brush a 13-by- 18-inch rimmed baking sheet with oil. Line bottom with parchment; brush parchment with oil.
• Cake: Whisk together flour, salt, and baking powder to combine. In a large heatproof bowl, whisk hot water with 1/2 cup granulated sugar until dissolved. Whisk in oil, then egg yolks and vanilla until smooth. Whisk flour mixture into sugar mixture just until combined. In a mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat egg whites on medium-low speed until frothy. Add cream of tartar, increase speed to medium-high, and continue beating until soft peaks form. Gradually add remaining 1/4 cup granulated sugar; continue beating until stiff, glossy peaks form. Stir one-third of egg whites into batter. Gently fold in remaining egg whites just until no white streaks remain. Transfer to sheet; spread evenly to edges with an offset spatula.
• Bake until pale golden and pulling away from edges, and top springs back when lightly touched, 17 to 19 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack 5 minutes. Meanwhile, generously dust a kitchen towel with confectioners' sugar. Flip cake out onto towel, remove parchment, and generously dust top with more confectioners' sugar. Starting at one short end, roll up cake in towel. Let cool completely, about 1 hour.
• Syrup: Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, bring granulated sugar and 3 tablespoons water to a boil, stirring until dissolved. Remove from heat; whisk in espresso powder until dissolved (mixture will foam). Transfer to a heatproof bowl and refrigerate until cold, about 30 minutes.
• Filling: Meanwhile, prepare an ice-water bath. In a saucepan, combine granulated sugar, 1 tablespoon water, and salt. Cover; cook over medium heat, swirling a few times, until boiling and sugar has dissolved, about 5 minutes. Uncover and continue boiling, undisturbed, until mixture turns golden amber, 3 to 5 minutes more. Remove from heat. Carefully add cream in a slow, steady stream (it will bubble up and splatter). Return to medium heat; cook, stirring, until smooth. Transfer to a bowl set in ice-water bath; let stand, stirring a few times, until cold, about 30 minutes. Remove from bath; whisk to stiff peaks.
• Unroll cake. Brush any residual sugar from top, then brush evenly with espresso syrup. Dollop with filling and spread evenly with an offset spatula, leaving a 1/2-inch border. Starting at one short end, roll up cake (without towel). Wrap cake roll in towel and transfer to a baking sheet, seam-side down, to maintain cylindrical shape. Refrigerate until filling sets, at least 8 hours and up to 1 day.
• Frosting: In a saucepan, bring 2 inches of water to a simmer over medium heat. In a large heatproof bowl, combine egg whites, granulated sugar, cream of tartar, corn syrup, and water. Transfer bowl to pan (do not let bottom touch water). Beat on high speed until stiff peaks form, about 5 minutes. Remove bowl from heat; continue beating on high until mixture is no longer warm to the touch, about 5 minutes more.
• Remove cake roll from towel; transfer to a cake plate. Spread frosting evenly over top and sides. (Frosted cake can be refrigerated, uncovered, up to 3 hours before slicing and serving.) Briefly wave a kitchen torch over frosting until golden brown in places. Slice cake into rounds; serve.

BASIC VANILLA BUTTERCREAM

Steps:

• In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter until smooth and creamy, 2 to 3 minutes. With mixer on low speed, add 6 cups sugar, milk, and vanilla; mix until light and fluffy. If necessary, gradually add remaining 2 cups sugar to reach desired consistency.

CARAMEL BUTTERCREAM FROSTING FOR BROWN-SUGAR LAYER CAKE

Steps:

• Combine 1 1/4 cups sugar and the water in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve sugar. Brush down sides of pan with a damp pastry brush, and cook, without stirring, until dark amber. Remove from heat, and gradually stir in cream until completely smooth.
• Whisk together remaining sugar and the egg whites in the bowl of a mixer set over a pot of simmering water. Whisk until sugar dissolves and mixture is warm. Transfer bowl to a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, and whisk on medium-high speed until fluffy and cool and stiff peaks form, about 10 minutes. Add butter, 2 tablespoons at a time, whisking well after each addition. Whisk in vanilla. Slowly pour in caramel with mixer on medium speed, and whisk until completely incorporated. Continue to whisk until smooth, about 3 minutes. Use immediately, or transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate up to 3 days. Before using, bring to room temperature, and beat until smooth.