Vanilla Bean Buttercream

Yield: 3 cups (enough to ice 24 cupcakes)

Recipe by America's Test Kitchen

 

 

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
• Caviar from 1 vanilla bean (or substitute in 1 T Nielsen-Massey Vanilla Bean Paste)
• 2 1/2 cups (10 oz) powdered sugar
• pinch salt
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 T heavy cream

Directions

1. Using an electric mixer, beat the butter at medium high speed until it's smooth. Add the caviar. Beat for about 20 seconds more until it's well incorporated. With the mixer on low, add the powdered sugar. Once the butter has coated the sugar, increase the speed to medium for about 30 seconds. Add the heavy cream and vanilla extract. Once combined (so that it doesn't fly out of the mixer), increase the speed to medium high and beat until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes.