Swiss Meringue Buttercream Flowers

| Photos by Koo Kai Siang

There's nothing prettier than a crown of buttercream flowers atop a cake. Double the quantity to frost your whole cake.

I am emotionally invested in every buttercream flower I pipe. I use a Swiss Meringue Buttercream for these beauts because normal buttercream just wont hold up in Singapore's hot and humid weather. It's also a tad healthier because it uses egg whites instead of just cups of icing sugar and butter, and I just love its luscious, light and silky texture.

Don't be intimidated! Piping these roses are surprisingly easy, not to mention loads of fun:) Practice makes perfect...

SWISS MERINGUE BUTTERCREAM RECIPE:

Double the quantity to frost your whole cake.

INGREDIENTS:

1 1/4 cups Castor Sugar

1/4 tsp Salt

5 Large Eggs' Whites

400g Butter (softened at rtp, cut into cubes)

1 tsp Vanilla Bean Paste

Gel-paste food coloring of choice

EQUIPMENT:

- Candy thermometer

- Piping tips (something similar to a Wilton tip #103 or #104)

- Piping bags

- Piping Nail

- Parchment squares (just cut them out of baking paper)

- Electric Mixer with whisk attachment and paddle attachment

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Fill a med-sized pot with about 2 inches of water. Bring to a boil.

2. In a mixer bowl, add sugar, egg whites, salt. Whisk till combined.

3. Place mixer bowl into/ on top of pot. (Creating a makeshift double boiler*). Whisk egg white mixture intermittently.

4. Use candy thermometer to check the temperature. At around 72 deg C, the egg whites will be sufficiently "cooked" (bye salmonella!) Remove mixer bowl from pot.

5. Re-attach mixer bowl into electric mixer. Using a whisk attachment, beat egg white mix on high till stiff peaks* form. Your mix should turn cool by then. (I love watching the egg whites turn into meringue clouds!)

6. Change to paddle attachment. Add in all of your butter. Mix on low speed. Your buttercream may look curdled at some point but that's normal. Just keep it going till it forms that silky, luscious Swiss Meringue Buttercream!

7. Add in a tsp of vanilla bean paste/ your desired flavouring.

8. Separate SMBC into a few bowls and mix in your colors!

9. Here's a little video to show you how to pipe the roses: https://youtu.be/kX025TcPKn8

10. Freeze roses for a few hours or overnight before arranging on top of your cakes.

The buttercream can last in the fridge for up to 3 days, or in the freezer for a week. To re-use, thaw buttercream at rtp, and use a paddle attachment to re-whip the icing up before using again. Roses can last in the freezer for up to a week.

Now go, create your works of edible art!

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Notes:

*Pictures for stiff peaks and the double boiler set up as mentioned above.