American Buttercream

If you are looking for an easy and tasty way to fill your macaron shells, look no further. This is my basic American buttercream recipe that can be adapted and flavored however you would like!

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This American Buttercream is what I use most of the time to fill my macarons. You can find the recipe for my basic French Macarons here.

Some people find American Buttercream to be too sweet, but I love this recipe because it is quick and easy to make and can easily be adapted for different types of added flavors. American buttercream can vary widely in the ratio of butter to sugar. I prefer to use equal parts of butter and sugar for my buttercream as it is not too sweet (in my opinion) and I don’t need to add additional cream or milk to get the consistency I want.

The equipment I use for making macarons and some of the flavorings for fillings can be found in my Amazon Storefront

This recipe makes enough buttercream to fill 3-4 dozen macarons (depending on how generous you are with the filling). Feel free to cut the recipe in half if you are making 1-2 dozen macarons.

Add 226g (1 cup) of softened unsalted butter to the mixer. Beat on medium speed until the butter turns a pale yellow color and has a smooth texture.

Add 226g powdered sugar (about 1 ¾ to 2 cups) to the mixer and beat on low speed until the sugar and butter start to combine. Turn the speed up to medium for about 3 minutes. Stop the mixer to scrape down the bowl at least 1 or 2 times during this process.

Add a pinch of salt (about 1/8 tsp) to balance out the sweetness and enhance the flavors of your buttercream.

Continue to mix for another minute on medium to medium-high speed until the texture of the buttercream is light and fluffy.

Now let’s talk about how much of each kind of flavoring to add to the buttercream. Note that if you are adding a larger amount of a wet ingredient (like a fruit puree) you will likely need to add about 50g more of powdered sugar to keep your buttercream from separating.

When using extracts, it’s always a good idea to start with a little and add more until you like the taste.

When adding vanilla bean paste, I add 1-2 tsp.

When using Amoretti flavors I add 2 tsp. This cotton candy flavor is one of my favorites!

When using these powder flavors start with 1-2 tsp. If you want to avoid any grainy texture. Dissolve the powder in 1-2 tsp of cream or milk before adding it to the buttercream.

When adding a fruit puree, I recommend reducing the moisture in the puree by microwaving in 30 second increments or in a pan on the stove until the volume has reduced significantly (if you start with 1 cup you should end with ¼ cup). This gives you more concentrated flavor with less moisture. You may need to add more powdered sugar if your buttercream is separating. I start by adding 1 TBSP of reduced puree and an additional 50g of powdered sugar. Save the extra puree in your freezer for next time.

When using the LorAnn oils or the Alcohol-based extracts from the grocery store I start with ¼ tsp. If I feel like I need more flavor I add 1/8 tsp at a time until I’m happy with the flavor.

Once you add your flavors, mix on low to medium speed to combine. If your buttercream is too stiff, add 1 tsp of heavy cream at a time to get the texture you want. If your buttercream is too thin or separates, add 50g of powdered sugar to thicken it up.

Add the buttercream to a piping bag and pipe it onto your macarons with a 1A piping tip.

Notes:

• You can use a combination of different types of flavoring in your buttercream. For example, I made strawberry banana buttercream by adding strawberry puree and banana extract.

• You can also pipe a ring of buttercream and put another filling in the center, like a curd or salted caramel.

American Buttercream

An easy and delicious filling for macarons

Prep: 20 min

Yield: Fills 3-4 dozen macarons

Ingredients

• 226g softened unsalted butter (1 cup)
• 226g powdered sugar (about 1.75 to 2 cups)
• Pinch of salt (1/8 tsp)
• Flavor of choice: 1-2 tsp vanilla bean past or vanilla extract; 2 tsp Amoretti flavor; 1-2 tsp powder flavor; 1 TBSP reduced fruit puree; 1/4 tsp LorAnn oil or alcohol-based extracts

Tools Used

• Kitchen scale
• Stand mixer with whisk attachment
• Mixing bowl
• Spatula
• Piping bags
• Wilton 1A piping tip

Instructions

1. Add 226g (1 cup) of softened unsalted butter to the mixer. Beat on medium speed until the butter turns a pale yellow color and has a smooth texture.
2. Add 226g powdered sugar (about 1 ¾ to 2 cups) to the mixer and beat on low speed until the sugar and butter start to combine. Turn the speed up to medium for about 3 minutes. Stop the mixer to scrape down the bowl at least 1 or 2 times during this process.
3. Add a pinch of salt (about 1/8 tsp) to balance out the sweetness and enhance the flavors of your buttercream.
4. Continue to mix for another minute on medium to medium-high speed until the texture of the buttercream is light and fluffy.
5. Add the flavoring of your choice (see the ingredients for amounts of each type of flavor). Adjust the flavor to your preference (add a small amount at a time).
6. If you are adding a larger amount of a wet ingredient (like a fruit puree) you will likely need to add about 50g more of powdered sugar to keep your buttercream from separating.
7. Once you add your flavors, mix on low to medium speed to combine. If your buttercream is too stiff, add 1 tsp of heavy cream at a time to get the texture you want. If your buttercream is too thin or separates, add 50g of powdered sugar to thicken it up.
8. Add the buttercream to a piping bag and pipe it onto your macarons with a 1A piping tip.
9. Store leftover buttercream in the fridge for up to a week or in the freezer for a month in an airtight container or plastic wrap.