German Buttercream Frosting (2024)

If you're not a fan of overly sweet buttercream, this vanilla-flavored frosting just may become your new bestie. German buttercream is a custard and butter-based frosting that's mildly sweetened.

For me, it's thick, fluffy consistency makes it my preferred icing for sheet cakes and cupcakes, as it lends itself well to piping, decorating and filling pastries.

What is German Buttercream?

During my six years of living in Germany I never heard the term "German Buttercream," being used. However, the custard base for this recipe is similar to the Bavarian custard used in many desserts from that region.

Shirle O. Corriher, James Beard Award winning writer and author of Bake Wise, calls it Crème Anglaise Buttercream. Regardless of who calls it what, German Buttercream is a combination pastry cream plus butter.

Ultimately, what you need to know is this frosting is a two-part process of making the pastry cream, then whipping it with butter. It’s rich because of the use of egg yolks, can be flavored by steeping different ingredients in the milk when you make the pastry cream — think vanilla beans, coffee beans, or citrus rinds. Use it to frost the outside of a cake or fill the inside of an éclair.

How to Make German Buttercream

German buttercream does make you work for the pleasure of its company. While the individual components, the vanilla custard and butter, are simple enough to prepare, combining them into a perfect union can be fickle.

I prefer to make a thicker vanilla custard by using a splash of vanilla extract to flavor the milk and keep the flavoring simple rather than infusing it.

To prepare the custard: Heating sweetened, cornstarch-laced milk to a simmer before gradually whisking it into eggs to temper them. This mixture is briefly heated to further thicken it before flavoring it to your liking.

After a cooling down period, the custard is slowly added to fluffy, whipped butter to create a silky, almost ethereal frosting perfect for slathering on your cakes and cupcakes.

How to Flavor German Buttercream

There are two "optimal times" to flavor German buttercream: before cooking the custard or after the custard has thickened.

You can infuse the milk before combining it with sugar and cornstarch. Once the milk begins to steam (reaches a temp between 120°F-140°F), turn off the heat and allow the infusions to steep in the milk for 20 minutes. Remove the peel/nuts/beans/spices and use the milk as instructed.

Here are some ideas:

Split vanilla beans
Citrus peels
Nuts like ground hazelnuts or almonds
Coffee beans
Cinnamon sticks (or similar spices)

On the flip side, you can add in any extract you’d like. Once the custard is completely mixed and thickened you can simply swap out the vanilla extract in this recipe for your preferred extract or liqueurs.

How to Color German Buttercream

If you want to color your German buttercream, it is best to do it once the custard is fully incorporated into the butter.

Use a gel-based food color.
Gel coloring helps maintain the balance of the buttercream and often provides better pigmentation. Start by stirring in 1/8 teaspoon of color andadd more until you reach your desired shade.
Liquid food coloring will disrupt the balance of fat to water and may curdle the buttercream depending on how much you add. I would avoid it.

How to Store and Rewhip German Buttercream

German buttercream is both fridge and freezer-friendly, just transfer your frosting to a storage container and it will keep for 4 days in the fridge or 2 months in the freezer.

To rewhip from the fridge: The buttercream will need to warm up at room temperature for 10 minutes before mixing on low speed until it’s smooth again.

To rewhip from frozen: Thaw the frozen buttercream in the fridge before mixing to fluff it up again. It is important to remember that "reviving" German buttercream doesn't work the same as other buttercreams:

Soften the buttercream again by gently heating the frosting over a double boiler (a bowl set over a pot of gently simmering water). If you have a butane torch, you can also zap the bottom of your mixer bowl with the flame to warm it slightly.
When the buttercream starts to become glossy, whip it on medium-high speed (#5 on a KitchenAid) until smooth.
If you went a little trigger happy with heating the buttercream, just pop it back into the fridge to cool it down before whipping until fluffy.

Tips for Troubleshooting German Buttercream

I'll be the first to admit that German buttercream was the one that gave me the hardest time in culinary school. It requires you to understand its nuances, whereas other frostings just go from A to B. This German Buttercream requires multiple steps each with its own special requirements. Here are some things to watch for, tips to keep you going, and useful bits of information.

Before adding the butter make sure you whisk the custard until it’s smooth.
Once the custard cools you can strain it through a fine mesh sieve to remove any rogue lumps.
The butter and the custard should be the same temperature when combining the two. If one is colder than the other the frosting could separate and weep.

Slow and steady is the name of the game when it comes to adding the custard to the whipped butter—think a tablespoon at a time.

If the buttercream is too stiff, you can warm it slightly over a double-boiler and whip it until it comes together.
If the buttercream is too loose, chill it for 30 minutes before whipping again.
If all else fails, try whipping in an additional 2 to 3 tablespoons of softened butter.

German Buttercream Snapshot:

Taste: mildly sweet, rich, and creamy
Texture: silky, thick, and fluffy
Piping: great for piping rosettes and borders. Not so great for roses and flowers that require a firm consistency.
Works best on: cupcakes, sheet cakes, as a pastry filling
Make-ahead: You can frost a cake a day ahead of time with this buttercream.

German Buttercream Drawbacks:

This buttercream can be fickle if you're not mindful of the temperatures while mixing it
Not suitable for hot, outdoor environments
Needs to be stored in the fridge