Coffee Buttercream Icing

This isn’t a very long winded or glamorous post but I feel the need to share this recipe for anyone out there that is looking for a nice, simple buttercream icing that can be adapted to most flavours and colours.I have chosen a coffee buttercream icing today.

With only a few weeks left to go before our little bundle arrives safely (hopefully), I have been craving a few different things of late. It all started with donughts. Not those nice cream filled fancy ones that are taking the world by storm. Oh no, I’ve been craving the cheap, simple ones that you buy in a convenience store that cost 50p. Chocolate glazed donuts with chocolate sprinkles to be precise. But they are never available when I want them, which makes me very sad. So I turned to my secondary sweet craving and decided to make a cake. Simple not overly sweet coffee cake is one of those things I’ve craved. But it’s the icing that makes the cake. This icing isn’t overly coffee flavoured and isn’t too sweet. For me it has the perfect balance and paired with a simple coffee sponge, it is just perfect for those afternoon cravings, pregnant or not!

COFFEE BUTTERCREAM ICING

• 350 g icing sugar, sifted
• 175 g butter, softened
• 1 tsp vanilla bean paste
• 2 shots of intense espresso or 1 tbsp of instant espresso powder mixed with 1 tsp boiling water

THE HOW

In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter with an electric whisk (or you can do this in a stand mixer) until light a fluffy, about 2 minutes.

Gradually add the sifted icing sugar, and on a low speed (so the icing doesn’t go everywhere) beat together with the butter. Keep adding the icing until all has been incorporated fully.

Next add in the vanilla and the espresso until the mixture is smooth and creamy and there are no streaks of brown.

Either use immediately to ice a cake or cupcakes or place in an airtight jar and keep in the fridge for up to 5 days.