How to Make German Buttercream (video)
If you’re looking for a creamy, less sweet buttercream frosting recipe for your next cake, this recipe is it! Learn how to make German buttercream with my video tutorial! This creamy and delicious vanilla frosting is made with vanilla pastry cream or custard. Once the custard is cooled, it’s combined with butter to create this incredible frosting! This recipe is part of my ‘Back to Cake Basics’ series!
My German Buttercream Video Tutorial
Watch my YouTube video tutorial for step-by-step instructions for making the pastry cream and the German buttercream frosting! Want to stay up to date on new recipes? Make sure you’re subscribed to my website emailing list and my YouTube channel and turn on notifications.
Ingredients for German Frosting
This creamy buttercream frosting is made in two parts – the vanilla pastry cream and then the butter is added. Here are the ingredients you’ll need to make this recipe:
- Unsalted Butter: soften the butter at room temperature for about 30 to 45 minutes. The butter shouldn’t be melted or too soft.
- Whole Milk: use whole milk for best results and for a rich and creamy filling.
- Eggs: use organic, free-range eggs for the richest tasting cream. Have the eggs at room temperature for best results.
- Sugar: use white granulated sugar or sugar fine sugar.
- Flour & Cornstarch: both of these ingredients act as thickeners for the pastry cream.
- Vanilla: vanilla beans are the best option for this recipe but they can be more expensive. You can replace the vanilla bean with 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract.
How to Make German Buttercream
Making this creamy German buttercream frosting starts with the vanilla pastry cream. Once the cream is completely cooled, you can proceed with making the actual buttercream. You can make the pastry cream ahead of time, just keep it well covered and refrigerated.
- Split the vanilla bean in half and add into a sauce pan along with the milk and flour. Whisk the flour in until no clumps remain. Cook the milk over medium-low heat for approximately 5 minutes, until the milk is steaming hot but not boiling. Remove the vanilla bean and scrap out the seeds with a knife and add the seeds to the milk, discarding the pod.
- Meanwhile, in a separate mixing bowl, combine the egg yolks and sugar. Whisk vigorously for 2 to 3 minutes until the mixture is thick and pale and ribbons off of the whisk. In a small ramekin, combine the cornstarch and water to create a slurry. Add the slurry to the egg yolk mixture and whisk for 30 seconds.
- Once the milk is hot, slowly temper the milk into the egg yolks. Add a little at a time and whisk well after each addition. Once the two mixtures have been combined, pour the custard base back into the saucepan. Cook the mixture over medium-low heat for 5 to 7 minutes, stirring constantly with a rubber spatula. Custard is ready when it holds its shape on the back of the spatula. Avoid cooking over high heat; this can cause the custard to separate.
- Remove the custard from heat and add the 1/2 cup butter and vanilla extract. Whisk the butter into the hot custard until it’s completely melted. Cover the custard with plastic wrap touching the surface, to prevent a film from forming on top. Refrigerate the custard until completely cooled, then use as a filling or for the custard buttercream.
Making German Buttercream:
- For the buttercream. first beat the softened butter on high speed for 2 to 3 minutes until the butter is light and fluffy. Begin adding the cooled custard, a few tablespoons at a time, and whisk on medium speed after each addition. After adding the last few tablespoons, whisk for just 30 seconds. If desired, add an additional 1 cup confectioner’s sugar to sweeten the frosting.
Flavor Variations for Frosting
You can make this frosting in other flavors besides vanilla, too! Here are a few flavors you can try with this recipe:
- Coffee: add a few teaspoons of coffee extract/emulsion, or add a tablespoon of instant coffee into the custard while it’s cooking.
- Chocolate: add 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips into the custard once it’s done cooking. You can also add 1/3 cup cocoa powder into the finished buttercream.
- Raspberry: add a few teaspoons of raspberry extract. Or, you can prepare a raspberry sauce, like in my ‘Raspberry Buttercream’. Add the raspberry sauce into the cooked custard.
- Coconut: add a few teaspoons of coconut extract to the custard.
Recipes to Enjoy
Use this creamy German buttercream for your next cake, cupcake or pastry recipe! Here are a few desserts that are great for this recipe!
- Berry Almond Cake: this delicious almond cake is filled with berries, frosted with German frosting and garnished with chocolate ganache!
- Walnut Prune Cake: use this creamy frosting in place of the whipped cream frosting I used in the original recipe.
- Coconut Cupcakes: replace the meringue buttercream with this German frosting and add a few teaspoons of coconut extract.
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More Recipes!
Enjoyed this easy frosting recipe? Check out more of my ‘Back to Cake Basics’ series! You can use these frosting and filling recipes for any recipe!
- Italian Meringue Buttercream – a creamy frosting made with egg whites, sugar syrup and butter. This frosting is super stable and smooth!
- French Buttercream – my all-time favorite frosting made with egg yolks, sugar syrup and butter. It’s super creamy and silky smooth!
- Cream Cheese Frosting – my favorite recipe for this classic frosting! It’s so delicious!
- European Whipped Cream – a unique frosting made with sweetened condensed milk, butter and heavy cream!
How to Make German Buttercream
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups whole milk
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 1 vanilla bean
- 3 large egg yolks
- 1/3 cup white granulated sugar
- 2 tbsp corn starch
- 2 tbsp water
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened at room temp
Instructions
Preparing the Vanilla Pastry Cream:
- This recipe can be made with or without the vanilla bean; increase the amount of vanilla to 2 teaspoons.
- Split the vanilla bean in half and add into a sauce pan along with the milk and flour. Whisk the flour in until no clumps remain. Cook the milk over medium-low heat for approximately 5 minutes, until the milk is steaming hot but not boiling. Remove the vanilla bean and scrap out the seeds with a knife and add the seeds to the milk, discarding the pod.
- Meanwhile, in a separate mixing bowl, combine the egg yolks and sugar. Whisk vigorously for 2 to 3 minutes until the mixture is thick and pale and ribbons off of the whisk. In a small ramekin, combine the cornstarch and water to create a slurry. Add the slurry to the egg yolk mixture and whisk for 30 seconds.
- Once the milk is hot, slowly temper the milk into the egg yolks. Add a little at a time and whisk well after each addition. Once the two mixtures have been combined, pour the custard base back into the saucepan. Cook the mixture over medium-low heat for 5 to 7 minutes, stirring constantly with a rubber spatula. Custard is ready when it holds its shape on the back of the spatula. Avoid cooking over high heat; this can cause the custard to separate.
- Remove the custard from heat and add the 1/2 cup butter and vanilla extract. Whisk the butter into the hot custard until it’s completely melted. Cover the custard with plastic wrap touching the surface, to prevent a film from forming on top. Refrigerate the custard until completely cooled, then use as a filling or for the custard buttercream.
Making German Buttercream:
- For the buttercream. first beat the softened butter on high speed for 2 to 3 minutes until the butter is light and fluffy. Begin adding the cooled custard, a few tablespoons at a time, and whisk on medium speed after each addition. After adding the last few tablespoons, whisk for just 30 seconds. If desired, add an additional 1 cup confectioner's sugar to sweeten the frosting.
Hey Tatyana, I was wondering if you have ever made sour cream frosting. I have seen people make sour cream frosting with sour cream and powdered sugar. If I make a sour cream frosting will the frosting not be sour because of the sour cream? Do you know any brand of sour cream that will be perfect to use for a frosting? I would really appreciate your answer!
Hi Emily! I do enjoy sour cream frosting! I use it for a few cakes in my cake cookbook. I also have a cream cheese sour cream frosting for this recipe: https://tatyanaseverydayfood.com/prune-honey-cake/
I usually use Daisy sour cream but I think most brands will work great. I like the thicker consistency of this brand.
Thank you so much for the reply. Also if I want to make thinner frosting with Daisy brand sour cream and sugar, will the frosting not turn out sour since sour cream is sour?
It will have a tangy flavor to it. You can try adding cream cheese to balance out the tart flavor. Cream the cheese first, then add the sour cream. Add some vanilla to help add flavor, too.
Hi Tatyana,
I know this might be considered cheating but I’m using this recepie for a children’s cake and was wondering if you could make it with instant custard powder as well? The raw eggs give me pause as there will be pregnant women at the party.
Thank you for your insight. Kind regards
Athena
Hi Athena! Thanks for reaching out to me with your question. This recipe will not have raw eggs, as they are cooked with the hot sugar syrup. You’ll want to cook the syrup to 240F, then add it in right away into the eggs in a slow stream. This will cook them instantly. Unfortunately, this recipe won’t work with instant pudding as the combination of sugar syrup and eggs results in a very different mixture and consistency. Hope that helps!