This site uses only a few technical cookies necessary for its operation. By continuing to browse, you accept their use.
To find out more...
To find out more...
Butter cream
Butter cream is made with egg yolk, sugar syrup and, of course, butter. These days it has fallen rather out of fashion, probably because it's very rich, but it still has its aficionados. Here is the classic plain version, which you can lighten and flavour as you wish.
340 K 3.7/5 (48 reviews)
60 min.
Easy
700 g
6 IngredientsLast modified on: October 13th 2010
For 700 g, you will need:
- 1
1 cup butter - 2
2⁄3 cup caster sugar - 3
3 tablespoons water - 4
6 egg yolks - 5
3 egg whites - 6 ½ cup caster sugar
Change these quantities to make:
Change measures:
Times for this recipe
Preparation: 50 min.
Cooking: 10 min.
All in all: 60 min.
If you start now, at , you will finish around : ?.Change start time
To finish around 7pm, you'll need to have started before: .Change end time
Step by step recipe
Stage 1 - 10 min.
Take 1 cup butter out of the refrigerator at least 1 hour before using.
Heat 2⁄3 cup caster sugar and 3 tablespoons water in a small pan over high heat, and bring up to 120°C (250°F), using an electronic thermometer if possible to check.
Heat 2⁄3 cup caster sugar and 3 tablespoons water in a small pan over high heat, and bring up to 120°C (250°F), using an electronic thermometer if possible to check.
Stage 2 - 3 min.
Meanwhile, tip 6 egg yolks into a bowl and beat on high speed.
Stage 3 - 5 min.
When the sugar syrup has reached 120°C (250°F), reduce the mixer speed and pour the syrup fairly quickly (30 seconds maximum) onto the egg yolks.
Try to avoid the syrup landing on the beaters or it will splash everywhere.
Try to avoid the syrup landing on the beaters or it will splash everywhere.
Stage 4 - 10 min.
Leave the mixer beating for a further 10 minutes or so to cool the mixture.
Stage 5 - 10 min.
After this time add 1 cup butter a little at a time while still beating on slow speed, until the butter is completely incorporated.
Stage 6
The butter cream is ready.
Stage 7 - 5 min.
Stage 8 - 10 min.
Fold the beaten egg whites into the cream to lighten the texture while keeping the original flavour.
Stage 9 - 5 min.
You can then add the flavouring of your choice like praline, a liqueur, or chocolate chips.
Remarks
The cream should be stored in the fridge in a sealed container. Take it out 1 hour before using to allow it to soften.
Butter cream is out of favour in modern patisseries, for one thing it's full of calories, and these days the taste is for less rich foods. But also, I fear, beacause it is so easy for a poor baker (whether industrial or not) to make a bad butter cream by mixing margarine with sugar and artifical flavouring. This awful cream eventually put customers off all the good butter creams, which is a shame, as I know people who would give anything for a decent real butter cream with praline for example.
Butter cream is out of favour in modern patisseries, for one thing it's full of calories, and these days the taste is for less rich foods. But also, I fear, beacause it is so easy for a poor baker (whether industrial or not) to make a bad butter cream by mixing margarine with sugar and artifical flavouring. This awful cream eventually put customers off all the good butter creams, which is a shame, as I know people who would give anything for a decent real butter cream with praline for example.
Keeping: Several days in the fridge, in a closed jar.
Source: Home made.
Nutritional information
| Proteins (gr) | Carbohydrates (gr) | Fats (gr) | Energy value (in k-calories) | Energy value (in k-joules) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Whole recipe | 30 RDI=10 % | 250 RDI=20 % | 190 RDI=30 % | 2,800 RDI=140 % | 11,740 RDI: 140 % |
| Per 100 g | 3 RDI=1 % | 40 RDI=3 % | 30 RDI=4 % | 410 RDI=20 % | 1,710 RDI: 20 % |
How much will it cost?
- For 700 g : 2.10 €
Change currency: 
Note: Be careful, these prices are only an estimate, you can consult the table of prices by ingredients used for this estimate.
Some other recipes using this recipe
Succès praliné (praline meringue)
The "succès" (success) is a classic of traditional French patisserie, made with two layers of almond meringue filled with praline butter cream. It's very rich and a little old-fashioned these days, but still has many faithful fans. The original recipe comes from the master chef Gaston Lenôtre, and...
386 K 34.1 4 hours 20 min.
This recipe uses (among others)
Butter
Like these other recipes: How to prevent butter burning during cooking, Pear and chocolate Paris puddings, Pecan fruit rolls , Poppy seed and lemon cake, Harvest Gratin, ... See them all 479
Caster sugar
Like these other recipes: Fraisier (French strawberry cake), Coconut pyramids, Brioche galette, Clafoutis "Marie-Antoinette", Mulled wine Belle-Plagne style, ... See them all 362
Egg yolk
Like these other recipes: Jamaican cup, How to succeed in making sabayon (syllabub), Galette berrichone, You should not leave egg yolks in contact with sugar, Blanquette of veal, ... See them all 75
Egg white
Like these other recipes: Macarons (the original French macaroons) , Nougat, Vanilla ice cream, Armagnac marzipan, Succès praliné (praline meringue), ... See them all 52
Other recipes you may also like
Biscuit de Savoie sponge cake
Biscuit de Savoie is not a "biscuit" in the English sense, just a very light sponge cake. It is delicious plain, but it can also be filled with cream, fruit, etc. December 23th 2014122 K5 1 hour 8 min.
Norman flambéed apples
Apples sautéed in butter and sugar, then flambéed in Calvados (from Normandy) and served with real custard. December 30th 201972 K1 40 min.
Chocolate tart
As you can see, there's very little added sugar in this recipe, so it's a very chocolatey and bitter-sweet tart. November 16th 2013305 K 15 2 hours 30 min.
Candied grapefruit peel
Not really a dessert, more a kind of sweet. After soakiing, strips of grapefruit skin are cooked very slowly to conservethem in sugar. It's a real treat with coffee at the end of a meal. December 20th 2018390 K 14 1 day 1 hour 25 min.
4 pears salad with vanilla
It's a very easy recipe, everything depends on the choice of differents kinds of pears all fully ripe, to give a delicious contrast in the mouth. February 21th 2011240 K4.2 40 min.
News list of cooking-ez.com
Sign up to receive the latest recipes (next batch due to be sent on 2025-10-12)
Note: We'll never share your e-mail address with anyone else.
Post a comment or question
Follow this recipe
If you are interested in this recipe, you can "follow" it, by entering your email address here. You will then receive a notification immediately each time the recipe is modified or a new comment is added. Please note that you will need to confirm this following.
Note: We'll never share your e-mail address with anyone else.
Alternatively: you can subscribe to the mailing list of cooling-ez.com , you will receive a e-mail for each new recipe published on the site.