Butter cream


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.
327 K 3.7/5 (48 reviews)
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Last modified on: October 13th 2010
For 700 g, you will need:

Change these quantities to make:
Times for this recipe
Preparation: 50 min.
Cooking: 10 min.
All in all: 60 min.
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Step by step recipe


Stage 1 - 10 min.
Butter cream
Take 186 ml butter out of the refrigerator at least 1 hour before using.

Heat 150 ml 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.
Butter cream
Meanwhile, tip 6 egg yolks into a bowl and beat on high speed.

Stage 3 - 5 min.
Butter cream
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.

Stage 4 - 10 min.
Butter cream
Leave the mixer beating for a further 10 minutes or so to cool the mixture.

Stage 5 - 10 min.
Butter cream
After this time add 186 ml butter a little at a time while still beating on slow speed, until the butter is completely incorporated.

Stage 6
Butter cream
The butter cream is ready.

Stage 7 - 5 min.
Butter cream
If you would like a lighter butter cream, beat 3 egg whites and add 100 ml caster sugar at the end.

Stage 8 - 10 min.
Butter cream
Fold the beaten egg whites into the cream to lighten the texture while keeping the original flavour.

Stage 9 - 5 min.
Butter cream
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.
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 recipe30 RDI=10 %250 RDI=20 %190 RDI=30 %2,800 RDI=140 %11,740 RDI: 140 %
Per 100 g3 RDI=1 %40 RDI=3 %30 RDI=4 %410 RDI=20 %1,710 RDI: 20 %
The % figures are calculated in relation to the Recommended Dietary Intake , or RDI of 2,000 k-calories (or 8,400 k-joules) per day for a woman Change to a man
Possible allergens in this recipe: Milk, egg
How much will it cost?
  • For 700 g : 2.10 €

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Note: Be careful, these prices are only an estimate, you can consult the table of prices by ingredients used for this estimate.
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