Russian Buttercream Recipe
Russian Buttercream is the easiest homemade buttercream to make! Also known as Condensed Milk Frosting, this silky-smooth buttercream is made with just two ingredients – unsalted butter and sweetened condensed milk! The MAGIC is in the method!
Pipe this amazing frosting onto all of your favorite desserts such as Ice Cream Cone Cupcakes! I even like to use it with my homemade Oatmeal Cream Pies!
Sweetened Condensed Milk Frosting
If you’re new to making buttercream, there’s no better place to start than with this easy-to-make Russian Buttercream Recipe! Made with only two ingredients using a mixer, this recipe is as simple as it gets!
Though if you already know your way around frosting and buttercream, this Russian buttercream is still a great go-to when you need something quick that’s still at a bakery-level taste!
In less than 10 minutes, you’re left with a dreamy, silky-smooth buttercream that will make you think you are eating something from a bakery! Just like my American Buttercream, this Russian Buttercream can be enjoyed on all of your favorite cakes and cupcakes, as well as cookies!
Why You’ll Love this Russian Buttercream Recipe
Taste: This Buttercream Frosting has a sweet, buttery flavor that makes it totally irresistible! You’ll definitely be licking the spatula every time you whip this recipe up!
Texture: The result of this simple 2-ingredient buttercream is a silky smooth frosting! Its light, yet buttery and creamy consistency are just what you need to finish off all of your desserts!
No Sugar Added: This Russian Buttercream Recipe has no added sugar! With no granulated sugar and no powdered sugar, this buttercream gets its rich flavor from sweetened condensed milk.
Sweetened condensed milk is a canned product that’s used in lots of dessert recipes. It has a thick, syrupy consistency with a sweet, milky, and slightly caramelized flavor that brings crave-worthy flavor to anything it’s added to!
Russian Buttercream Ingredients
- Unsalted butter
- Sweetened Condensed Milk
How To Make Russian Buttercream
- Beating The Butter – The recipe instructions do call for beating the butter for 5 to 7 minutes. Don’t shortcut this step since this is where the buttercream gains its light and fluffy texture! The photo below shows what JUST the butter should look like after being whipped for the proper amount of time.
- Slowly Add The Condensed Milk – It’s important to slowly add the sweetened condensed milk to the whipped butter. This way the two can thoroughly combine without any separation.
- Add Color – For a colored buttercream simply add a drop or two of gel food coloring! I don’t recommend using regular food coloring as the liquid will impact the consistency of the buttercream.
- Flavor Variations – Whipping up a flavor variation of this buttercream is as easy as it is to make it! Extracts like vanilla extract can be added to make a vanilla Russian buttercream! Whereas a drop of peppermint quickly turns this frosting into a sensational topping for Christmastime! And for all the chocolate lovers a 1/4 cup of cocoa powder can be mixed in to make Russian chocolate buttercream!
This silky buttercream frosting is best made fresh and consumed shortly after. Keep in a cool area until ready to serve – even a 70 degree room can cause the frosting to start melting. You can place frosting cakes, cupcakes, and cookies in the fridge to stay firm, then pull out 30 to 60 minutes before enjoying – although you may not get quite the consistency you would have had with the fresh frosting.
How to Use Buttercream with Condensed Milk
- Cakes – Cover your favorite cakes such as Red Velvet Cake and The Best Carrot Cake with this sweet, delicious frosting!
- Cupcakes – This Russian Buttercream is also the perfect consistency for piping! Pipe smooth swirls on top of chocolate cupcakes, Birthday Cupcakes, and even Pumpkin Cupcakes!
- Surprise Filling And Layered Cakes – Tuck this buttercream inside cored-out cupcakes as well as between tender layers of cake!
- Cookies – Bake up a batch of Soft Sugar Cookies to pair with this Russian Buttercream Frosting!
- Macarons – Use this recipe as the filling in your next batch of Macarons!
Everything tastes better with yummy homemade frostings like this Russian Buttercream on top! From this simple yet sweet frosting to fresh, fruity Strawberry Buttercream Frosting and bright Lemon Frosting there’s a flavor for everyone!
There’s classic Chocolate Buttercream Frosting for chocolate lovers and even a Honey Buttercream for those special desserts!
How to Store Condensed Milk Buttercream
Store this buttercream in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week. Once it’s been refrigerated the buttercream will need to be re-whipped before using it.
To do so, first, allow it to come to room temperature. Then re-whip with a stand hand mixer.
Condensed Milk Frosting FAQs
This recipe for Russian Buttercream yields 3 cups of frosting. Giving you plenty to frost about 2 dozen cupcakes or a cake!
If the frosting has separated once you’ve added the condensed milk, then the butter was likely too warm or soft from the start. To fix this, just place the bowl of Russian buttercream into the fridge for 10 to 15 minutes.
After, re-whip the frosting and it should come together just fine!
The butter was likely too cold when you began making the frosting. No worries though this is a simple fix! Place half of the frosting into a microwave-safe bowl and heat it in the microwave for about 10 seconds.
Next, place the heated half of the buttercream back in with the remaining half. Then continue to beat the mixture until it becomes light and fluffy.
They are very different recipes. In fact, the only ingredient they have in common is, well, butter.
Russian buttercream uses sweetened condensed milk to sweeten the frosting. In contrast, American Buttercream is made with powdered sugar and milk or cream.
This difference also creates different consistencies between the two buttercreams. Russian buttercream has a thinner consistency, while American buttercream tends to be slightly heavier.
However, both are wonderful frosting choices as they’re silky, smooth, and delicious!
Yes, the high ratio of butterfat in Russian buttercream makes it stable. However, you’ll want to avoid storing it in warm areas because it will melt easily in the heat.
The Russian buttercream does become grainy once the sweetened condensed milk is added to the whipped butter. If the frosting is still grainy after whipping the two ingredients together, it means that it wasn’t whipped long enough.
Be sure to first whip the butter alone for 5 to 7 minutes, scraping the sides down every couple of minutes. Then add the sweetened condensed milk and whip it on high speed until the two are combined and the frosting is fluffy.
Pop the Russian buttercream in the fridge to thicken it up. This will chill the butter in the frosting and give it a thicker consistency. If it gets too hard, let it soften and rewhip.
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Sweetened Condensed Milk Frosting (Russian Buttercream)
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter very soft – not melted
- 14 ounces sweetened condensed milk
Instructions
- Add the butter to a large bowl or stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment and whip at high speed for 5 to 7 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl every minute or so.1 cup unsalted butter
- With the mixer on low speed, slowly pour the sweetened condensed milk into the butter.14 ounces sweetened condensed milk
- Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl then whip at high speed for 1 until full incorporated.
Notes
- This frosting is best made fresh and consumed shortly after. Keep in a cool area until ready to serve – even a 70 degree room can cause the frosting to start melting. You can place frosting cakes, cupcakes, and cookies in the fridge to stay firm, then pull out 30 to 60 minutes before enjoying – although you may not get quite the consistency you would have had with the fresh frosting.
- Vanilla or almond extract may be added to the frosting.
- 1/4 teaspoon of salt may be added if desired.
- 1/4 cup of cocoa powder may be added for a chocolate flavor.
- Storage Instructions: Store this buttercream in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week. Once it’s been refrigerated the buttercream will need to be re-whipped before using it. To do so, first, allow it to come to room temperature. Then re-whip with a stand hand mixer.
- How Many Cupcakes Will This Recipe Be Able To Frost? This recipe for Russian Buttercream yields 3 cups of frosting. Giving you plenty to frost about 2 dozen cupcakes or a cake!
- What Should I Do If My Russian Buttercream Has Separated? If the frosting has separated once you’ve added the condensed milk, then the butter was likely too warm or soft from the start. To fix this, just place the bowl of Russian buttercream into the fridge for 10 to 15 minutes. After, re-whip the frosting and it should come together just fine!
- How Come My Buttercream Didn’t Turn Out Light And Fluffy? The butter was likely too cold when you began making the frosting. No worries though this is a simple fix! Place half of the frosting into a microwave-safe bowl and heat it in the microwave for about 10 seconds. Next, place the heated half of the buttercream back in with the remaining half. Then continue to beat the mixture until it becomes light and fluffy.
Nutrition
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