bakingglutenfreememories It is very hard to beat anything homemade, including homemade buttercream. The list of ingredients can be somewhat alarming and confusing, whereas when you make it yourself, you know what you are putting in it as well as it’s usually just a few ingredients in comparison. This vanilla maple buttercream is absolutely delicious! It was originally included with my Joyful Chocolate Cupcakes recipe before I decided that it deserves its own page.
Have you ever tried maple sugar? It is just maple syrup boiled down into crystals and it is a delicious alternative to cane sugar. The maple flavor is so decadent and rich and it really comes across in this buttercream. Since most buttercream uses powdered sugar, the maple sugar in this recipe will be pulverized into a powder before adding it to the rest of the ingredients. In comparison to cane powdered sugar, it is not quite as sweet.
This buttercream is full of flavor between the maple and vanilla extract! The powdered maple sugar almost gives it a salted caramel flavor. Additionally, it works great with real butter as well as vegan butter with the brand I have suggested below. It just melts in your mouth with the creamy, buttery texture and just 4 ingredients are needed to make it! Enjoy this buttercream on your favorite cupcakes.
Ingredients You Will Need
- maple sugar
- unsalted butter or Miyoko’s Creamery Organic Unsalted Cultured Vegan Butter
- vanilla extract
- sea salt
A couple cupcake recipes to try this buttercream with are my Joyful Chocolate Cupcakes and Vanilla Cupcakes. Also check out this Chocolate Buttercream Frosting for another refined sugar free frosting option.
This buttercream is: creamy, buttery, refined sugar free, gluten free, and very delicious!
How to Make Vanilla Buttercream
To begin, allow the butter to soften. You want to make sure the butter is very soft before mixing it with the rest of the ingredients. A helpful tip is to leave It out overnight so that it is all ready for you the next day. Or place in the microwave for about 5 seconds, allowing it to soften before reaching melting point.
In the meantime, make powdered maple sugar. First, place the granules in a food processor or a high speed blender. (even a coffee grinder works, just add 1/4 cup at a time) Then pulse it until it resembles a fine powder, for about 1 minute. Make sure it is really fine and not gritty.
Next, in a medium sized bowl or in the bowl of a stand mixer, cream the butter on medium speed. Then pour in the powdered maple sugar and beat on low speed until combined.
Additionally, pour in the sea salt and vanilla extract and continue beating until the buttercream is thoroughly mixed and gets fluffy in texture. Then mix in any coloring, if desired. A great natural coloring agent to get pink frosting, is organic beet root powder.
Finally, decorate your cupcakes of choice and enjoy!
Storage Notes and Tips
- Store the buttercream in the refrigerator in a sealed container up to 4 days
- If making and refrigerating ahead, allow the buttercream to sit out to soften and beat or whisk it to get it fluffy again to easily spread on cupcakes
Vanilla Maple Buttercream
Ingredients
- 1 cup maple sugar (168g)
- ½ cup (8T) unsalted butter, softened (for vegan butter, Miyoko's Creamery Organic Unsalted Cultured Vegan Butter is best)
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ½-¾ teaspoon sea salt
Instructions
- First, allow the butter to soften completely and place it in a medium sized bowl or bowl of a stand mixer.
- Then pour the maple sugar in a high speed blender or food processor. (even a coffee grinder works, adding ¼ cup at a time) Pulse for about 1 minute or until it resembles a very fine powder with no grit.
- Next, beat the butter on medium speed until creamy and then add in the powdered maple sugar. Beat on low speed until it's combined with the butter.
- Finally, add in the sea salt and vanilla extract and continue beating until it is nice and creamy and gets fluffy in texture. Then spread on your favorite cupcakes!
