This custard-based German buttercream is made with just a few simple ingredients. Perfect for those who like a rich and silky frosting that isn’t too sweet!
I’m so excited to be sharing a new buttercream recipe with you guys today! Last week I told you all about How to Make Pastry Cream and today I’m going to tell you how to use that to make a delicious buttercream.
As you know, I am a die-hard Swiss Meringue Buttercream fan. It is THE best buttercream, as far as I’m concerned, but it’s not for everyone. It’s a bit high maintenance and some people find it either too buttery or too sweet, or both.
American Buttercream, on the other hand, is super easy to make, but gritty due to the powdered sugar and usually very sweet.
There are a variety of different buttercreams out there and I’m going to be experimenting with a bunch of them this year. I’m kicking it all off today with this German Buttercream!
What is German Buttercream?
German buttercream is a custard-based buttercream that consists simply of pastry cream, butter, and any additional flavorings you may want.
This buttercream is perfect for someone who likes a creamy, buttery frosting, but one that has a very subtle sweetness. How sweet you make it is up to you — the sweetness will come from the pastry cream itself.
I kept the sweetness fairly mild in mine but you can increase the sugar if you like. Alternatively, you can add additional powdered sugar at the very end.
How to Make German Buttercream
This buttercream is very easy to make, but it does require some pre-planning as you need to make the custard (pastry cream) in advance and let it cool. Here’s the step-by-step process of making German buttercream:
Step #1 – Prepare Pastry Cream
Make your custard in advance and chill to set. Refer to my How to Make Pastry Cream post for a detailed tutorial.
Step #2 – Bring your Butter and Pastry Cream to Room Temperature
The pastry cream will be thick and gelatinous and needs to be rewhipped before use. I just do this by hand with a whisk. It smooths out very quickly.
Step #3 – Beat your butter until Pale & Fluffy
Don’t skip this step. Whip it for a good 3 minutes on high. I use a paddle attachment because I like that mine scrapes the sides of the bowl, but you can use the whisk attachment if you prefer.
Step #4 – Add Pastry Cream a bit at a time
Slowly add the pastry cream about 1 Tbsp at a time while the buttercream is whipping. This is kind of like adding butter to a Swiss meringue buttercream. Incorporate it slowly.
I just used a regular soup spoon to add it in, it doesn’t have to be precise.
Step #5 – Beat until fluffy and smooth
Once all of the pastry cream is incorporated, beat the buttercream on high for 2-3 minutes until it is smooth and fluffy. Taste it to see if you want to add any more vanilla or powdered sugar for sweetness.
Storage and Perishability
You can store German buttercream like any other. It will last for a week or two in the fridge or can be frozen for up to 3 months. Bring to room temperature and rewhip before use.
I like to store mine in an airtight container in the fridge, but if I’m freezing it I spread the buttercream on a large sheet of plastic wrap, wrap it up, flatten it, and place it in a freezer bag.
Who is German Buttercream best for?
Like all buttercreams, custard buttercream is not for everyone. It is best suited for someone who likes a frosting that is:
- rich and silky
- not too sweet
This frosting is very buttery, which is why it’s important to whip that butter very well at the beginning and then again once you incorporate the custard.
You want to lighten it up as much as possible.
Since the buttercream is made mostly of butter (yellow) and pastry cream (yellow-ish), it will be more on the yellow side. Again, whipping that butter will really help lighten it up!
Take a look through my How to Make White Buttercream for tips and tricks on how to neutralize that yellow color.
Flavoring German Buttercream
You have a few options here when it comes to flavoring the buttercream. You can infuse the milk — I talk about this a bit in my Pastry Cream post, but the flavor will be diluted a bit once you add it to the butter. Or you can just add in flavoring at the end like any buttercream.
Here are some flavoring options to add in at the end:
- 8oz cooled, melted chocolate
- 2 Tbsp Instant espresso powder (of instant coffee) dissolved in 1 tsp hot water
- 1/2 cup caramel or dulce de leche
- Beat the butter with 1 Tbsp lemon zest and then add more lemon juice at the end if desired
- 1/4 cup freeze-dried berry powder
- 1/4 cup peanut butter powder
I can’t wait to hear what you guys think of this German Buttercream recipe.
I love that it’s silky smooth, not too sweet, and that I can add more sugar at the end if I want it sweeter. It’s much easier than Swiss meringue buttercream, but does require a bit of prep and planning.
If you find most frostings too sweet, but want something more stable than whipped cream, this is the frosting for you! Let me know if you try it!
Looking for more tutorials?
- How to Make Lemon Curd
- How to Make Caramel
- How to Make Swiss Meringue Buttercream
- How to Make Simple Syrup
- Homemade Cake Release (How to Prepare Cake Pans)
- How to Bake Flat Cake Layers
Tips for making German Buttercream
- Be sure to read through my How to Make Pastry Cream post for a step-by-step tutorial on how to make the custard portion of this buttercream.
- Add powdered sugar or more vanilla at the end to taste if desired.
- The pastry cream will last for 5-7 days in the fridge. It should not be frozen on it’s own.
- The buttercream will last for 2 weeks in the fridge or can be frozen for up to 3 months. Bring to room temperature and rewhip before use.
German Buttercream
Ingredients
Pastry Cream (Creme Patissiere):
- 2 cups milk divided
- 1 tsp vanilla or vanilla bean paste
- 1/4 cup cornstartch
- 2/3 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large egg yolks
German Buttercream:
- 2 cups unsalted butter room temperature
- powdered sugar to taste, if needed
- vanilla to taste, if needed
Instructions
Pastry Cream (Creme Patissiere):
- Place 1 1/2 cups milk and the vanilla into a medium saucepan. Cook over high heat, stirring often until it just starts to simmer. Remove from heat.
- In a medium bowl, whisk remaining 1/2 cup milk, egg yolks, sugar, and cornstarch.
- While whisking vigorously, slowly pour the hot milk into the egg mixture.
- Return mixture to saucepan and cook over high heat, whisking constantly, until it thickens and comes to a boil.
- Pass through a strainer and into a bowl. Place plastic wrap directly on top of the custard to prevent a skin from forming.
- Cool to room temperature then place in the refrigerator for a couple hours to set.
- Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week. Do not freeze.
German Buttercream:
- Ensure pastry cream and butter are at room temperature. Whip pastry cream by hand until smooth.
- Using a stand mixer or hand mixer, beat the butter on high until pale and fluffy (3 mins). Add the room temperature custard 1 Tbsp at a time, incorporating well after each addition. Add powdered sugar or more vanilla if desired. Beat for 2-3mins until smooth and fluffy.
- Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks or freeze for up to 3 months. Allow buttercream to come to room temperature and rewhip before use.
Notes
- 8oz cooled, melted chocolate
- 2 Tbsp Instant espresso powder (of instant coffee) dissolved in 1 tsp hot water
- 1/2 cup caramel or dulce de leche
- Beat the butter with 1 Tbsp lemon zest and then add more lemon juice at the end if desired
- 1/4 cup freeze-dried berry powder
- 1/4 cup peanut butter powder
Dian Templeton says
Hi
Can you colour it as you would for American buttercream?
ie for children’s birthday cakes
Thanks
Olivia says
Hi Dian! For sure. I recommend gel or powdered coloring, not liquid.
Susana Montoya says
HiI I tried out this recipe and it was delicious! I put it in the fridge in a air tight container and when I took it out it to rewhip it, it looked like there was some oil separation. It didn’t look as smooth and creamy as before. Is that normal and does that go away once I rewhip it?
Olivia says
Hi Susana! Hmm, I’ve never had that happen before. Give it a rewhip for sure, that should help it come together.
katie says
Thank you really needed this german buttercream recipe love you.
Olivia says
Hi Katie! Happy you found it 🙂
Dottie Yarbrough says
I’ve been searching for a recipe for the incredible frostings that my mother used to make. I knew a portion of it was cooked, but had no luck finding anything similar till I found this. Beautiful, light and delicious! I’ve taken it to several gatherings and was delighted that so many people raved over a plain yellow cake with the decadent German Buttercream frosting! The only thing I changed was the eggs. I didn’t use just the yolks, I used the whole egg, and they were duck eggs, not chicken eggs. So much yolk in them and the whites are very thin bodied.
Olivia says
Hi Dottie! Thank you for the wonderful feedback. I’m so glad you loved it!
Andrew says
Would the frosting still hold up if you subbed cream cheese for the butter to do a variation on a cream cheese icing?
Olivia says
Hi Andrew! I have never tried it with cream cheese myself so I can’t be sure it would work well. If I were to try it I would do half butter and half cream cheese, not all cream cheese. Combine those two and then add the custard.
Janna says
I second that! I haven’t made German buttercream yet (I’m just now discovering how many different buttercreams there are), but I did a cream cheese variant of ermine buttercream, which seems kind of similar to German, and it was perfect with half butter and half cream cheese. You could definitely taste the cream cheese and it was gorgeously silky but still nice and light.
Olivia says
Thanks so much for the input, Janna! I’ll have to try that one day 🙂
Joann says
It turned out beautifully. I didn’t need such a large quantity of icing. So I made the full recipe of custard but used only half of it with half of the butter called for. I will use the rest of the custard for dessert with fruit. I am looking forward to trying more of your recipes! Joann
Olivia says
Hi Joann! Thank you for the feedback. I’m so happy you loved it!
Tahere says
Can we reduce the number of egg yolks to 1?
Olivia says
Hi Tahere! You’d have to adjust the whole recipe in half.
Tahere says
Thank you very much
Can I use the pastry cream for filling the cake before adding it to the butter then make buttercream with the rest of the pastry cream? If yes, how can I adjust the sugar?
Olivia says
Hi Tahere! For best results I would make a separate batch of Pastry Cream. I have a recipe for that here: https://livforcake.com/pastry-cream-creme-patissiere/