I need a fail safe buttercream recipe/tips

[hudyerwheesht]

I'm making DS a chocolate birthday cake using Nigella's chocolate fudge cake recipe from Nigella Bites which I've made before but I wasn't keen on the icing, thought it was a bit bland compared to the rich chocolate sponge so I'm on the lookout for a better one.

I'm not good with icings, they're a bit hit and miss usually. I hate heavy, stodgy buttercream and need a recipe for a fluffy, light sort of whipped buttercream. Anyone have any recommendations?

(I've used the Hummingbird Bakery recipe before which uses a huge amount of icing sugar compared with the amount of butter and sometimes it's quite fluffy but other times it has been bland, heavy and gritty, iyswim.)

I'm also after a buttercream recipe! But one for using under fondant icing.

Selfish bump op. Hope uou don't mind.

I make mine by eye.
I have a kitchen aid and I find that I need to beat it for a really long time.
What you can add to the standard butter and icing sugar mix is a little milk. Or, make it with mascarpone cheese rather than butter.

I use 250g soft butter. Whip for a good 10 mins. Then add 500g icing sugar (half till mixed in then next half) along with a couple of teaspoons of vanilla extract and whip for another 10 mins adding some cream (1-2 tablespoons). The more you whip it the lighter and smoother it gets is what I've found.

No probs, mrsmorton. Thanks for the other suggestions, sounds like more patience is required.

I use a recipe on the BBC easy vanilla cake, 175g butter and 300g icing sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla paste. You add a tablespoon of sugar at a time.