Equipment to make buttercream icing?

[GruffaIo]

After a disastrous attempt that has resulted in very heavy buttercream icing, I'm looking for advice on kit. I have a Magimix food processor 5200 XL that's about 12 years old and a Kitchen Aid 175 that's newer. Both came with some attachments, etc.

I assume the Magimix is better for the purpose, but I felt like I didn't have the right attachments / blades to get the buttercream fluffy. What do I need to make lovely buttercream icing? I'm hoping to just have the buy the right bowl, attachment, etc. for one or other of the Magimix or Kitchen Aid that I already have.

What do you think people used before electrrical appliances? A bowl, a wooden spoon and lots of energy. It's amount of energy you put into the mixture rather than the means by which you do it. Starting with softened fat is a help too.

does either have a whisk? You beat the (softened) butter until fluffy and it changes colour - on mine I use the whisk attachment - then add the sugar in stages (with the mixer on low so it doesn’t fly round the kitchen!)

There’s nothing wrong with your kit, and the kitchen aid would be better, you just need to beat it amd beat it then beat it some more for lightness

You need the paddle attachment on the kitchen aid. How did you do it? You need softened butter, add in half the icing sugar (sifted if lumpy) and mix well before adding in the second half and mixing. I often add a bit of cream cheese if it’s very thick to loosen it but this does change the flavour slightly (for the better imho).

I use a hand mixer for mine

Don’t use the Magimix, use the Kitchenaid!

The key to light buttercream is as much beating as possible. Up to ten minutes on a high speed. You really can’t over-beat it. Works every time for me.

Use the whisk on the kitchen aid and beat it for ages till its really light and fluffy. Adding a tablespoon of milk lightens it up a bit too.
If its for a special cake, there is a delicious, light buttercream that uses egg yolks and hot sugar syrup, then soft butter, it's a bit more faff but worth it - I don't have my recipe book handy but I think it's called Italian buttercream?

So I started out in the Kitchen Aid but it didn't seem to pick up all the butter and, after 10 mins on high, it didn't seem noticeably lighter or fluffier. I did add the icing sugar gradually and the butter was room temperature at the start.

As it didn't seen to be picking up from the bottom of the bowl and I was scraping down from the sides a lot, I thought about switching to the Magimix but had no idea which attachment would help, so then I just used a hand-held blender with a whisk attachment but that didn't cope very well and kept coming apart, so I ended up asking DH to try and beat it more by hand. Plus the icing sugar went everywhere from the Kitchen Aid, which made me think there has to be a better way (or better bowl, etc).

I didn't do it by hand myself due to joint pain, but I fully appreciate that's how it used to be done, @crazeecatladee .

Kitchen aid, soft butter, and time.

I just use a hand whisk

How much butter were you using?
Which whisk attachment did you use?

I used 225g of butter (to go with 375g of icing sugar). I used the only whisk attachment that came with the Kitchen Aid and I used the big stainless bowl with the handle.

Handwhisk or soften butter and use a spatula and elbow grease.

This one

Or this one

Is Swiss buttercream an option? It's more tricky and you need to whisk over a double boiler, but it's absolutely fab - really fluffy and light.

My post might not be clear.

You likely need to use a white paddle, preferably with silicone side, it helps.

If the butter is all at the bottom, you might need to adjust the height of the mixer - YouTube has videos to show you. Example

@UniversalTruth that's so helpful, thank you - I have that attachment, but assumed I needed something closer to a whisk so was using the steel attachment that looks more like a whisk. I didn't know the height could be adjusted so will check that too, as that was definitely some of the problem.

I'm going to try and nail basic buttercream first before trying swiss, etc.

I generally just make ganache as it's something I've mastered, it's good for birthday cakes, and it's not so tough on my joints.

@GruffaIo Sorry to hear about the jiunt pain stopping you mixing. Pain is a b...isn't it

When you get those bits sorted, try Cupcake Jemma recipes on YouTube. Very good.

Sometimes I loosen the butter with a splash of milk if it's not getting airy. That might help.

I use 5oz icing sugar, 1oz softened butter and then 2-3 tablespoons of milk until it sticks together. with a kenwood hand mixer on the highest speed setting

less butter and more milk makes for a much lighter fluffier icing.

You’ve not used enough icing sugar-you need at least twice the amount of sugar to butter, that’s why it’s heavy

I always use a bowl, a fork and a wooden spoon!

Is it not normally double the icing sugar to the amount of butter? E.g. 100g butter to 200g of icing sugar

You need double icing sugar to butter, so with 225g of butter you need 450g of icing sugar as a rule.