unsalted butter vs salted in buttercream icing?

[MooMinCow]

I've just made some vanilla cupcakes from the Primrose bakery book and iced them with the vanilla buttercream icing but they taste so sickly sweet (I know they are supposed to be sweet).

The recipe states unsalted butter in both the cake recipe and the icing and I was wondering if I'd used some slightly salted or salted butter whether it would taste better and counteract some of the sweetness?

Opinions please?

BTW they looked wonderful!

No idea but I always use unsalted butter. I don't make butter cream that often though.

I have recent experience of this as had a load of unsalted butter to use up in birthday cakes recently.
Was fine in the cake but agree with you that the icing doesn't taste the same without a little salt. I actually ground a little bit of salt and put it in, but it obviously didn't mix thoroughly - every now and again you get a slightly saltier bite Still better than unsalted though.
Next time I do this it will be unsalted in the cake and salted in the icing.

I always use salted butter still tastes sickly!

I always use slightly salted in both the cake and icing - but I don't add salt to the recipe if it asks for it because there is a little in the salt.

hmm think I will use slightly salted next time... oh well. I have a ridiculously sweet tooth and even I felt like barfing after eating them will get DH to take them to his office tomorrow to get shot of them as I can't bear to chuck my works of art in the bin (sobs)

agree Greyskull, I leave the "pinch of salt" out, unless I've decided it's needed

Why do some recipes suggest unsalted butter AND a pinch of salt

Why do some suggest plain flour AND baking powder

I always use unsalted. The best way to counter the sweetness is to use less sugar. You don't really need to measure buttercream icing, do it by eye and taste as you go along.

i do muser, but am working on spreading consistency rather than taste. Prob use less sugar than a recipe would require. As i said, mine's not too sweet, just very bland

Op-could you scrape it off, add a pinch of salt and re-ice?

I didn't think of that... (instead I threw a big diva Gordon Ramsay style strop after eating them and then instructed DH to take them to work tomorrow)

Will try next weekend with my normal salted butter... and might do the Choc Peanut Butter recipe instead as that definitely will have some salt in it!

I find buttercream icing a bit bland too. Unless it's chocolate! I prefer a bit of glace icing on my cupcakes, not quite as pretty though. Or you could just dip them straight in chocolate .

I always find buttercream too sweet. I use slightly salted butter, less vanilla extract ( or sometimes replace with vanilla pod scrapings if I am feeling flush ) as its very sweet and a fair bit less sugar.

MooMinCow - is there a choc peanut butter cupcake recipe? I have a choc peanut butter cookie recipe in Hummingbird book that I make every month and they are to die for. I am ashamed to say the DC don't like them, so I make them for, ahem, friends.

I always use salted butter. Use very sparingly. I presumethe butter was v spoft and you whisked till very light and fluffy?

Yes 'twas as fluffy and light as a cloud pointydog - just needed some salt (hindsight is a wonderful thing isn't it?) But then I like the whole salty and sweet thing (peanut butter and strawberry jam or banana is fave topping on toast!)

TaffetaCat - yes there is. Has p.butter in the cake recipe and a sort of choc fudgy topping (salivates) topped up with Reese's peanut butter cups chopped - again that salty/sweet combo yum

ohh....if you make it and its good please could you post recipe?

I like sausage and marmalade together.

but not in a cupcake