A unique spin on Ermine Buttercream uses fresh apples as the base!
Apple Buttercream is a great way to reduce a major amount of sugar that is in traditional buttercream recipes!
Fresh apples impart a natural sweetness while adding pectin for a boost in stability!
How can it be possible that apple buttercream doesn’t taste like apples!? Just wait and see for yourself!
Perfectly paired with my chocolate cake recipe which I also converted to low sugar and low oil
This entire cake has me falling in love!
Of course you can use this buttercream for any and every cake creation you can dream up!
WATCH HOW TO MAKE APPLE BUTTERCREAM
Notes for Success:
Granny Smith apples are my favorite apples for all things baking, but feel free to use any apple you like the best!
Adding flavor to any buttercream recipe can prove to be difficult, especially an ermine style buttercream like this one.
I would recommend to add any liquid flavorings to the custard portion of the recipe rather than to thee buttercream as we normally do.
Powder or paste flavorings are always butter no matter what recipe you are using click here for more about Flavoring your Buttercream Recipes
Cornstarch is a very difficult ingredient to measure consistently with a volume/spoons measure
So while I list both measures below I cannot stress enough how the grams measure with a scale is going to give you the best results.
Changing the sugars in this recipe is very forgiving since the majority of it is in the custard recipe which can accommodate any type of sugar/liquid/granular or diabetic substitutes.
The confectioners sugar that I added is optional, but I did find it helped the stability by absorbing some of the moisture creating a stronger emulsion
Speaking of stability the most important ingredient for the success of this recipe is going to be the vegan butter.
Moisture levels vary amongst all the brands so be sure to find one that has the lowest moisture to avoid breaking the emulsion
I find Earth Balance to the be the best one for me *not sponsored
Apple Buttercream
Be sure to read all the notes for success section above this recipe
Ingredients
- 3 Fresh Apples 300g
- 4 Tbs Water 60ml
- 1 cup Sugar 200g
- 10 Tbs Cornstarch 80g
- 2½ cups Plant Milk 600ml
- 2 teaspoon Vanilla Extract 10ml
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- 3 cups Vegan Butter 672g
- 1 cup Confectioners sugar 120g
Instructions
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Soften the vegan butter at room temperature so it is still firm, but pliable
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Prepare the apples by peeling & coring them
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Add chopped apples to a medium sauce pot with the water & sugar of your choice
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Cook the apples over medium to high heat with the lid on for about 10 minutes to rapidly boiling, Take off the lid and reduce the heat to a simmer until the apples are translucent & mushy.
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Remove from heat & transfer the apples to a blender with about ½ cup of the plant milk & the cornstarch ~ puree smooth
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Transfer the apple puree to the same sauce pot that you cooked the apples & add the remaining plant milk.
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Return to the stove over medium to high heat whisking constantly until it comes to a boil.
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Add the vanilla extract then strain through a mesh strainer onto a sheet pan (no parchment paper or grease!)
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Refrigerate the custard until it is completely cold & set
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Meanwhile whip the vegan butter & salt with an electric mixer with the whip attachment until it is aerated & light & fluffy and starting to look whiter in color (about 5 minutes) scraping the bottom & sides of the bowl often
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Add the sifted confectioners sugar & whip for another minute or two until smooth scraping the bottom & sides of the bowl often
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Add the cold custard to the vegan butter while continuing to whip on high speed until all the custard is incorporated, scraping the bottom & sides of the bowl often
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Continue whipping until the buttercream is smooth & silky
Notes
