German Buttercream recipe for the smoothest custard buttercream that holds its shape and makes for the most mouthwatering frosting.
I developed this German Buttercream recipe while making my Vanilla Custard Cake. It needed a frosting that had all of the custard flavor, but was sturdy enough to hold up a layer cake. After lots of testing (and a few failed attempts), this custard buttercream recipe was born. And by the way, my husband proposed to me the day after I made that cake, so it must have been good!
I'll walk you through exactly how to make this German Buttercream with the perfect homemade pastry cream for all your custard desserts!
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Why You'll Love This German Buttercream Recipe
- Silky smooth custard buttercream with unbeatable flavor.
- Foolproof, detailed method with visual cues at every step.
- Lots of flavor variation ideas and tips on how to use.
What Is German Buttercream?
German Buttercream is often forgotten among the big frostings, but it deserves every bit as much credit! Unlike Swiss meringue buttercream and Italian meringue buttercream, and French buttercream, German buttercream is not a meringue base, it is made by making crème pâtissière (pastry cream) and mixing it into whipped butter for a frosting that is rich and silky smooth.
German Buttercream is very similar to crème mousseline, except with a higher ratio of butter to pastry cream, for a firmer texture.
Ingredients for German Buttercream
- Milk - Full-fat whole milk will give the buttercream a lovely, rich texture and flavor.
- Sugar - Regular granulated sugar for the pastry cream.
- Eggs - We'll just be using large egg yolks in this recipe, but it's always good to save the egg whites for another recipe like pavlova or marshmallow frosting.
- Vanilla - A high-quality vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste is essential in any custard-based recipe. Alternatively, you can use real vanilla beans to infuse into the milk.
- Cornstarch - This is the thickening agent in the custard which will help it hold its shape.
- Butter - Using unsalted butter allows you to control the amount of salt in the buttercream. Make sure to let it reach room temperature before using.
- Powdered Sugar - This will add some satisfying sweetness and fluffiness to the buttercream. You can adjust the quantities depending on how sweet you'd like the buttercream to taste.
Be sure to use room temperature butter and eggs.
See the recipe card for quantities and the full recipe.
Recommended Equipment
- Mixing Bowls
- Saucepan
- Whisk
- Stand Mixer - You can also use an electric hand mixer.
- Sieve - Use a fine mesh sieve to remove any lumps from the pastry cream.
How To Make German Buttercream
There are two stages to making German buttercream: making a homemade crème pâtissière, and then adding it to whipped butter. You can also see my pastry cream recipe post for detailed step-by-step instructions and a troubleshooting guide.
Make the Pastry Cream (Custard)
This is my classic pastry cream recipe that I use in a lot of desserts. Be sure to make it in advance so it has time to cool for at least 2 hours before incorporating the butter.
Whip Egg Mixture
Add the egg yolks, sugar, and cornstarch into a bowl and whisk together until thick and pale.
Heat Milk
Pour the milk and vanilla into a medium saucepan and warm the mixture slowly over a medium-low heat, stirring gently until it is scalding hot - this means there will be tiny bubbles appearing at the surface and steam rising. Do not let it boil.
Temper Eggs
Pour a small amount of the hot milk mixture into the egg mixture and whisk to combine. Keep adding and mixing in a little bit at a time, until all of the milk has been added.
Return to Pan
Carefully pour the whole mixture back into the saucepan and continue to heat over medium heat, stirring constantly but gently until the custard mixture starts to boil with thick bubbles bursting on the surface.
Boil for 1-2 minutes until the pastry cream is slightly thickened.
Strain
Remove the pan from the heat. Strain the pastry cream through a fine mesh sieve into a medium bowl to ensure it is lump-free.
Cover with a sheet of plastic wrap, touching the surface and set aside to cool before putting in the fridge for at least 2 hours.
Make the Custard Buttercream
Now to make the fluffy buttercream! Let your pastry cream come to room temperature again before making the buttercream.
Whip Butter and Incorporate Custard
Place the soft butter in the bowl of a stand mixer with the whisk attachment fitted and whip on medium-high speed for 5 full minutes. It should be pale, thick and glossy.
Whilst the stand mixer is still mixing, gradually add in the cooled custard pastry cream one spoonful at a time, until it is all incorporated.
Add Powdered Sugar
This is a good time to taste-test the buttercream to see how much sweetness you would like to add. Add the powdered sugar a little at a time, whipping after each addition, until it reaches your desired sweetness.
Whip on high speed for a minute until you have a beautifully silky frosting.
How To Use German Buttercream Frosting
You can use German buttercream as a delicious frosting or filling for so many desserts.
- Layer Cakes - Because this recipe is sturdy enough, you can use it to stack layer cakes, like my Custard Cake. It's also good for topping sheet cakes.
- Cupcakes - This German buttercream holds its shape beautifully, so you can pipe it onto cupcakes or desserts. It works really nicely with my Vanilla Cupcakes, Chocolate Cupcakes, or Coffee Cupcakes.
- Pastries - You can use your German buttercream to fill pastries and desserts like Profiteroles or cream puffs for a firm, sweet filling with all the custard flavor.
German Buttercream Variations
German buttercream has a beautifully buttery and lightly sweet taste, which is the perfect base for adding some extra flavor. Due to its high milk content, infusing is a great technique to incorporate some tasty flavors into the buttercream. Here are a few ideas for additional flavorings to try:
- Chocolate German Buttercream - For all of the chocoholics out there...stir in some cooled, melted chocolate (dark chocolate is best) into the pastry cream before beating in the butter. If you're after a mocha-flavored buttercream, incorporate this step along with the espresso buttercream step below!
- Espresso Buttercream - Coffee buttercream is a real treat to add to chocolate or coffee desserts, and there are 2 ways to do it. You can either steep fresh coffee beans in the warm milk for at least an hour (or in the fridge for up to 24 hours to achieve maximum flavor), then strain before moving on to the next step. If you're on a time crunch, simply pour freshly brewed espresso (completely cooled) or instant espresso powder into the finished buttercream and stir it in gently.
- Nutty Buttercream - Nuts infuse their flavor through buttercream really nicely, and the best way to get a deep, real flavor is by steeping them, as explained in the step above. Try adding pistachios, hazelnuts, or almonds! Alternatively, you can stir in pastes, nut butters, or extracts into the buttercream.
- Spiced Buttercream - Infuse the milk with cinnamon sticks, grated nutmeg, cloves, or cardamom pods for a wonderfully warm and cosy buttercream - great for those festive months!
How To Store German Buttercream
Your German buttercream is best stored in the fridge in an airtight container, and can be kept like this for 1 week. You can also freeze it for up to 3 months. Be sure to bring it back to room temperature and rewhip before use.
FAQs
A runny custard buttercream may be down to a pastry cream that has not been cooked long enough to fully thicken, or the cornstarch measurement could be off. Make sure it boils for 1-2 minutes while whisking constantly to achieve a nice thick texture. See my post about how to make pastry cream for specific troubleshooting.
Yes! German buttercream will stay good in the refrigerator for about a week, so it's a great frosting to make in advance. Be sure to rewhip slightly before using to get the texture back to normal.
More Custard Desserts
If you love custard, try some of these other custard-based dessert recipes!
Recipe
German Buttercream Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 cups Whole Milk 480g / 480ml
- ½ cup Granulated Sugar 100g
- 5 Large Egg Yolks
- 2 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- ¼ cup Cornstarch 30g
- 4 sticks Unsalted Butter 452g (room temperature)
- ⅓ cup Powdered Sugar 38g
Instructions
- This is my classic custard recipe. Make it in advance so it has time to cool for at least 2 hours.
- In a bowl whisk together the egg yolks, sugar ,and cornstarch until pale and thick.½ cup (100 g) Granulated Sugar, 5 Large Egg Yolks, ¼ cup (30 g) Cornstarch
- Put the milk and vanilla in a saucepan over medium heat and warm it until it is scalding hot - this means there is steam rising and you can see tiny bubbles appearing on the surface.2 cups (480 ml) Whole Milk, 2 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- Drizzle a small amount of warm milk into the egg yolk mixture and whisk, then add a little more, repeat until everything is together in the bowl. It's important to do this slowly and gradually so you don't scramble the eggs
- Pour the whole mixture back into the saucepan and keep heating, whisking constantly until it begins to boil. Boil for 1-2 minutes until it thickens. Remove from the heat
- Pass the pastry cream through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl to make sure there are no lumps. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside to cool.
- Once the pastry cream has completely cooled, place all the butter in your stand mixer and beat with a whisk attachment on medium-high speed for 5 full minutes until pale and fluffy .4 sticks (452 g) Unsalted Butter
- Add the pastry cream one tablespoon at a time until it is all added. Whip for 1 minute on high speed.
- At this stage, taste-test the buttercream to see how much sweetness you would like to add. Add the icing sugar a little at a time, whipping after every addition, until the desired sweetness is reached.⅓ cup (38 g) Powdered Sugar
Francesca Armienti
I made the pastry cream ahead of time. It does not state if you do so what temp the cream has to be to whip into the butter. I have a mess on my hands and a huge waste of time and money!
Jules Grasekamp
Hi Francesca,
I'm so sorry to hear your buttercream didn't turn out. You're absolutely right i don't have instructions in here for if you make it ahead of time - I will add this on when I update the recipe. Thank you for the feedback!
Jules
Lesley
It turned out perfect. Family really loved it. Thanks Jules