Prepare The Strawberry Puree

• To make the strawberry reduction, clean the 128g grams Strawberries with water and vinegar and then half them before adding to a cooking pot.
• Add the 1 tsp Water (½ tsp to begin with) and cook on a medium heat until the strawberries start to give off some of their own juices. If it seems a little dry at any point, add the second ½ tsp water. Increase to high heat and let come to a boil before reducing to let the strawberries simmer. Leave till softened and the colour will be much less vibrant now.
• Remove from the pot and blend to a puree, with either a blender, stick blender or food processor. Add the 2 tsp Sugar, mix to combine, taste test & add more sugar if required. Leave to cool before using in the buttercream, if you are not intending on making a concentrated puree.
• To make a reduced puree, add back to the cooking pot and heat on medium to high heat and let come to a boil. (**Cover your work area as the puree will bubble a lot & can stain surrounding areas.) Reduce the heat and leave to simmer and reduce. The level of the puree will reduce, be thicker and a much deeper red colour. (See step-by-step process photos before this Recipe Card of the video for reference).
• The puree must cool before adding to the buttercream and can be made ahead of time. Leave for 10 minutes before covering the surface of the puree with cling film/plastic wrap and creating an air-tight seal & leaving to cool down in the fridge.
  

Preparing The Buttercream

• Cube the 150 grams Unsalted Butter, to about 1cm, ⅓″ size while measuring/weighing out, as smaller surface area, and the butter will soften and come to room temperature quicker.
• Once the butter is softened add to a mixing bowl or your stand mixer, and beat until no longer cube shaped. (*Use the k-paddle if using a stand-mixer). Alternatively beat with a wooden spoon.
• Add about half of the 300 grams Icing Sugar (or about 1 cup's worth), and use a clean tea-towel or splash guard while mixing on slow speed to start with, & bring the mixture together. Then increase the speed till all the sugar is incorporated.
• Scrape down the sides of the bowl before gradually adding in the rest of the sugar and beat until you have a smooth thick buttercream. Add the ¼ tsp Vanilla Extract if you desired.
• Add 2 tbsp of the strawberry puree to the buttercream and beat just until combined. This will make a light pastel pink colour to the buttercream. If you want more colour and flavour, gradually add more puree till you reach the desired amount. Being aware you might need to add some more icing/powdered sugar, depending on what you want to use the buttercream for. For piping a thinner consistency is required, whilst a thicker consistency is good for spreading.
  

Using & Storing

• Store in a piping bag with the nozzle completely covered or in a covered container, somewhere cool. Placing in the fridge, will firm up the buttercream and made harder to pipe or spread. So remove form the fridge ahead of time if needed.
• Use to fill, top or cover cakes such as Funfetti Sprinkle Layer Cake, a Victoria Sandwich Cake, my Summer berry Griestorte or fill some mini chocolate bundt cakes with it. To learn how to put together a piping bag, see my Theory Lesson - Assembling & Filling A Piping Bag.
• Buttercream can be stored in the fridge, in a piping bag with tip covered with cling film/plastic wrap or in a well-sealed container, for up to 1 month¹. Let the buttercream come to room temperature before using & remove air bubbles by mixing on low speed for a few minutes, (or scrape around the bowl with a spatula).
• Covered buttercream is also fine at room temperature if not too hot, for up to 2 days². Left-over strawberry puree can be stored in the fridge for up to 5 days or you can freeze for 3 – 6 months³

Freezing & Defrosting

• Frozen buttercream is fine for 2 to 3 months⁴. Use an airtight container with a tight lid & this can even be wrapped over too. Defrost in the fridge overnight & leave out to come to room temperature before using as defrosting too quick can mean you lose some of the smoothness of the buttercream. The texture will change with freezing but is fixed by simply whisking the buttercream.

DIFFICULTY LEVEL: easy, beginner ★