Italian Buttercream Icing

In a small 2-quart saucepan, combine the sugar and water. Cook it over medium-high heat, stirring just until the sugar dissolves. Let the syrup cook until it reaches 240°F (115°C) when measured with a candy thermometer (or “soft ball stage”).

**Do not stir the sugar as it cooks. This will cause crystals to form in the syrup, resulting in a gritty buttercream.

Prepare your stand mixer with the whisk attachment.

In the bowl of your stand mixer, beat the egg whites and salt on high speed until stiff peaks form. With the mixer running, slowly drizzle the sugar syrup down the side of your mixing bowl. Once all the syrup has been added, continue to beat the mixture until the bowl has cooled to room temperature, about 10 to 12 minutes.

**HINT: Make sure your mixture is completely cooled to room temperature before adding the butter. If your mixture is still hot or even warm, your butter will melt. Patience is key! Depending on the temperature of your kitchen, this could take as long as 15 minutes, so give your buttercream time to cool completely.

Once the mixture is room temperature, gradually add the butter, 1 piece at a time, beating on medium-high speed. Let each piece of butter incorporate fully before adding another. You should also stop the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl, as needed. This will help make sure everything is being mixed evenly. Keep in mind that the texture of your frosting will change as the butter is incorporated. First, it may appear runny, then it may appear curdled…just keep going! It will all work out in the end! Once all the butter has been added, add the vanilla (or flavoring of your choice) and continue whipping for 1 to 2 minutes until your frosting is nice and smooth. Makes about 5 cups of buttercream.