Perfect German Buttercream: Your Complete Guide
German buttercream, or custard buttercream, is a rich, creamy frosting with a velvety texture and rich flavor. I like to think of it as the more sophisticated older sister of Ermine Frosting, offering a similar light, creamy texture that isn't overly sweet. Its complexity comes from a generous amount of pastry cream, making it my dark horse of frostings—surprisingly delightful and often underestimated in flavor and versatility. The pastry cream enhances the taste and contributes the stability necessary for piping decorations and creating smooth finishes on large layer cakes.
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Welcome to my ultimate German Buttercream guide!
We'll explore texture, aeration, and ingredient chemistry and learn how this frosting differs. Learn if it's suitable for your dessert and get the exact process to understand and customize your perfect frosting.
What is German Buttercream?
My German Buttercream is a type of True Buttercream, a large family of butter-based frostings made by creating stable emulsions.
German Buttercreams are part of the True Buttercream Family and the larger Emulsions category. Frostings within the same group share similar characteristics, making it easy to navigate the world of frostings.
True Buttercreams are a family of stable emulsion frostings, where fat and water-based ingredients are mixed to create a thick, creamy texture. I’ll often also refer to these as “emulsion-based buttercreams.”
Generally, True Buttercreams have:
- moderate sweetness,
- low aeration,
- a creamy and buttery texture,
- the ability to create intricate piped designs and smooth cake sides,
- excellent stability at room temperature and under pressure, and
- are easily dyed and flavored.
So, what sets German Buttercream apart from other Frostings?
Let’s get into the specifics of this buttercream:
What is the texture of German Buttercream?
German Buttercream shares a similar texture with Ermine Buttercream, appearing lighter and creamier than it looks without being overly buttery, dense, or heavy. These buttercreams are often called "whipped cream-like," but their lightness stems from the soft texture of the pastry cream blended with soft butterfat, not from air incorporation like typical whipped cream foams.
I quantify the aeration of my frostings, which reflects the volume percentage occupied by air. My German Buttercream contains about 12% aeration, indicating that air makes up 12% of the volume, with the rest comprising the listed ingredients. In contrast, highly aerated frostings like whipped cream can contain up to 50% air.
While aeration influences texture, impacting mouthfeel, greasiness, and spreadability, it isn't the sole determinant of texture in emulsion-based frostings. This frosting's luxurious, melt-in-your-mouth feel arises from the seamless integration of silky pastry cream and butterfat, creating a uniquely creamy buttercream.
What is the taste and flavor of German Buttercream?
German buttercream tastes like a buttery vanilla-scented, not-too-sweet pastry cream. The egg yolks add umami to frostings, which is quite unique since it's not a very common taste in frostings. The only way I’d describe it is that you’ll be amazed at its rich, delicious flavor, but I can’t pinpoint it; it’s undeniably delicious. If you’d like to learn more about this, you should check out my French Buttercream Guide, which covers this topic a bit more.
Also, if you prefer less sweet frostings, German Buttercream is the one for you. With only 18% sugar content, it's notably less sweet than other options yet remains deliciously satisfying. The inclusion of pastry cream not only enhances its flavor but introduces an umami element that perfectly balances the sweetness. This creates a well-rounded frosting that doesn’t rely on excessive sweetness.
What ingredients do you need for German Buttercream?
(Please note that ingredient amounts may look different here and in the step-by-step tutorial photos. Although I might be demonstrating a different final yield here, the method remains the same regardless of your quantity. Always follow the amounts specified in the recipe card.)
1 | EGG YOLKS
Egg yolks are used in the pastry cream component of this buttercream, adding flavor, color, and moisture.
2 | WHITE GRANULATED SUGAR
We add sugar to this buttercream recipe in two places. The first addition is to the pastry cream, and when added directly to the egg yolks, it raises the cooking temperature of the yolks so they don’t set so quickly.
3 | CORNSTARCH
Pastry creams need starch, and cornstarch is an excellent candidate. (Starch-less creams are typically called “crème anglaise” and have a thinner texture.) Cornstarch is more translucent and has minimal flavor on its own when cooked. The starch thickens the pastry cream and can be used in various concentrations, depending on how thick the final pastry cream is.
The concentration of cornstarch can vary to achieve different consistencies. I aim for a balanced texture in the pastry cream for German Buttercream—neither too runny nor overly stiff, similar to a firm gel. This consistency ensures a smooth mouthfeel and provides good stability for piping and spreading on cakes.
4 | MILK
In my recipe, the liquid for the pastry cream is milk. I prefer whole milk or sometimes half and half. This provides water to allow the starch granules to swell and a lovely dairy flavor.
5,6 | UNSALTED BUTTER
Butter provides fat, stability, flavor, and emulsifiers for this frosting. The unique combination of milkfats (around 80-84%) gives butter its wonderful creamy and spreadable texture. Butter is integral for True Buttercreams because it also contains various emulsifiers, which hold water-based and fat-based ingredients together. I always use unsalted butter in all my frostings and add salt based on taste.
The smaller amount of butter is for the pastry cream, which adds the necessary amount of fat to give it body and ensures that the finished pastry cream doesn’t stick to the plastic wrap.
The larger amount of butter is for the buttercream base, which we’ll be emulsifying with the pastry cream.
7 | POWDERED SUGAR
This recipe's second type of sugar is powdered (or confectioners or icing) sugar, which helps aerate and sweeten the butter. This is done before the more significant emulsification step with the meringue mixture and ensures a silky smooth texture that is not overly buttery.
8 | VANILLA EXTRACT
Vanilla extract is a general flavor enhancer for baked goods, and here, it is the primary flavoring element for this frosting. Extracts are generally interchangeable to make easy flavor modifications, but be sure to google it. (For instance, almond extract is potent, and you’d likely want to start with 25% vanilla.) Also, vanilla bean paste is lovely here as it adds little vanilla bean specks throughout the frosting. Or, you can use a vanilla bean pod, which is extra fancy. I’ll tell you how to do that in the recipe card.
Natural vanilla extract tends to be dark brown, which can make the final frosting a bit cream-colored. If you’re trying to minimize this, consider a clear vanilla extract. These extracts are artificially flavored, but I like them in cakes and frostings.
9 | FINELY GRANULATED SALT
A pinch of salt enhances the flavor and balances the overall sweetness of this frosting. I typically use flaky kosher salt in my baking, but crispy salt bits are not appealing in frostings, so I exclusively use finely granulated salt. This allows the salt to dissolve more readily.
Step by step:
How to Make My German Buttercream Frosting
STEP 1 | PASTRY CREAM: PREPARE EGG MIXTURE.
WHY:
In pastry cream, eggs can’t be added at once at the beginning of the heating process. Instead, we do what is called “tempering,” which is a culinary term that means to increase the temperature gradually. In custards, it's a good idea to temper the eggs to prevent them from coagulating (or setting them into a more solid state) before the starch can thicken the pastry cream. And since pastry creams' texture and stability depend on egg yolk protein and cornstarch thickening, it’s crucial to balance the reactions. Keeping the egg yolks in a bowl and adding sugar increases the temperature at which they will set, and in addition to the tempering method, will prevent the egg proteins from setting before the starches can thicken.
HOW:
Prepare a small tray or shallow plate with a sheet of plastic wrap that can fully encase your pastry cream (1a). The tray allows you to move the cream around more easily when it’s still warm, and the plastic wrap prevents skin from forming on the surface of the cream.
In a heat-proof bowl, combine the egg yolks and sugar (1b) by whisking them immediately to prevent the sugar from drawing out moisture and forming lumps (1c, d).
Mix in the cornstarch until smooth (1e, f). Set the bowl aside. I like to keep my bowl on a towel to prevent it from spinning and moving when adding the milk in the next step.
STEP 2 | PASTRY CREAM: TEMPER THE EGG MIXTURE WITH WARMED MILK.
WHY:
Now it’s time to heat the milk to temper the egg yolk-sugar mixture. Sometimes, this heating process is called “scalding,” meaning that we heat the milk to just under boiling temperature. We don’t need a thermometer; instead, we can use some visual cues here: tiny bubbles around the edge of the pan. We don’t want to boil the milk because that will cause the milk to separate, which is the milk proteins coagulating. (There’s that term again! But it’s super helpful to know when working with proteins.) The proteins stick together, leaving behind the water portion of the milk, which is why it looks “separated.”
Once the milk is warmed, we only pour about a third of the milk into the egg mixture while whisking the entire time. This is to distribute the heat as evenly as possible and increase the temperature gradually and efficiently. Once this is completed, all the mixture goes back into the pan to thicken the starches.
HOW:
Pour milk into a saucepan and heat on medium until bubbles form around the edges and a gentle fog rises (2a). Continuously whisking, gently pour one-third of the warm milk into the egg mixture to temper it (2b).
Once incorporated, gradually add the remaining milk and whisk to combine (2c). Transfer the combined mixture back into the saucepan (2d).
STEP 3 | PASTRY CREAM: COOK UNTIL THICKENED AND ALLOW TO COOL.
WHY:
Returning the custard to the heat completes its cooking by allowing the cornstarch granules to burst and thicken the mixture. When you see a bubble pop on the surface, indicating near-boiling temperatures, continue cooking for about 1 minute per cup of milk. This high temperature is crucial for the starch granules to swell and deactivate an enzyme in the egg yolks called amylase, which breaks down starch molecules. If the custard isn’t heated sufficiently, the pastry cream may initially set but could become runnier over time as the amylase becomes active.
Buttercream's stability primarily comes from butterfat, so incomplete starch gelatinization is less problematic. However, starch still plays a vital role in stability, as seen in Ermine Buttercream, which combines a cooked flour paste and butter for enhanced stability.
HOW:
Over medium-low heat, whisk the mixture vigorously, making sure to reach the corners and bottom of the pan (3a). When the first bubble appears on the surface (3b), time the cooking for one minute per cup of milk, whisking continuously.
Then remove from heat and add the small amount of butter labeled “unsalted butter (1)” in the recipe (3c). Pour the pastry cream through a sieve into a plastic-lined shallow tray to remove any lumps (3d).
Cover the surface directly with plastic wrap to prevent skin from forming (3e, f). Allow to cool to room temperature. Refrigerate to speed up cooling, if desired.
Once the pastry cream is cool to the touch, move on to the next steps.
STEP 4 | PREPARE THE FROSTING BUTTER.
WHY:
A common complaint about True Buttercreams is their overly buttery taste and feel. To address this, I've developed a pre-conditioning method for the butter called "Frosting Butter." This technique aerates, pre-sweetens, and flavors the butterfat, ensuring an optimal creamy texture and temperature for emulsification, which is crucial for all True Buttercreams. The final buttercream is silky smooth and doesn't taste overly buttery. Additionally, frostings made with Frosting Butter are easier to re-whip without curdling after refrigeration or freezing. To learn more about the science of Frosting Butter, ready my guide here.
HOW:
For proper aeration, ensure the butter temperature is around 60-70 °F (15-21 °C) (3a). You don’t need a thermometer, but when the butter is at this temperature, you should be able to slide the whisk attachment into it with moderate pressure (4a, inset).
Add the butter to your mixing bowl and whisk on high speed for about 3-5 minutes, scraping down the sides at least once (4b). Aerated butter will still be paler, more voluminous, and ball up inside the whisk (4c).
Add the powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and a small pinch of salt (4d, e). Mix on high speed for another 2-3 minutes. You’ll notice that the butter is slightly glossier (that’s the sugar) but still has a fluffy, voluminous texture that balls inside the whisk (4f).
STEP 5 | ADD THE PASTRY CREAM TO THE FROSTING BUTTER.
WHY:
A common complaint about true buttercreams is their overly buttery taste and texture. To address this, I've developed a pre-conditioning method that makes what I call 'Frosting Butter.' This technique aerates, pre-sweetens, and flavors the butterfat, ensuring an optimal creamy texture and temperature for emulsification—crucial for all true buttercreams. The final buttercream is such a homogenous emulsion that it’s incredibly silky smooth and doesn't have an overpowering buttery taste. Additionally, frostings made with Frosting Butter are easier to re-whip without curdling after refrigeration or freezing.
HOW:
Ensure the pastry cream is at room temperature. Gradually add it to the whipped butter in two or three additions, whipping for about a minute after each addition (5a, b). After all the pastry cream is added, mix for an additional minute on high speed (5c).
Potential Pitfalls: Ensure your pastry cream and butter are at room temperature. If the pastry cream has been refrigerated, it should feel neither warm nor cold to the touch. If it's too warm, it can melt the butter; if it's too cold, it may not emulsify properly, resulting in lumpy frosting. If you experience either scenario, whisking at a high speed until both components equilibrate to room temperature is the fix. This process might take several minutes, depending on how much the temperatures differ.
STEP 6 | SMOOTH AND ADJUST FOR FLAVORINGS.
WHY:
With all its wires, the whisk is much more efficient at emulsifying than a paddle with a thick singular wire. However, during the mixing process with a whisk attachment, we’ll inevitably mix in tons of air, which can further collect into larger air pockets. Switch the paddle attachment (one with a silicone edge, if you can), which smooths the frosting against the bowl and dramatically reduces the amount of large air gaps in your final frosting.
HOW:
Switch over to the paddle attachment (6a, b) and smooth on the lowest speed for a few minutes. Taste the buttercream and adjust for salt and vanilla (6c).
Storage Tips
Leftover buttercream stores well in the fridge or freezer. Additionally, this buttercream can be made ahead of time for larger cake projects.
For a detailed tutorial, check out my How to Store Buttercream Guide.
Video
Read this before you begin
Measure by weight, if possible.
Measuring by weight is the best way for you to replicate my recipes. I develop recipes using ingredients (even liquids) measured in grams, which is why you see them listed first in the recipe cards. For measurements under 5 grams, I will typically only list the volumetric measurements (teaspoons, etc.), as most home scales are not precise for such small weights.
In most cases, I have converted grams to volumetric measurements (aka US customary units) for bakers who prefer this method. However, the measurements are not as precise and may have awkward proportions. The recipes should still work, but for the ultimate precision, try to use weight.
This is the OXO scale I use daily. I also purchased this budget version of a good scale, which I keep at my Mom’s house for baking. If you’re interested in other tools I use for my baking, I’ve compiled a list here.
Use room temperature ingredients.
All my ingredients should be used at room temperature, or 65-75 °F/18-24 °C. I will always indicate if you need something outside this range. If no details are given, room temperature is the default.
Pay attention to the ingredient descriptions.
I try not to be brand-specific, but I will always note an interesting result from a type of ingredient, be it negative or positive.
A specific note regarding salt: I use Diamond Crystal Kosher salt for everything on this site except for frostings. In frostings, you want the salt to dissolve more easily, and kosher salt tends to leave granules behind. If you substitute table salt (more finely granulated) for recipes that list kosher salt, you must use half the volume indicated in my recipes.
Substitutions are hard.
That’s not to say they’re impossible, though. For instance, in many cases, substituting reduced fat for whole milk (and thus reducing fat by less than 2%) will probably be fine. Using applesauce for oil or even Greek yogurt when sour cream is listed will definitely alter the fat content and adversely affect the crumb texture and density of the cake.
I experiment for hours to get these recipes to work for us. First, try to make them as written or use one of my tested substitutions, which I often dedicate a section to. Then, if necessary, you can make modifications afterward. Even then I would be pretty cautious, as substitutions are one of the hardest things to investigate in recipe development.
Read all the recipe instructions before beginning.
I’m in the “Pre-read the Chapter before Class Lecture” club... and I invite you to join! Baking new recipes can be intimidating, so let’s set you up for success. I want you to think about timeframes. Most fillings and frostings can be made ahead of time, and give you an extra day for mental space. Also, as you become a more proficient baker, you can anticipate and recognize steps. (“Oh, this has a meringue step, so I’ll need an extra clean bowl…” etc.) Ensure you go down the ingredient list and have everything at the right temperature.
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Vanilla German Buttercream
- 20 g (1 large) egg yolk
- 22 g (1 tablespoon + 2 teaspoons) white granulated sugar
- 4 g (½ tablespoon) cornstarch
- 81 g (⅓ cup) whole milk, cold from fridge is ok
- 5 g (1 teaspoon) unsalted butter (1)
- 113 g (½ cup) unsalted butter (2)
- 27 g (3 ½ tablespoons) powdered sugar, unsifted
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract*
- small pinch of fine sea salt
For larger quantities or to pair with a cake recipe, go to my Cakeculator and choose “Vanilla German Buttercream."
- 20 g (1 large) egg yolk
- 22 g (1 tablespoon + 2 teaspoons) white granulated sugar
- 4 g (½ tablespoon) cornstarch
- 81 g (⅓ cup) whole milk, cold from fridge is ok
- 5 g (1 teaspoon) unsalted butter (1)
- 113 g (½ cup) unsalted butter (2)
- 27 g (3 ½ tablespoons) powdered sugar, unsifted
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract*
- small pinch of fine sea salt
For larger quantities or to pair with a cake recipe, go to my Cakeculator and choose “Vanilla German Buttercream."
- 60 g (3 large) egg yolks
- 66 g (⅓ cup) white granulated sugar
- 12 g (1 ½ tablespoons) cornstarch
- 244 g (1 cup) whole milk, cold from fridge is ok
- 14 g (1 tablespoon) unsalted butter (1)
- 339 g (1 ½ cups) unsalted butter (2)
- 80 g (⅔ cup) powdered sugar, unsifted
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract*
- ⅛ teaspoon fine sea salt
For larger quantities or to pair with a cake recipe, go to my Cakeculator and choose “Vanilla German Buttercream."
- Pastry Cream: Prepare egg mixture.
Line a small tray or shallow plate with enough plastic wrap to encase your pastry cream.In a heat-proof bowl, combine the egg yolks and sugar by whisking them immediately to prevent the sugar from drawing out moisture and forming lumps. Mix in the cornstarch until smooth. Tip: Place a towel under the bowl to keep it stable during mixing. - Pastry Cream: Temper the egg mixture with warmed milk.
Pour milk into a saucepan and heat on medium until bubbles form around the edges, and a gentle fog rises.
Continuously whisking, gently pour one-third of the warm milk into the egg mixture to temper it. Once incorporated, gradually add the remaining milk. Transfer the combined mixture back into the saucepan. - Pastry Cream: Cook until thickened and allow to cool.
Over medium-low heat, whisk the mixture vigorously, making sure to reach the corners and bottom of the pan. When the first bubble appears on the surface, cook one minute per cup of milk, whisking continuously.
Then remove from heat and whisk in the small amount of butter labeled “unsalted butter (1)” in the recipe.
Pour the pastry cream through a sieve into a plastic-lined shallow tray to remove any lumps. Cover the surface directly with plastic wrap to prevent a skin from forming. Allow to cool to room temperature. Refrigerate to speed up cooling, if desired.
Once the pastry cream is cool to the touch, move on to the next steps. - Prepare the Frosting Butter.
Add the slightly softened butter (the larger amount labeled “unsalted butter (2)”) to the stand mixer bowl. With the whisk attachment, mix on high speed for about 2 minutes, scraping down the sides at least once. After mixing, the butter will be lighter in color, smooth, soft, and ball inside the whisk.
Add the powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and a small pinch of salt to the butter and whisk again at medium-high speed for another 1-2 minutes. - Add the pastry cream to the frosting butter.
Ensure the pastry cream is at room temperature. Gradually add it to the whipped butter in two or three additions, whipping for about a minute after each. After all the pastry cream is added, mix for an additional minute on high speed.
- Smooth and adjust for flavorings.
Switch over to the paddle attachment and smooth it at the lowest speed for a few minutes. Taste the buttercream and adjust for salt and vanilla.
Recipe Card - Adriana's Notes
*For enhanced flavor, you can use a vanilla bean pod instead of (or in addition to) vanilla extract. For a 3 cup recipe, split an entire pod and scrape the seeds into the milk. Throw in the empty pod shell as well, and heat as directed. Then turn off the heat and allow the milk to steep with the pod for as long as you like, but at least 20 minutes. Remove the pod shell and briefly heat it to continue with the instructions.
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