Favorite Frosting

Cupcakes are hands down my favorite baked good ever.  I've made a ton of different kinds of frosting before but I can easily say that this is my favorite of all time...Swiss Meringue Buttercream.

I mentioned in a weekly favorites that Molly's Cupcakes in Chicago made the best cupcakes that I've ever tasted; this recipe will make frosting that is very very similar to buttercream that they use there.  It tastes buttery and light but not too sweet.  Absolutely perfect.

Also, before I get into it...This recipe doesn't make a lot of frosting because I usually don't make a ton of cupcakes at one time.  It will probably make enough for about 6 regular sized cupcakes or probably 16 mini cupcakes.  So if you know you're going to be making more cupcakes, then double, triple, quadruple, etc.

Ingredients:
2 egg whites
1/2 cup sugar
1 stick room temperature butter, cubed

1.  Place a glass bowl on a boiling pot of water (make a double boiler)
2. Whisk egg whites and sugar together in the glass bowl.  Heat until egg mixture is hot to the touch.  Remove from heat.  **Another way to tell if the egg mixture is ready is to rub the mixture between your fingers, if it feels smooth (not gritty) then it is ready.
3.  Continue to whisk the mixture off of the heat until the mixture has thickened and completely cooled.
4.  Add butter a little at a time.  Keep whisking until the mixture has reached a sturdy consistency.
5.  Add whatever flavoring you would like the frosting to be (vanilla, chocolate, coffee, etc.)

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