Freeze-Dried Cherry Buttercream
Delicious cherry buttercream made with freeze-dried tart cherries for authentic cherry flavor. The perfect frosting consistency for cakes, cupcakes, cookies, macarons, and more!
Servings 2.5 cups
Ingredients
- 1 Cup (226g) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 3/4 Cup (34g) freeze-dried cherries
- 3 Tbsp (45ml) whole milk, room temperature
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp almond extract*
- 3 Cups (360g) powdered sugar
- pinch of salt, or to taste
Instructions
- With a food processor, grind the freeze-dried cherries into a fine powder. You can alternatively place the cherries in a Ziploc bag and crush them into powder with a rolling pin.
- Whip the butter using a stand mixer with a paddle attachment on medium-high speed until it’s creamy and light in color, about 5 minutes, scraping down the bowl and paddle as needed. Add the cherry powder, milk, vanilla, and almond extract and continue to mix on medium until fully combined.
- Add the powdered sugar one cup at a time and mix on low speed, scraping down the bowl and paddle after each addition. Add a pinch of salt and mix on low speed until fully combined and smooth, 1-2 minutes.
Notes
*Almond Extract: this really helps amplify the cherry flavor in this frosting! I highly recommend adding it, but if you don't want to, simply double the vanilla extract to 2 teaspoons and omit the almond.
Make Ahead Tips: This buttercream can be made ahead and stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one day. You can also store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to two weeks. Just bring back to room temperature and re-mix on low speed with your mixer when you're ready to use it.
Yield: This buttercream makes enough to:
- Frost 12-15 cupcakes with a piping bag
- Fill and crumb coat a three-layer 6-inch cake or two-layer 8-inch cake. To have enough for frosting and decorating as well, double the recipe.