{Tasty Thursdays} The Perfect Vanilla Frosting

I am on a personal mission to get everyone who makes cupcakes/cake from scratch to stop using powdered sugar!  (Well OK, I'll let the cream cheese frosting slide since it is so yummy).With just a little extra effort you can whip up the most delicious, smooth, and creamy buttercream frosting ever.  Here is my favorite Vanilla Swiss Meringue Buttercream recipe - Don't be nervous to try it out!

Ingredients
Makes enough for 36-48 cupcakes (depending on how much frosting you like)
6 egg whites (room temperature)
1 and 1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 and 1/2 pounds room temperature butter (cut into one inch pieces)
1 T plus 1 1/2 tsp of pure vanilla extract or vanilla paste

Method
In your (kitchen aid) bowl whisk together the egg whites and sugar.
Place your bowl over simmering water and continue to whisk making sure the egg white mixture does not harden on the sides of the bowl.
Insert a candy thermometer and continue whisking making sure the temperature of your mixture reaches 140 degrees F.
After the mixture reaches 140 degrees, move the bowl to your stand mixer with the whisk attachment.
Whip hot mixture on high until cool.  Egg white should start to look lighter in color.
Add your butter in small pieces on low to medium speed.  Once all the butter is added, bring the mixture back up to a high speed.
Turn off mixer and add your flavoring.  Continue to whisk until incorporated.

Swiss Meringue frosting is shelf stable for up to 2 days.  You can make it ahead of time and refrigerate for up to a week, or freeze up to a month.  Just bring it back to room temperature and beat again with whisk attachment.

This frosting is extremely versatile. You can add any extracts, melted chocolate, liquor, juices, or fresh fruit.  If I am making a fresh fruit frosting, I wait until the day I want to use it to add my fruit.

The only down side - if this really is a down side, is that Swiss Meringue does not take on color very well.  I like to keep my frosting white and add colorful decorations. (Who wants frosting that tastes like gel color anyway?)

Try this recipe out and let me know how it goes!