Cabernet American Buttercream

A tangy, rich, magnificently purple buttercream that compliments any winter cake.

While anyone who follows my work knows Swiss meringue to be my typical choice for a buttercream, this Cabernet American buttercream may be my favorite frosting of all time. I typically find American buttercream cloying and overpowering, but the acidity from the Cabernet cuts the sweetness well, creating a balanced bite and a perfect compliment for a chocolate cake (might I recommend my Dark Chocolate Olive Oil).

A whole bottle of Cabernet is reduced to 1/4 cup of thick, sweet-yet-tart syrup before being added to a perfectly smooth American buttercream. Be sure to select a Cabernet you enjoy the taste of as this will obviously come through in the final product. This recipe is extremely simple, straightforward, and quick.

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Cabernet American Buttercream

Makes enough frosting for a 6-inch triple-tier cake or an 8-inch single-tier cake

Ingredients:

• 1 bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon

• 1 cup (225g) butter, softened

• 4 cups powdered sugar, sifted

• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract

• Pinch of salt

• Whole milk or heavy cream (to adjust consistency, if necessary)

Method:

1. In a saucepan over high heat add the entire bottle of wine. Bring to a boil.

2. Once boiling, reduce to a simmer. Simmer the wine until the liquid has reduced to 1/4 cup. This will take 20 or so minutes.

3. Once the wine has sufficiently reduced, pour it into a small heatproof bowl and refrigerate until it is room temperature. Do not let it chill entirely.

4. Fasten the paddle attachment on your stand mixer.

5. Add the softened butter and beat on high until pale and fluffy (5-7 minutes).

6. Once the butter has lightened in color, add the powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time, mixing thoroughly between each addition.

7. Once you’ve incorporated the remaining powdered sugar, add the cooled wine, vanilla, and salt. Beat on high until homogenous.

8. Adjust the viscosity of the buttercream to your preference with milk or heavy cream to make it thinner or more powdered sugar (a tablespoon at a time) to make it thicker.

9. Frost your dessert as desired and enjoy :)