German Buttercream

Directions

1. 1
   It is important that the butter and all of the other ingredients have the same temperature to prevent the buttercream from splitting, so take the butter out of the fridge right away.
2. 2
   In a medium saucepan, prepare the pudding with the milk and sugar, according to the package instructions. Place the saucepan in a cold water bath and sprinkle the pudding's surface with sugar to prevent a skin from forming (alternatively, press some cling film lightly against the pudding's surface). Once cooled, stir the pudding until smooth. If there are any lumps, force it through a sieve.
3. 3
   When the butter and the pudding are both at room temperature, whip the butter for about 15 minutes. Once it has become white and fluffy, switch to the paddle attachment and add the pudding, about two tablespoons at a time, at low speed. Once all the pudding has been incorporated, stir in the vanilla extract and any liquor you'd like to add (up to 2 tablespoons).
4. 4
   Makes enough to cover and fill one 9-inch cake.
5. 5
   Tips:
6. 6
   If the buttercream should split, you can try heating (but not browning) a tablespoon of butter and quickly mixing it through the split buttercream.
7. 7
   To flavor the buttercream, you can use chocolate or fruit-flavored pudding mix, or you can add flavoring liquids to the finished buttercream. It holds up well to freshly squeezed fruit juice, cold coffe, and all kinds of liquor (rum is good). Add the liquids to taste but make sure you don't use too much or the buttercream will not firm up enough.