• 1 1/2 LB Butter
• 8 large egg whites
• 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 teaspoon pure vanilla
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup water

1. Whip egg whites on low medium until frothy, then add cream of tarter and continue whipping on Medium speed.
2. Once soft peaks form begin adding the 1/2 cup sugar in a thin stream.
3. Continue to beat on medium speed.
4. While egg whites are whipping, combine 1 cup of sugar and water in a small saucepan.
5. Stir until dissolved, cook over medium heat until boiling.
6. Continue cooking to 250º F (Firm Ball), on a Candy Thermometer.
7. If egg whites haven't yet reached a shiny/stiff peaks stage turn the mixer up onto high to finish beating.
8. If whites are at shiny/stiff peaks stage before sugar syrup is ready, reduce speed to low and keep mixing until syrup is ready.
9. When syrup is ready, increase mixer to high, and add the syrup 1 TB at a time with a 10 – 15 second interval between additions.
10. Continue until all of syrup is used.
11. Beat meringue until it has cooled to about 98° F.
12. You want the meringue to return to a stiff/shiny peak before adding the butter.
13. This will make a more stable Buttercrème.
14. Using paddle, add butter one TB at a time allowing the butter to incorporate before adding the next TB.
15. Continue until all butter is mixed in.
16. If mixture appears a little lumpy, just continue beating. This can take as long as 15 minutes after the last TB of butter is added.
17. If mixture breaks, continue beating at low-medium speed and mixture will come back together.
18. Use immediately.
19. To stabilize this butter cream even more, you can add 3/4 cup of sifted confectioner’s sugar.

There are many different methods to creating Buttercrème. All are based on creating an emulsion of butter and water with egg as the emulsifier, just like Mayonnaise or aioli. There are also as many different names to identify these methods for creating Buttercrème. American - Made with whole eggs and a double boiler; French - Using only egg yolks and sugar syrup; Italian - Using only Egg whites and Sugar Syrup; Swiss - Using Egg Whites and a double boiler. (As with a Swiss meringue, Go figure). Of all of the Buttercrème methods, the Italian Meringue method seems to be the most stable in warmer weather, but I still wouldn’t leave any cake with Buttercrème out of the refrigerator for more than 1 hour.