Professor Butter Beard’s Browned Butter Buttercream

7-8 cups Buttercream

• 390 grams unsalted butter (340 grams once browned)

• 270 grams egg whites, room temperature (usually 10-11 eggs)

• 300 grams granulated sugar

• 150 grams dark brown sugar

• 340 additional grams of unsalted butter, room temperature

• 1 Tbsp vanilla paste

• Fine sea salt to taste

1)     The night before: Place the 390 grams of butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Continue cooking until the butter foams and the milk solids separate to the bottom of the pan. Remove from the heat and pour into a glass container. (I do scrape some of the delicious brown milk solids into the container). Set aside to cool, so that it re-solidifies into a softened butter texture. Do not refrigerate, as the browned butter will solidify into a rock-hard lump!

2)     Measure the egg whites into a clean metal bowl. Whisk both the sugars into the egg whites and then place the bowl over a pan of lightly simmering water. Continue whisking until the temperature of the mixture reaches 160 degrees. Remove from the heat and pour into the bowl of a standing mixer. Whisk on medium high until a thick, glossy marshmallow-like meringue with stiff peaks is formed. This should take 8-10 minutes and make sure the contents have cooled to room temperature.

3)     Lower to medium speed and alternate adding one tablespoon of softened butter and the browned butter. Wait for each piece of butter to incorporate before adding the next. The meringue may deflate but keep mixing for another 10-15 minutes until it transforms into a frosting texture.

4)     Fold in the vanilla paste and sea salt to taste.