Reduced-sugar buttercream recipe

Want to cut down on the sugar content in your cakes? Try topping your cupcakes with cupcake queen Victoria Threader's reduced-sugar buttercream. This fluffy icing contains less than half the sugar of regular buttercream

Now you know how to make the perfect icing, why not follow our simple guide on how to make a piping bag to really let your creative icing decorations flourish.

Ingredients

• 240ml milk
• 60g plain flour
• Pinch of salt
• 110g vegetable fat such as Trex
• 110g unsalted butter
• 220g caster sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Method

1. Whisk the flour into the milk in a small saucepan and heat gently over a low heat until you have a smooth ball of mixture. Don't worry if you get lumps, just pop it through a seive.
2. Cover the mixture with cling film so the cling is touching the top of the mixture, this ensures it doesn't develop a skin. Leave to go cold.
3. Beat the other ingredients together in a large bowl with an electric whisk until light and fluffy. When the flour mix is cold add it to the rest of the ingredients spoon by spoon, continuing to beat the mixture with the electric whisk while you drop it in.
4. Beat until smooth and shiny, if the buttercream seems crunchy keep beating, this could take up to 10 minutes. Add food colouring if required, and chill for 10 minutes, this will make it easier to pipe.