Crème au beurre- French Buttercream

You can use this cream to frost or fill cakes, cupcakes, pies and more. It'f fluffy and light and it's definitely healthier than the regular butter cream since the load is distributed between egg whites and butter.

Makes 5 cups
Preparation Time: 1 hour
Cooking Time: 20 minutes

2 1/8 cups (510g/ 18 oz) butter
1/2 cup (125g/ 4 1/2 oz) Crisco ®, All-vegetable shortening
3 egg whites
1/4 cup (55g/ 2 oz) extra fine white sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Sugar syrup
1 1/2 cups (330g/ 11 2/3 oz) super fine white sugar
1/4 cup and 1 tablespoon (75 ml/ 2 1/2 fl oz)


Preparation
1- In a medium pan, pour the sugar and water. Do not mix to prevent crystallization. Bring to a boil until the sugar reaches 110◦ C.

Sugar syrup boiling

2- Meanwhile, start beating egg whites in the medium bowl of an electrical mixer on medium speed. When bubbles start forming, increase the speed to fast and keep beating until the eggs double in volume. then add the vanilla and sugar in a stream, do not dump in the middle or this will make you lose the air condensed inside of the whites.
Pour the sugar syrup little by little, beating on medium-high speed until the batter is stiff and glossy.

The glossy and stiff egg whites mixture

3- Allow the egg whites mixture to cool for 1 hour, then start adding the shortening and butter beating on medium speed until all is well combined and the cream is ready to be used.

Adding the shortening

Adding the butter

This cream is super delicious and light. I personally prefer the French butter cream for one simple reason: the egg whites give it more volume and fluffiness and there is definitely less quantity of butter.