I may receive a commission if you purchase through links in this post. I am not a doctor; please consult your practitioner before changing your supplement or healthcare regimen. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Have you ever made a traditional French buttercream frosting, adding 1 tablespoon of butter in at a time and beating for ages, so it all incorporates evenly, pouring the simple syrup in slowly as well? It takes forever and you end up with something only mildly sweet that basically tastes like butter but frosts a cake with great form. The frosting I’ve created here has a very similar outcome but is much easier to make, a bit sweeter; and necessary, happy bonus: this one is honey-sweetened for GAPS and Paleo, with a Keto variation. The satin finish is beautiful, and the frosting pipes to perfection.
Piping Satin Buttercream Frosting
The secret ingredient? Gelatin! (Find it here.)
Now that I’m a grain-free, sugar-free girl I’ll never go back to certain (sugar-laden) former recipes. Never. And I’m okay with that. More than okay. Creating new options like this frosting means I have everything I need and I’m going to stay put, content.
There’s a ganache recipe I make that I really love. (See it here in the sneak peek of my cookbook!) I love to make it: beautiful, simple ingredients. And I love to eat it. (Who doesn’t enjoy a pure, dark chocolate ganache?) But this Satin Buttercream is my favorite frosting to pipe; and I love to eat it too. I actually really like a frosting that’s not very sweet. Good cake with a buttery frosting– yes, please.
Before going sugar-free I used to make wedding cakes… and cakes for our own family, for every occasion. Because I loved to eat them and I loved to make them, trying out different classic frosting recipes was a hobby. I can say from that experience that this Satin Buttercream pipes like a dream. There is no superior piper!
Tips for Satin Buttercream Frosting
Nuances? Yes, it has one!
This is how it behaves:
- Room temperature Satin Buttercream is ready to eat. Frost any cake, the middle, top and sides and serve!
- If you refrigerate this frosting it firms up and will not stick to the cake as well.
- This Satin frosting will hold the shape of fancy, curvy frosting at room temperature, no wilting, no problem. But if you make cakes ahead of time and refrigerate them until the event, pull out the cake 1 hour or more before serving.
- The only thing not to do with this buttercream is to frost the middle, top and sides, chill and serve. Nope! It will break off in slabs and pieces. If you refrigerate a fully frosted cake, let it first come to room temperature before serving. It’s best to serve the cake right after it’s made; or do like in the photos: pipe pretty shapes on top, fill the middle, but don’t frost the sides and all over, if you plan to chill it.
Hope you love working with this beauty as much as you love eating it! It’s not only guilt-free pleasure; it’s actually good for you! Grass-fed butter, raw honey (with Keto variation), gelatin- yes! Indulge and enjoy!
Satin Buttercream Frosting (GAPS, Paleo, Keto)
Equipment
- electric beaters
- pot and stove
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter softened to room temperature
- ½ cup room-temperature water
- ¼ cup raw honey or favorite Keto liquid sweetener (see link in Recipe Notes)
- 1 tsp. sustainably-sourced gelatin see discount code and link below in Recipe Notes
- ⅛ tsp. cinnamon
- 1/16 tsp. powdered stevia, optional
- teeny pinch sea salt
Instructions
- Place water in a small saucepan and sprinkle gelatin over its surface. Allow gelatin to dissolve for 1 minute. Heat water over medium heat, stirring the entire time, as the gelatin dissolves completely.
- When water is steaming but not yet simmering, turn off heat and stir in honey to dissolve. Also stir in the cinnamon, stevia and sea salt. Allow it to cool to room temperature.
- Place the butter in a large metal bowl. Beat until creamy with hand beaters; then add honey-gelatin water in a slow stream. Beat until the frosting is smooth and all the honey water is incorporated evenly.
- Frost your cooled cake at this point. (If you refrigerate the frosting before using it, simply melt it down slightly again, beat and refrigerate until you have reached the right temperature and texture. Or bring it to room temperature slowly.)
Notes
Nutrition
Need a cake or cookie for this frosting? Find some of my favorites:
- Giant Pumpkin Cookie (Paleo, GAPS)
- Parsnip-Pecan Cake (Paleo)
- Orange Creamsicle Cake (Paleo, GAPS, Keto)
Raia Torn says
Sounds delicious! Wish I would have seen this before I ruined my daughter’s birthday frosting with nasty powdered sugar. Blech.
Megan Stevens says
Lol, sorry Raia, I totally understand and have been there!! For next time! 😉
Ashley says
Hi Megan,
Would it work to replace collagen powder with the gelatin powder? And how much monk fruit liquid sweetener could replace stevia?
Megan says
Hi Ashley, I’m afraid not. Gelatin gels, and collagen dissolves, so they have very different functions. I’d try monk fruit sweetener to taste. Are you using concentrated pure monk fruit or one that’s combined with a low carb sweetener like erythritol?
yekcal says
You list cinnamon, stevia and sea salt in the ingredients but they don’t show up in the instructions. When do you put those in?
Megan Stevens says
I’m so sorry that I omitted adding those. I’ll correct it now! 🙂 They get added in Step 2. Thanks for calling it to my attention!!
Megan Brooks says
Any suggestions for when the mixture doesn’t blend, I made the first batch and it worked perfectly!! Second and third batches didn’t blend so the mixture is a lumpy soupy mess 🙁
Megan Stevens says
Hi Megan~ SO glad you had great success with your first batch. That’s a good start. Can you isolate what you did differently between batches 1 and 2? My guess is that the butter wasn’t room temp the second time or that possibly the gelatin water was too warm and added in too quickly with cold butter, but most likely that the butter was not room temp. Thoughts? 🙂
Megan Brooks says
With the second batch I doubled it so thought that might have been the problem, so with the 3rd I did exactly as I did the first time and still got the soupy mess. It is warmer in our house so I chilled the gelatine in the fridge and the butter was soft. I used my kitchen aid so a good mixer and added super slow. I just don’t get it!
Megan Stevens says
I can’t say for sure because I haven’t had that happen. But I suspect your warm kitchen could have played in? One solution? may be to put the whole business in the blender, especially if you have a Blendtec or Vitamix. It may fix it…if it’s on the cooler side of room temperature, not all melty.
Megan Brooks says
Ok so the solution that worked for me was to melt the whole thing down and then cool it off with ice while the mixer was whipping it… But I agree I think it was just too hot in the house for it to work…sigh! Thanks for the recipe and problem solving with me!
Megan Stevens says
SO happy you found a solution!! It’s great to know, actually, that that’s a limitation of the recipe. HOT kitchen not ideal for making this recipe!! Boy, you’ve been through it! Thanks for sharing your process and happy to help on this end!! 🙂
Rose says
Well I mine also turned into a soupy mess so I tried your method of melting it down and cooling it with ice while remixing and it turned back into a soupy mess…sigh…
Megan says
Too sad, Rose. Sounds like your butter is too soft to start with.
Katie Stanley says
I think I needed this like yesterday. 😉 It looks SO tasty! I love the idea of adding gelatin.
Megan Stevens says
Thanks, Katie! Yes, so yummy and I love the gelatin too, such a lovely texture. 🙂
Emily @ Recipes to Nourish says
Love this beautiful recipe! I am a huge fan of frosting and this recipe is right up my alley. Yum!
Megan Stevens says
Thanks, Emily!!
Chloe says
That looks so delicious! And like it won’t be painfully sweet either. I will definitely keep this in mind for the next time I need frosting.
Megan Stevens says
Yes, so true, not too sweet but awfully light and buttery. 🙂
Vanessa Nixon Klein says
Sounds delicious! Thanks for sharing it with us 🙂
Megan Stevens says
Thanks, Vanessa!
Julianna Sforza Giudice says
Hello! I have been looking for a buttercream recipe for my recipes that doesn’t contain powdered sugar. I am very excited to try this one! I would like to make it ahead of time and wondered how far in advance I could make it? Is it best to store it in a container at room temperature? Frost the cupcakes, cake, etc…when ready to serve?
Megan Stevens says
Great. 🙂 If you chill it, it firms up. So if you want the frosting to be super soft then I think your idea is a good one. How far ahead of time do you mean? If you make it the night before or the morning of the event, that seems the best to me. I’m not sure about leaving it out for days. Cheers and enjoy!
Julianna Sforza Giudice says
I am making mini cupcakes for my daughter’s birthday celebration at school. If I can make the buttercream the night before and frost the cupcakes in the morning I think I should be okay. They just can’t refrigerate the cupcakes at school. I just want to be sure they will hold up for a few hrs without melting….Thanks so much!
Megan Stevens says
You’re welcome. 🙂 Yes, the buttercream holds up well at room temperature.
Judy Dauphinais says
Hello Megan, I avoid dairy, but can have Ghee. Will ghee work for this buttercream?
Megan Stevens says
Hi Judy, I haven’t tried it. Let me know if you do, how it does. You could also try using half ghee, half coconut oil.
Judy Dauphinais says
Hi Megan, I tried what you suggested and used half ghee, half coconut oil. I didn’t think the ghee would be firm/stiff enough alone. The results were great, texture-wise, but a little bland. Perhaps a little more stevia next time. Thank you for the suggestion. By the way, I paired it with the Pecan Parsnip cake, which is delicious! Thanks for the healthy treats!
Megan Stevens says
Hi Judy, thank you for the feedback! Good to know! Yes, if a bit bland– how about increasing the cinnamon and also adding vanilla and a bit of sea salt… 🙂
Judy Dauphinais says
I like the sound of that, thanks again!
Tere says
Is this the only flavor of frosting, the cinnamon, can’t we just make vanilla and leave the cinnamon out, even though I love cinnamon ,I wouldn’t want that on every cake. And sounds delicious however. please reply
Megan says
Tere, yes, you can. But the cinnamon is subtle. The reason it’s there is to add a bit more flavor.
Amanda W says
Just found this recipe! I know I’m late to the conversation, but do you think this would work on a wedding cake?
Lucine Drake says
Hi there – last I checked stevia is not GAPS legal. How well does this recipe work without it?
Megan says
Hi Lucine, yes, the recipe works well without the stevia, but that added bit of sweetness is ideal. You could increase the cinnamon a teeny bit and make sure your cake is plenty sweet.
Kisara Blake says
I just made this recipe over the weekend, and it was amazing. However now that I’m looking for it again, the ingredients and instructions aren’t showing on this article! Is something wrong?
Megan says
Yay, Kisara!! SO happy you love it! Yes, sorry for that. The problem is fixed now! 🙂
Jennifer Adams says
I made this! It’s soooo yummy and my kids loved it. I paired it with a gluten-free banana cake. I totally ignored your advice not to frost the sides, but it worked perfectly for me anyway. This wasn’t for an event so I didn’t spend a lot of time smoothing the sides and I had JUST enough for this 6-inch cake. I don’t know how to attach a picture to this comment. But it spread and piped so perfectly. Absolutely will save and use again.
Megan says
Thank you Jennifer. It’s so nice to hear from readers after you’ve made a recipe. I’m so happy you enjoyed it and shared! 🙂
Beth Ricci says
This is an awesome recipe! It worked perfectly and tastes AMAZING. I left out the stevia because we’re on GAPS, and it works great. One question: have you ever frozen it? I have some left over because the cake I made was just little.
Megan says
Great Beth!! Thank you! and thanks for coming back to share! I do think it will freeze well! You’ll just defrost it, bring it to room temperature, and then beat it again briefly to regain the right whipped texture. I’m so happy you’re doing so well on GAPS and finding good recipes to make it more fun and easier! 🙂
Rachel says
Hello! What is the cake that is in the picture for this frosting recipe? it looks like a spice cake?
Megan says
Hi Rachel, it’s Parsnip-Pecan Cake: https://eatbeautiful.net/parsnip-pecan-cake-with-satin-buttercream-grain-free-sugar-free/ Yes, a moist yummy spice cake. Blessings!
Rachel says
How long can a cake sit out with this icing before it needs to be refrigerated to stay good? Does it spoil? Or can it sit out like store bought bakery cakes?
Heidi says
Is it okay to make this frosting with honey for a 12 month old baby? Or what can be used instead?
Megan says
Hi Heidi, all the information I’ve read about babies and honey say it’s fine at/after 12 months. Please ask your doctor to be sure. An alternative may be pure maple syrup.
Heidi says
Thank you:)
Connie says
Can I pipe my cupcakes the night before the event n keep them in the fridge? I stay in a very hot n humid country so I can’t leave cupcakes on the kitchen counter top. So, what do I do before I serve eg., leave them on the table at room temp, 1hr, 3hrs ahead of time, etc etc? Please advise, I need it by 25 June, Thanks alots!
Megan says
Hi Connie, yes, refrigerate the piped cupcakes, and then leave them on the counter about 2 hours before serving, if the room is quite warm (as you described: hot and humid) or for 3 hours if the room is cooler. I’d love to hear how it goes! 🙂
Connie says
If I want to make orange buttercream, can I use orange juice instead of water? Thanks alots!
Megan says
Yes, that sounds good. I’d also use orange oil, though, to have a strong enough flavor, to taste. For culinary oil, start with 1/8 teaspoon, and then add more as needed. For essential oil, start with just one drop, whisk in, and then taste. Part orange flower water could also be used in place of part of the water, for a lovely orange floral flavor, if you don’t have orange oils.
Connie says
Thanks Megan for your quick reply. I can’t find essential oil or part orange flower water, what do I do? Need to increase the orange juice? If so how much more? How is this buttercream different from Swiss meringue buttercream? Which one gives a lighter n fluffier buttercream? Thanks again for your advice.
Megan says
Hi Connie, I’ve already given all the more flavorful options. If you use just OJ, the taste of orange will be very mild. Maybe that’s okay for your needs? No egg whites or candy sweetness to a buttercream. Just creamy, high fat and mildly sweet. 🙂
Connie says
Will the buttercream hold its shape in a tropical weather, like 92-94F daily, for a few hours?
Megan says
Yes, Connie, no problem. You may want to chill it first.
Becky says
Hi! I am vegan and want to make this recipe plant based, so I’ll substitute agave nectar for honey. However, curious if you have a replacement for gelatin – will tapioca starch work?
Megan says
Hi Becky, good question. I don’t think tapioca flour will give you the same satin texture or staying power. I’d try to make a similar water mixture with agar-agar.
Dorothy says
I’m wondering if you could add cocoa or carob and make this chocolate.
Megan says
Hi Dorothy, I don’t know actually! I did make a Chocolate Whipped Cream Frosting last week where I added powdered coconut sugar and cocoa to whipped cream, and then just whipped, and it turned out perfectly. I think with butter, it may not work as well as it did with cream, but I haven’t tried it to know. There are a few other good chocolate frosting/ganache recipes on the blog that might be good alternatives for you, depending on which cake you’re trying to pair it with. The Chocolate Whipped Cream Frosting recipe is here, if that’s helpful: https://eatbeautiful.net/oat-flour-cake-vegan-gluten-free/ 🙂
Kim says
Curious how cream cheese would hold up in this? I love cream cheese in frosting but not sure if it would make it too watery?
Megan says
Hi Kim, I haven’t tried that, so sorry: I don’t know. You could probably make a traditional cream cheese frosting and then add the gelatin water at the end for the desired outcome.
Isabel says
I’d like to try this recipe for my baby’s smash cake. I can’t afford to buy gelatin right now but I wonder if a tsp of Gelmix (thickener for breastmilk and formula) might work. It contains tapioca maltodextrin, carob bean gum, and calcium carbonate.
Megan says
Hi Isabel, I’m sorry, but no, I don’t think this sub will work. Congrats on your baby’s first year!
Michelle says
Hello,
I haven’t seen in the comments: will it work with margarine instead of butter? Thank you
Megan says
Hi Michelle, probably, but I haven’t tried to be sure. The main thing is to have it at room temperature.
Bella says
If I do half butter/half coconut oil, will that impart any coconut flavor overall? I’ve been looking for a powdered sugar-free buttercream recipe to go with all yellow batter cakes & cupcakes and can’t wait to make this ASAP!
Megan says
Hi Bella, I can’t recommend coconut oil for this recipe, because it won’t whip up smoothly like butter. You could use a palm shortening designed to make frosting with, and then half butter.
Alicia says
Would it work to use maple syrup instead of honey?
Megan says
Yes, maple syrup works in the recipe. 🙂
Ashley LaHood says
Hi!
Can you color this with Brett root powder to make a pink frosting? Or is there a way to color this you suggest?
Megan says
Yes, you can! I don’t know the exact amount, so you can perhaps see as you go how much you’ll need.
Rebecca says
Excellent! Best ever.
Megan says
Thank you, Rebeccca, so glad you loved the Buttercream Frosting!
Cheryl says
Is this the right consistency to ice a whole Birthday cake nice and smooth? Thanks
Megan says
Yes, Cheryl. 🙂
Stephanie Orasi says
How long will this frosting keep in the refrigerator?
Megan says
I think a couple of weeks, and maybe longer.
Alaina says
Finally! A low sugar frosting that’s easy, versatile and looks great. I’ve made this for two birthday parties and have added different flavors to it (once mint extract and once powdered raspberry), and it’s come out fabulous both times. It’s nicely sweet. Also, maple syrup works well in place of the honey if the honey flavor is too overpowering.
Megan says
Thank you, Alaina!! Yay, and so good of you to share your results! 🙂 So glad!
Erica says
Hi there, do you have any suggestions for butter and/or ghee substitute?
Megan says
Hi Erica, Yes, you could make this recipe using palm shortening: https://eatbeautiful.net/aip-buttercream-frosting-amazingly-delicious-dairy-free-coconut-free-whips-pipes-beautifully-compliant-autoimmune-protocol-diet/ 🙂
Erica says
What a blessing! If you heard a squeal of excitement that was probably me! If I have questions about that one I’ll reach out again under that recipe, appreciate your being so responsive. xxx
Megan says
LOL, Yay, Erica!! SO glad, and enjoy! I think you’ll love that recipe. It behaves like a dream, like this one does, too. 🙂