PASSIONATE RATIONS

When I left my last job, my soon-to-be former colleagues presented me with a buttercream-frosted cake and a “side dish” of chocolate buttercream frosting.  They knew me well, so the gift was a thoughtful one.

My oft-repeated mantra for all the office parties that had gone before was “It’s all about the frosting.”  I often would forego the cake and simply scrape up the colorful piping left behind on the platter as the cake itself was lifted onto serving plates.

Great was (and is) my disappointment when the frosting consisted of whipped cream.  Why would anyone choose that over a magical mixture of eggs, butter and sugar?  Sure, it’s okay, but the airy lightness of whipped cream in my opinion cannot compete with the silky-rich texture of a good buttercream.  And it’s not as versatile.

And while buttercream may not look quite as pretty as fondant on a cake, it’s one hell of a lot tastier.

In an age where “fat” has become a four-letter word, the presence of buttercream at parties has been in sharp decline, to my chagrin.  I’m of the mind that even on a diet you don’t completely forego the good stuff, you just watch your portion size.  And a thimble full of buttercream beats a cup full of low-fat anything.

So, I choose the thimble.  Life is too short for anything less.

Hence, the multiple frosted cakes at my wedding.  Many thanks again to the confectionary contributors.

(Yes, the cake-topper sits astride buttercream–white buttercream made by yours truly over a chocolate Guinness cake made by my then-fiancé, to be precise. Now that’s a marriage that’s going to last!).

For Rose Levy Beranbaum’s take on a chocolate buttercream, click here.