Whip the butter in a stand mixer or with a hand beater until pale and fluffy, about 5-10 minutes. Whipping the butter sufficiently is crucial to incorporate the condensed milk properly.

Gradually add the condensed milk to the whipped butter in 3 additions, mixing well between each addition, to create a thick and glossy buttercream.

Add some vanilla essence or your desired flavouring and mix until combined.

Spread onto your favourite MiniMakes cakes or place into a piping bag to decorate cupcakes.

Notes: This recipe makes enough icing for 12 cupcakes or to generously ice a 20cm cake. We suggest preparing half the buttercream for a loaf cake. We didn’t want this buttercream to be overpoweringly sweet, but feel free to add a few tablespoons of sifted icing sugar if you need a little boost.

FLAVOUR VARIATIONS

• Latte: Mix 1 tsp instant espresso powder into the vanilla essence and add to the buttercream. Try it in our Pumpkin Spice Latte Cupcakes.
• Citrus: Add finely shredded orange zest to the buttercream or use a combo, like lemon-lime or grapefruit-orange.
• Malt: Mix some malt powder (like Horlicks or Ovaltine) with a tiny splash of milk to form a paste, and mix into the buttercream until combined.
• Caramel: Add some caramel treat or thick caramel sauce to your preference to the frosting and mix until well combined.
• Spiced: Add 1/4-1/2 tsp NOMU Ground Cinnamon or NOMU Holiday Baking Spice to the buttercream.