The Grey Stuff Buttercream Frosting: Inspired by Beauty and the Beast
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Making Lumière proud and re-creating buttercream ‘grey stuff’ – and you know what? It really is delicious!
If you really enjoy chocolate, then I suggest making this Hershey bar banana bread. Every bite melts in your mouth, and the chocolate bar bits are Heavenly.
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Disney’s animated film, Beauty and the Beast, was released on November 22, 1991 – that was so many years ago (but it feels like yesterday).
If Beauty and the Beast is your favorite Disney movie, then this recipe is for you! This grey buttercream frosting is also perfect for Beauty and the Beast birthday parties.
How To Make “Grey Stuff” Buttercream Frosting
To pay homage to the movie’s beautiful ‘Be Our Guest’ scene, I whipped up these vanilla cupcakes, topped with my classic homemade buttercream. This buttercream is the star player for many of my desserts and I’m happy to share that recipe with you today.
Kitchen Tools Needed:
Ingredients for Homemade Buttercream Frosting:
All the exact amounts you need are in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post. First, here is a quick list of what you need to get from the store.
- Salted butter, softened
- Confectioner’s sugar
- Milk
- Gel food colouring of your choice (we used a dab of black gel food colouring to give ‘The Grey Stuff’ its signature look!)
How Much Frosting It Makes
This recipe makes enough frosting to top one dozen cupcakes.
Use A Stand Mixer
Even though it is not required, I suggest using a stand mixer. If you don’t have one, then get my favorite – the Kitchen Aid stand mixer.
It will save you a lot of time and energy. You can let it whip the buttercream while you clear up the mess from pouring the ingredients.
Black Gel Food Coloring
Honestly, my favorite type of food coloring for buttercream frosting is black gel food coloring. It covers the frosting really well and is really easy to adjust so that you get that light grey color you want.
Beat Until Stiff Peaks Form
Confectioner’s sugar (or powdered sugar) is the secret to perfect buttercream frosting. If you think your buttercream frosting is too runny, add more confectioners’ sugar, one tablespoon at a time. If you think it is too thick, you may add milk, ½ tbsp at a time.
Keep beating the frosting until stiff peaks form. When they do, you will know the frosting is ready to use!
Scoop the buttercream into a piping bag and frost each cupcake generously.
How Long Homemade Buttercream Frosting Lasts
Store extra buttercream frosting in an airtight food storage container in the refrigerator. It will stay fresh for up to a week.
Use Other Colors
Even though I made this frosting with Beauty and the Beast in mind, you can make it any color you want! This is my favorite homemade buttercream recipe. Make your favorite colors to create your own cake and cookie designs.
The Grey Stuff: Buttercream Frosting Inspired by Beauty and the Beast
SERVINGS
Equipment
- Stand Mixer
Ingredients
- 2 sticks butter (about 1 cup)
- 4 cups confectioners’ sugar
- 3-4 tbsp milk
- Gel food coloring of your choice (we used a dab of black gel food colouring to give ‘The Grey Stuff’ its signature look!)
Instructions
- Using a stand mixer, start beating butter, confectioners’ sugar, and milk on slow. As the ingredients start to mix, slowly increase the speed to high.
- Add gel food coloring and continue beating until the consistency is thick and forms stiff peaks. If you find your buttercream is too runny, add more confectioners’ sugar, one tablespoon at a time. If too thick, you may add milk, ½ tbsp at a time.
- Scoop the buttercream into a piping bag and frost each cupcake generously.
Nutrition
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How cute are these?! They make grey look good!
Your pictures are so sweet with the Chip cup! I remember trying the grey stuff at Disney World and it was so fun.
These are so pretty! I have a friend who is obsessed with Beauty and the Beast. I’m going to make these for her birthday!
who knew gray frosting could look so delicious?! I wish I could bake, I’d totally try to make these!
These look so good. 10,000 bonus points for the cute photos with Chip!
Aw, Beauty and the Beast was my absolute FAVORITE childhood Disney movie! What I would have given to have some of “the grey stuff” while I was watching it!
I wanna try the “gray stuff”. I love frosting and Beauty and the Beast. Your cupcakes are too cute!
This is really adorable and looks delicious! Would love to give it a try!
Your pictures are gorgeous and the cupcakes are perfect! Such a pretty grey color!
Oh these look just amazing. Such gorgeous photos and the buttercream looks just fantastic. So perfect.
Great recipe! I will have to try this with my niece next week!
Your cupcakes look so delicious! I would think twice before I bite into one. The frosting is so simple to make and I can just choose a different food color to match an occasion. 🙂
This shade looks amazing. I love making frosting, my kids love it even more
I can’t believe beauty and the beast came out 27 years ago! I love how you got this colour in your icing, looks intruiging and delicious.
Your cupcakes turned out beautiful. You did a great job. I always buy store bought because I was intimidated by making my own. This looks like an easy recipe I will have to try.
Buttercream frosting is delicious! I love that it can be made almost any color you need to decorate with. These turned out great.
Beauty and the Beast is my favorite Disney movie! These cupcakes look like a yummy treat for a movie watching party. The grey stuff does look delicious!
my goodness the frosting looks so yummmy 😀 Love, love, love the color and finish you gave it!!!
Hi. These are cute…. I have a question though, Does using the black gel leave a bitter taste?
Hi Rene,
Use just a little bit of the black gel and it shouldn’t really leave a bitter taste. Enjoy!
Best wishes,
Carrie
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