However, if you find yourself with broken buttercream, try beating it on high for 1-3 minutes

You can easily buy a 1lb box of powdered sugar and add it straight in (I find sifting it totally unnecessary), which makes less of a mess

Using all good quality butter instead of margarine or shortening is more natural, tastes better, and is much better for you (no hydrogenated oils and trans fats)

Lemon Buttercream: at step 1 beat in the zest of two lemons with the butter. Add the juice of 1-2 lemons halfway through step 1.

Chocolate Buttercream: add 2 oz of melted and (mostly) cooled unsweetened 100% baking chocolate at step 3. This makes the most velvety and perfect chocolate buttercream. I melt it in the microwave before step one. It's usually cool enough by step 3.

1 cup, 2 sticks (226g) unsalted butter at room temperature (If you are in a position to buy good quality butter, I highly recommend it. I use Kerrygold Irish Butter in almost all my recipes)

In the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment or using hand beaters (your arm will get a workout), place your room temperature butter. Beat the butter on high speed for 5 minutes, scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl occasionally. This is the most important step for silky buttercream, because you're whipping all the air into the butter. After five minutes, your butter should about double in volume and become lighter in color.

Add in all the powdered sugar. Mix it in starting on low (you don't want a face full of powdered sugar) and work your way back up to high. Your icing might look crumbly after you add the sugar, but beat for a minute or two until it is completely combined.

Add in your flavorings in small increments, beating well after each addition. Especially with berry puree, I find I need to beat for a while extra to avoid my buttercream from breaking, when it looks curdled.

Add in cream (or don't), slowly, to thin your buttercream to your desired consistency. Beat well (at this step, I like to beat it for another minute or two). The cream thins out the icing but it also helps emulsify it and keep it from breaking. I usually put close to a quarter cup (4 tbsps).