Decorator Buttercream Icing

"I always use this when I decorate cakes and I get many, many compliments on the wonderful taste. It is not that usual shortening-and-sugar-bakery-icing taste. If I am not using it to decorate a cake with, I use my all butter variation: Recipe #261024."
 
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photo by Marg (CaymanDesigns) photo by Marg (CaymanDesigns)
photo by Marg (CaymanDesigns)
photo by astmontoya photo by astmontoya
photo by Paula Y. photo by Paula Y.
photo by astmontoya photo by astmontoya
photo by Paula Y. photo by Paula Y.
Ready In:
10mins
Ingredients:
6
Yields:
3.5 cups
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ingredients

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directions

  • Cream butter and shortening then add vanilla.
  • Add sugar a cup at a time beating on medium speed.
  • Add milk 1 Tbls. at a time and beat on high until completely blended.
  • TIP: To cut the sweetness I usually sprinkle some salt in the vanilla (so it will dissolve) before proceeding with recipe as instructed.

Questions & Replies

  1. Hello! Can I store this overnight? Is Tupperware best? fridge or no fridge? Was thinking I’d prepare all the frosting i need and then use it the next day. Or is it best to get it all on the cake and let it sit overnight room temp? I don’t know a lot about cakes! Thanks!
     
  2. Do I need to sift the con. sugar? I was told to do this but don't know if that's what I need to do
     
  3. Does it hold shape? Is it a dense heavy frosting? I'm gonna try this recipe for my daughters cake.
     
  4. Can I just use salted butter? Instead of guessing how much salt to dissolve in the vanilla?
     
  5. Can I add coconut Extract?
     
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Reviews

  1. I had to taste this multiple times to be sure , but this icing is perfect! Most decorator icing is just way too sweet. This is perfect. (I used butter flavored Crisco out of necessity)
     
  2. I am on a mission to find the best frosting for my baby's birthday party...so I am going to be really hard on this recipe (that's why it gets 4 stars instead of 5). In terms of its ability to hold shape it gets 5 stars-for sure! And, yes, the flavor is not shortening-y which is great. The only "problem" I have with it is that it is super sweet...and that is coming from someone with a major sweet tooth. I did cut it with salt in the vanilla as suggested but it was still pretty sugary for me. Otherwise this is awesome! Thanks Marg....
     
  3. Excellent decorator icing! I used 1 1/2 tsp of almond extract in place of the vanilla for the cake I was working on and only 1 tsp of water (I needed a stiff icing for flowers to hold up) and this fit the bill! Very easy to work with and tastes great!! Thanks for posting!
     
  4. This was great for piping. I am still not crazy about the flavor of shortening based frostings though, hence the 4 stars. Works great for decorating so will used again for that! I may decrease the amount of shortening next time to help with the flavor for me. Or may some butter flavored shortening would help. Hmmmmm that's a thought. :) I have been using the butter flavored shortening for awhile now. It will play with your colors but the flavor is good. Update: 2008 I noticed the icing seemed off for a while now. I was nosing through some cake sights and noticed a mention of Crisco changing the fat content. People were saying it really changed their icing recipes so they switched to the cheaper shortenings and it fixed the problem. Well I did the same and now only use shortenings that haven't removed the trans fats. I know it is bad for you but hey how often to do you eat cake right?
     
  5. In an overly ambitious moment of hubris, I offered to make a cake serving 25 people for a baby shower, Mom is a superb baker and decorator and I have assisted her many times but this was my first time striking out on my own. I made a double batch of this one to cover a two layer 10 by 13 cake and had plenty to do a crumb layer, frost the cake and do a fair amount of adornment (the cake had a fruit filling but would have had enough icing for a fill layer.). The icing was a hit in terms of ease and flavor, It was just the right consistency for frosting and piping; soft enough for movement but firm enough to hold body and shape. Taste was also sensational creamy and smooth, buttery and silky. I used half clear vanilla and half bakery essence in mine. Not a thing I could say but thank you for sharing.
     
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Tweaks

  1. Never use milk in your buttercream like this or you will need to keep it refrigerated. Milk can't sit out like butter can, it's a health issue. Just use water, works fine.
     
  2. Can you add alcohol such as 1/3 cup of Rum Chata?
     
  3. I used orange juice and orange rind in place of milk. I also cut back on the sugar to 4 cups.
     
  4. Best buttercream recipe I've ever used. It was the right amount of sweetness and the icing was very smooth. I used 4 tablespoons instead of 2-3 tbs because i am using it to ice a cake instead of using it for decorations. Will use this recipe again!
     
  5. Excellent decorator icing! I used 1 1/2 tsp of almond extract in place of the vanilla for the cake I was working on and only 1 tsp of water (I needed a stiff icing for flowers to hold up) and this fit the bill! Very easy to work with and tastes great!! Thanks for posting!
     

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With the changes to the email notifications and removal of private messaging, I am no longer able to respond to questions about my recipes. Yet another feature change that has made the website less user friendly. It's sad to watch a fantastic site deteriorate over the years. Some of my recipes are on my blog.
 
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