Buttercream Icing

If you need a good balance of taste and texture for your cake decorating, this recipe works well. The shortening in the icing provides the correct consistency needed to decorate a cake, and the frosted cake doesn't need to be refrigerated. This recipe is great if you need a cake to sit out for several hours and still be edible.


Buttercream Icing 

½ cup solid vegetable shortening
½ cup butter or margarine
1 tsp. vanilla
4 cups sifted confectioners’ sugar (approx. 1 lb.)
2 Tb. milk

Cream butter and shortening with electric mixer. Add vanilla. Gradually add sugar, one cup at a time, beating well on medium speed. Scrape sides and bottom of bowl often. When all sugar has been mixed in, icing will appear dry. Add milk and beat at medium speed until light and fluffy. Add 1-2 Tb. light corn syrup to thin icing, if needed. Keep icing covered with a damp cloth until ready to use. For best results, keep icing bowl in refrigerator when not in use. Refrigerated in an airtight container, this icing can be stored 2 weeks. Rewhip before using. Makes 3 cups.

Mindy's Notes: This is a good cake decorating frosting, but is not so great on taste. You can add almond or butter extract to improve the flavor. If you want to substitute all butter for the shortening, you will improve the taste, but the frosting will be softer; the heat from your hand may melt it in the bag as you decorate the cake. You need the shortening to have the proper consistency for decorating icing.