Buttercream Icing - Buttercream Frosting - Buttercream Icing 101
Buttermilk Icing Recipes - How To Make Buttercream Icing

by Peggy Weaver
 


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Buttercream Icing - Buttercream Icing 101

Valentine's Day Cake, cake with buttercream icing

There are many versions of “Buttercream” icing or frosting. Some are made with eggs and all butter. Some varieties, you have to cook your sugar to a softball stage. Others are 100% shortening or a combination of shortening and butter.

Each decorator has his or her favorite. I, personally, think that the best taste and textured recipe is the one that has you cook your sugar, add to whipped eggs and use pounds of butter per batch. BUT…. I live in a state that can easily be a 100 degrees for days on end during the summer and you know what butter does on hot days. It melts! A greasy puddle of melted icing on a cake plate is not something I want to look at or eat. 

Your top notch decorators have a few options we don’t. They have huge refrigerators to store their cakes in, and refrigerated vehicles that they can use to deliver decorated cakes. I even know a few that refuse to deliver at all. If you want their cake, you come and get it and it’s your responsibility if it melts. These decorators don’t even turn on their ovens for a wedding cake for less than $2,000.

 



The following recipes for Buttercream Icing/Frosting holds up pretty well in the heat and humidity, but if you know that your cake will be out in very high temperatures, then don’t use any butter and use only a high quality shortening.


Shortening:

Solid Vegetable Shortenings definitely have their place in baking. So I’m going to talk taste test and say that Crisco Shortening is the hands down winner. It has a clean taste with the melting point of 106 degrees F.

Butter melts somewhere between 88 and 98 degrees F. depending on the amount of fat in the brand. You can see that if you need to serve a pure buttercream decorated cake, on a hot August afternoon, you could have melted roses (and I do mean greasy puddles) on the tablecloth. This is when a good quality shortening will be a great blessing. I have been told by decorator friends that some of the warehouse brand shortenings leave a grainy consistency to the icing no matter what you do.


Powdered (Confectioner's) Sugar:

Please use a cane sugar. I prefer C&H Powdered (confectioners) Sugar Many of the cheaper brands use sugar beets for their base. I don’t know the chemistry behind it but you definitely get different textures to your icing that can vary from batch to batch. I spent a few months being very frustrated with the quality of my icing until a kind lady did a bit of trouble shooting for me. She recommended the cane sugar and I’ve been blessing her ever since.

Top-Quality Brands: Please be safe, buy a quality brands and then stick with them for the best results. 

A friend of mine, who is a wonderful cook and baker, travels a lot and she often prepares treats for her hosts. She’s learned to ask the host to have her favorite shortening and flour on hand. She has even made up a little makeup-type case that carries her favorite extracts and precious spices. This way she knows what she is working with, how it handles, and what tastes she can expect for the finished product. Some surprises are NOT pleasant!


Storing Buttercream Icing/Frosting:

  • If you are not going to be using the buttercream icing right away, place it in a clean, sealable bowl. Store it in the refrigerator, but please don’t place it next to the marinating salmon, garlic, or broccoli. You do NOT want those flavors in your icing! I like to use my icing within a few days, but buttercream icing will hold in the cold refrigerator for a couple of weeks, if necessary.

  • I often make a double batch of buttercream icing the night before I have a baking project. This way I know that I have plenty of icing, it’s fresh, and I don’t have to make it while I’m in the middle of baking the cakes. The extra icing can always be used for a batch of cupcakes.

  • When you remove the icing from the refrigerator, you might notice that the icing has taken on a sponge-like texture. Do yourself a favor and place the icing in a bowl and mix by hand, using a back and forth, smashing motion, with a spoon or icing spatula. What you want to do is to smash the bubbles out of the icing. This extra step will help to give you the smoothest icing for a pretty top and sides of the cake. I have found that you will get an even better texture of icing if it is at room temperature before you try to do your icing.


Bad Buttercream Icing Days: 

One thing that seems very silly but is true. There are Bad Buttercream Icing Days! I’ve asked quite a few decorators about this and every one says "Yes, there are lousy days." I’m not sure what causes the problem: 

  • It could be that every human has bad days so they blame the buttercream icing.

  • It may be the humidity or that there is a low pressure system hanging over your town.

I just know why, but it is a perceived fact! The way I have handled the problem is that I changed the decoration on the cake since I couldn’t get the smooth top or sides as I originally planned. Writing a greeting on a messy top would look awful, so I changed the design idea and put flowers everywhere. I could have also done a basket weave technique around the sides. Just go with the flow and don’t get frustrated! Aunt Martha won’t chuck the cake at you if you don’t write her name on the top this time. Remember that you are creating something that is to be eaten so have fun with it.


Different Types of Stand Mixers:

If you have a heavy-duty counter mixer, you can prepare a whole batch at one time. If you are using a hand mixer, divide the recipe in half. If you notice the mixer getting hot, please stop and let the machine cool off. I also prefer to mix the buttercream icing on a low setting on my electric mixer. It seems that the higher setting will do the job faster, but you also will get a spongy texture to the buttercream icing. I don’t want that quality in my final ice coating or flowers on the cake.
 

Using Weight Scales:

I put a piece of wax paper on my scale and start plopping spoons of shortening on top until I get the desired weight. This tip really saves time on the cleanup! 

1 cup of Crisco Shortening weighs 6 ounces. 

 

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Peggy Weaver

Author: Peggy Weaver

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Back to Peggy's Baking Corner Home Page

Check out some of Peggy Weaver's many Cake Decorating Articles, Tutorials, and Q&A pages below.


Fondant Icing/Covering:

Fondant Icing Recipe - Marshmallow Fondant
Recipe and tutorial on making & using marshmallow fondant icing.

Making Fondant Icing
Q&As on making fondant icing.

Fondant Recipes
Additional fondant recipes plus Q&As on making other flavors of fondant icing.

Bubbles in the Fondant
What causes bubbles in your fondant icing and how to fix the problem.

Covering Cakes with Fondant Icing
Peggy's hints and tips for covering your cakes with Fondant Icing.

Decorating Cakes with Fondant Icing
How to add color, how to make fondant flowers, using fondant decorations, repairing tears, and much more.

Marbling Fondant Icing
Learn how to marble fondant icing.


Buttercream Icing/Covering:

Buttercream Icing 101
Recipe and tutorial on making & using buttercream icing.

Buttercream Recipes
Additional buttercream recipes plus Q&As on making other flavors of buttercream icing.

Decorating with Buttercream
How to use decorations on buttercream icing.


Wedding Cakes:

Assembling Cakes/Wedding Cakes

Cake Fillings
How to use caking fillings with your wedding cakes.

Covering Wedding Cakes with Fondant

Decorating Wedding Cakes
Lots of Q&A's on decoration a wedding cake.


Other Cake Baking and Decoration Topics:

Recipes & Baking Ingredients
Q&As on different cake baking ingredients, plus Royal Icing Recipe and White Cake Recipes.

Miscellaneous

Cookies & Cookie Cutters

Comments From Bakers

Peggy's Cake Decorating Idea Photos
This idea page has photos only and no detailed decorating instructions.





Buttercream Icing Recipe I
My favorite version of Buttercream Icing to use for decorating.

Recipe Type: Buttercream Icing 101
Yields: 1 batch Buttercream Icing
Prep time: 30 min


Ingredients:

This icing is used for icing cakes and cookies as well as for borders and art work on cakes. It also makes a good tasting filling between layers of the cake and under a Fondant Icing. You can make roses out of Buttercream Icing, but the drying time is 3 or more days depending on the humidity.

2 sticks (1 cup) butter, room temperature
2 cups Crisco shortening
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon butter flavoring (Wilton’s makes the best flavored version)
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract (I use Wilton’s Clear Vanilla)
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
2 pounds powdered (confectioners') cane sugar, divided*
1 tablespoon meringue powder (optional but the texture will be smoother)**
Water or milk as necessary (I usually add about 2 tablespoons but you may need more or less depending on the humidity in your neighborhood)

* 2 pounds un-sifted powdered sugar (confectioners' sugar) = about 8 to 9 cups.

** You can purchase meringue powder at your local grocery store under the brand name of Just Whites.


Preparation:

In the electric mixer, combine butter, Crisco shortening, and salt together to incorporate, about 5 minutes on low.

Add butter, vanilla extract, and almond extract; mix together well. Add about 1 pound (4 to 4 1/2 cups) powdered sugar and the meringue powder; mix until incorporated.

Add the remaining powdered sugar (1/2 cup of powdered sugar at a time), and mix until you get the consistency you want. You may not need to use all the powdered sugar.

Add a little water or milk (a teaspoon at a time), if necessary to thin the frosting. Blend well on low for several minutes.

Use immediately or cover and refrigerate. NOTE: Buttercream Icing will last for weeks as long as it is well sealed.

Makes about 3 1/2 pounds of Buttercream Icing.

 



Buttercream Icing Recipe II- Holds up in humidity better – Faux Fondant

This recipe and the instructions are from a lovely lady name "Sewsweet."  I thank her very much. I like this recipe better than Wilton’s buttercream because it tastes less sweet and uses half the amount of Crisco shortening.

Ingredients:

2 cups Crisco shortening
4 pounds powdered (confectioners') sugar
1/2 cup corn starch
1/3 cup powdered milk mixed with enough water to make 1 cup
1/2 teaspoon clear vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon clear butter extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1/2 teaspoon Crème Royale or crème bouquet, optional
1/2 teaspoon salt
Viva paper towels*

* Use a paper towel that has no design imprinted for smoothing your icing The trick is to smooth it with Viva paper towels when the icing is slightly crusted.


Preparation:

Into the mixer bowl, place the Crisco shortening and cream until fluffy. Add the powdered sugar to the creamed shortening in the mixer bowl and mix. Add 1/2 cup cornstarch and beat well on low for about 15 minutes.

In a small bowl, combine the water and the powdered milk; add the vanilla extract, butter extract, almond extract, and crème royale or crème bouquet, and salt. Add to the shortening/sugar mixture and combine until well mixed.

This icing needs to be made ahead of time. As it sets up it gets firmer. When ready to use, just rewhip on low and you get a smooth, non-airy buttercream icing.

NOTE: This buttercream icing can be kept out of the refrigerator for around 2 weeks. I usually use it so fast that I hardly ever get it in the refrigerator unless I am preparing large batches. It can also be frozen. The cornstarch helps humidity as well as helping to cut the sweetness. Play with it and use whatever flavorings you like.



Chocolate Buttercream Icing Recipe
:

I just add Hershey's Cocoa, but any powdered cocoa would work. Some extra hot water will probably need to be added to the buttercream icing mixture. If you want a darker brown color, you can also add a little brown food coloring.

 



 

Cakes by Design: The Magical World of Sugar Art
By Scott Clark Woolley, Michael G. Farace

Peggy says, "I personally adore the book Cakes by Design. The author  used to teach hands on gumpaste flowers, but has put that to the side for awhile. He is making videos about gumpaste flowers that are really easy to understand."


 

Sweet Celebrations: The Art of Decorating Beautiful Cakes
By Sylvia Weinstock

Peggy says, "This is also a great reference book to use for your cake decorating."

 

Wedding Cakes You Can Make: Designing, Baking, and Decorating the Perfect Wedding Cake
By Dede Wilson

 

The Cake Bible
By Rose Levy Beranbaum

Peggy say, "I use this book 3 or 4 times a week to help answer all the many questions on cake decorating to help me keep people out of trouble or try to get them out of it.

 

 

The Cake Mix Doctor Returns!: With 160 All-New Recipes
By Anne Byrn