Stiff Consistency (for flowers with upright petals) Yield: 3 cups
- 1 tsp. clear vanilla extract
- 2 Tbs. milk or water (I use water so it lasts longer in the fridge if you want to store for future use)
- 1 cup vegetable shortening (Crisco is whiter if you want really white frosting)
- 1 Tbs. Meringue Powder (find in craft store with cake decorating supplies)
- 1 lb sifted confectioners sugar (powdered sugar) (approx. 4 cups)
- Sift the confectioners sugar and meringue powder into a large mixing bowl and set aside. (I never sift)
- Cream shortening, flavorings, and milk or water.
- Gradually add sifted dry ingredients and mix on medium speed until all ingredients have been thoroughly mixed together.
- Blend an additional minute or so, until creamy.
Optional
To improve the flavor of this buttercream icing recipe, add 1 tsp. of butter extract and a pinch of salt. Dissolve the salt in the water first.
Note:
To prevent air bubbles do not overbeat or use high mixing speed.
Medium Consistency (for borders, flowers with petals that lie flat)
You can convert stiff buttercream to medium by adding more liquid. Add one teaspoon of milk or water to each cup of stiff icing. Then mix until all the ingredients are well blended.
Thin Consistency (for writing, making stems and leaves, and frosting a cake)
With even more liquid you can make stiff buttercream into thin. Simply add 2 teaspoons of milk or water for each cup of Stiff icing. Then blend well.
Home Decorating Buttercream Icing
Follow class decorating buttercream icing recipe, except make the following substitution: for 1 cup of vegetable shortening, substitute 1/2 cup shortening and 1/2 cup softened butter or margarine.
Chocolate Buttercream Icing
Follow home decorating butter cream recipe. Add 2 ounces of melted buttersweet chocolate. If a darker color is desired, add brown paste color.
Buttercream for Frosting and Filling
Make up a full recipe of stiff consistency home decorating buttercream icing, then add 2 Tablespoons of light corn syrup and mix the ingredients until they are thoroughly blended. The addition of corn syrup results in a smooth, moist texture that’s ideal for frosting and filling cakes.
Buttercream Icings
Buttercream icings are the best tasting of all decorating icings, and they’re creamy textured and easy to manage. When you use buttercream icing, you can make decorations in advance, then freeze them until it’s time to decorate the cake.
The class decorating buttercream icing keeps it’s consistency for several hours without refrigeration.
The home decorating buttercream icing contains butter to improve it’s flavor, but you must refrigerate to keep it stiff enough for decorating.
These icings may be stored in an air-tight container in the fridge for 2 weeks and in the freezer for up to 3 months. To reuse, let the icing come to room temperature. Then rebeat on medium speed to restore it’s original consistency.