Best Buttercream Frosting Ever

Sharing is caring!

This recipe is The Best Buttercream Frosting Ever.  I love a good buttercream which isn’t greasy tasting or overly sweet.  That’s what you will find in this one.

One of my first loves is cooking and baking and remains so to this day. This led to one of my first hobbies, cake decorating at about age 13 or 14. I still have my first Wilton cake pans which came from the Sears catalog for Christmas. Here’s a cake I did a few years ago using one of those pans.

This buttercream is so good, you don’t even need a cake to go with it. Now, go make someone special a cake today and try this, or just do it for yourself.  It took me several tries in re-working a buttercream frosting to come up with this one.

 

How to make The Best Buttercream Ever

1 cup Crisco shortening
1 cup unsalted butter – softened  
1/3 cup water – approximately
1 ½ tsp clear vanilla extract
1 ½ tsp almond extract
1 ½ tsp butter extract
2 lb. bag of powder sugar – sifted

Cream the shortening and butter together on a medium – high speed until it becomes very light in color, approximately 5 – 8 minutes. You will be amazed how white the yellow butter becomes.

On the lowest setting for your mixer, add the flavorings.  Mix well.

Start adding your powdered sugar, alternating with a small amount of water.

Remember to scrape the bowl several times in this process.

When all these ingredients have been incorporated well, turn your setting to high and continue to whip for approximately 3 – 5 minutes.

This is when my tasting starts. If it has any “powder” taste to it, you need to mix a bit longer.

Depending on your taste, and the weather, you may need to add a little more water to achieve your desired consistency.

If it appears too stiff, add a teaspoon of water at a time then mix for another minute.

Not only is this a great “crusting” recipe for cake decorating, but wonderful for everyday use also.

Add this to a boxed French Vanilla cake mix, add a few fresh strawberries on the side, and you have dessert. I do used boxed mixes a lot, but when you add a great homemade frosting, it is Homemade then.

 

A few notes (and hints) about this recipe:

• This isn’t a pure white buttercream but does come out very light with lots of whipping.
• I love to use the Crisco sticks of shortening; it makes the measuring so much easier.
• A stand mixer will make this so much easier and save your arm from feeling like it is going to fall off before you are done.
• I love my Kitchen-Aid and can’t imagine how I ever got by without it.
• Salted butter is my choice, but if you want to control the sodium, it will work fine unsalted also.
• The extract flavorings can be adjusted to your own taste.
• If you don’t have a sifter, use a large sieve to get the lumps out of the powdered sugar. (I have been known not to sift this, but you can tell a difference when you don’t).
• Scrape the sides of the bowl often during all the steps.
• Some of the times can vary on the mixing since the size of your mixer and the speed, can vary.
• I use the whisk attachment when making a whipped frosting such as this buttercream.
• This recipe makes enough for a 3-layer cake. Store any unused icing in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to a week. (I will bet you it won’t last)
• This recipe can easily be halved for a small cake or batch of cupcakes.

 

Another favorite and go-to frosting I made quite often, is my MOCHA BUTTERCREAM FROSTING.  It really is yummy!!!

 

Have you ever heard of a NAKED CAKE?  So easy and this buttercream makes it better.

I’ll be sharing this Easy Drop Butter Cookie tomorrow so make sure you are following me on my mailing list.

 

Sharing is caring!