I few months ago I had the best buttercream frosting I'd everEVERever had. It didn't taste homemade. and it didn't taste store bought. But it had to homemade? But it didn't taste like buttercream frosting. Let me show you how to make the most delicious buttercream frosting for cakes and cupcakes!
INGREDIENTS FOR THE BEST BUTTERCREAM FROSTING
- Butter
- Shortening (*GASP!* I know. read below why this is important)
- Powder Sugar
- Milk/ Heavy Cream or Evaporated Milk
- High speed mixer
WHY Use Shortening?
I stood to the side watching another lady literally lick the frosting off the cake plate while asking the chef how on earth she made it. Her secret was shortening. ...uh, err. Since then i've come to understand the importance shortening can have in baked goods. If you want the best of the best use shortening when the recipe calls for it.
In frosting shortening does several things.
- Flavor! It really changes and brings out delicious flavors of the frosting without making it overly sweet or buttery.
- Stability! It is a lot more stable than butter, which at the slighted heat (whether from the weather or your hands even) can become soft and melt your frosting. Whereas frosting made with shortening it will withstand the high and low temps much better!
- Texture!!! Creamy, smooth fluffy frosting with shortening!
Can I substitute shortening with butter?
Yes, you can substitute shortening with butter. HOWEVER you will be giving up on flavor and texture.
HOW TO MAKE THE BEST BUTTERCREAM FROSTING OF YOUR LIFE!
PRO TIP 1: Room temp butter! Set butter out ahead of time. If you forget you can microwave it for a few seconds on each sides but you risk it becoming too warm/liquidy for the perfect frosting.
In a mixing bowl add butter and shortening and mix for about 30 seconds on high. So it is well combined and fluffy.
In a mixing bowl add butter and shortening and mix for about 30 seconds on high. So it is well combined and fluffy.
Now Add about 2 cups of your powder sugar and mix in on medium speed. Alternate adding milk and the remainder of your powdered sugar.
HOW LONG DO I BEAT FROSTING?
Beating the frosting is a very important step. You've already been beating it for a few minutes now that you have added all the milk and powder sugar to the bowl. Continue to mix, beating the frosting until it forms stiff peaks so the frosting will hold its shape. This takes between five and 10 minutes of beating using an electric mixer.
FAQ's ABOUT BUTTERCREAM FROSTING:
- CAN BUTTERCREAM FROSTING BE MADE IN ADVANCED? A. YES!! You can make buttercream frosting a few days before use, keep it covered and in the refrigerator.
- CAN BUTTERCREAM FROSTING BE LEFT OUT AT ROOM TEMPERATURE? A. Because of the large amount of sugar, the U.S. Food Safety and Inspection Services say that buttercream frosting made with small amounts of milk are safe to leave out at room temperature for two to three days. Buttercream made with cream cheese, however, is not safe to leave out and should be refrigerated.
HOW TO KEEP BUTTERCREAM FROSTING FROM BEING TOO THIN.
If you are having issues with your frosting holding its shape on the your cupcake or cake its probably too thin, or warm. Here are a few suggestions you can do to fix this issue.
- You may have added too much milk. Add additional powder sugar to thicken up the frosting to stiff peaks.
- Your butter was too warm and soft. (this is also why shortening helps stablize the frosting) Melted butter will act more like the milk than what a whipped creamy butter would for the frosting. Keep the butter at room temp.
- If you are making the frosting on a warm humid day it may be melting, or as you work with it in your warm hands through piping it can heat up and soften the frosting. If this is so, when making your frosting make it on the thicker side, and refrigerate your cake/cupcakes afterwards.
Tip For quick and easy Piping
Other TIPS:
- For CHOCOLATE BUTTERCREAM FROSTING add ½ cup cocoa powder.
- For Ultra white frosting use white vanilla you can find this often at baking stores and Michaels.
- When making a layered cake, as pictured I like to double the recipe!
- Pipe frosting onto cupcakes it'll go so much further and much faster.
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How to make the best Buttercream Frosting
Ingredients
- ½ cup room temperature butter if you melt in microwave be SO careful. you easily risk getting it too runny, which will ruin your frosting.
- ½ cup shortening
- 4 cups powdered sugar about a half a bag
- 3 teaspoon vanilla
- 3-4 Tablespoons of Evaporated Milk can use milk
- ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder optional - to make chocolate buttercream
Instructions
- Beat butter and shortening together on medium speed for a few minutes.
- Turn down your mixer to slowest speed and slowly add sugar, vanilla.
- Turn mixer back to medium speed and **add milk /one tablespoon at a time until you reach your desired consistency. beat for about 3-5 more minutes the less milk, the stiffer the batter- which is best if you are cake decorating if you get your frosting too thin, add powdered sugar to stiffen back up.
Notes
- Flavor! It really changes and brings out delicious flavors of the frosting without making it overly sweet or buttery.
- Stability! It is a lot more stable than butter, which at the slighted heat (whether from the weather or your hands even) can become soft and melt your frosting. Whereas frosting made with shortening it will withstand the high and low temps much better!
- Texture!!! Creamy, smooth fluffy frosting with shortening!
Can I substitute shortening with butter?
Yes, you can substitute shortening with butter. HOWEVER you will be giving up on flavor and texture.FAQ's ABOUT BUTTERCREAM FROSTING:
- CAN BUTTERCREAM FROSTING BE MADE IN ADVANCED? A. YES!! You can make buttercream frosting a few days before use, keep it covered and in the refrigerator.
- CAN BUTTERCREAM FROSTING BE LEFT OUT AT ROOM TEMPERATURE? A. Because of the large amount of sugar, the U.S. Food Safety and Inspection Services say that buttercream frosting made with small amounts of milk are safe to leave out at room temperature for two to three days. Buttercream made with cream cheese, however, is not safe to leave out and should be refrigerated.
Lenka says
Would this be a good frosting to put in between cake layers? I am aiming for a thick one layer of frosting in a 2 tier cake, and am looking for a stable frosting. Thanks!
Desarae says
yes!! the shortening acts as a stablizer :)
Kate says
Do you use salted or unsalted butter for the butttercream icing?
Desarae says
You can use either, the bonus to using unsalted is you control the amount of salt added to your frosting. Add a pinch or two if you use unsalted butter.
Barb says
Hi There
Will this frosting 'crust' over enough so that I can frost Sugar Cookies and be able to stack them?
Thanks
Leslie says
this was delicious!
Carly says
The frosting recipe states 24 cupcakes, but the picture shows a 3 tier cake.
So is it just 1 batch of frosting to cover the 3 tier cake, or more?
And would it be full coverage plus decorations, or just enough for in-between the cakes????
Desarae says
If you are not doing a filling for the layers of the cake and doing frosting instead I would double the batch. I'm not sure how big your cake is however, are you doing a 3" 6" 9" It's hard to know!
Vimi says
Hi I made buttercream today using crisco with butter and I made buttercream with just butter to compare the stability. Strangely the crisco one is much much softer than the plain butter one. It doesn't make sense? I added no milk to either. And I used 1:1 ratio on icing sugar for both as we don't like it too sweet. Do you know where I could've gone wrong? Surprisingly the plain butter one is harder to touch! Any explanation would be helpful as I'm planning on making Tasting Boxes this weekend and I really can't have buttercream that'll melt!
Desarae says
Is it possible you added a different amount of sugar by mistake. To stiffen the frosting just add a little bit more frosting. Otherwise- a few things may have caused this 1. humidity and 2. temp of the room :)
Cindy says
Hi, I just found your site and I'm excited to try your Buttercream Frosting recipe, but I have a question first. The recipe calls for 1/2 cup of butter and 1/2 cup of shortening. I noticed in one of the photos there are 2 sticks of butter, which would be a cup. Would I then use 1 cup of Crisco also? Thanks!
Kadee says
If you are doubling the recipe you will use double of everything listed. I believe in these photos I doubled the recipe.