Buttercream Frosting

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Buttercream Frosting

Using shortening in this recipe instead of real butter makes the frosting much more stable and long-lasting for cookies that are going to sit out a while before consumption.

1 cup Butter-Flavored or Golden Crisco ( solid vegetable shortening )
4 cups powdered sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 fluid ounces heavy cream
gel or paste food coloring (optional)

Cream shortening until fluffy. Add powdered sugar and continue creaming until well blended. Add salt, vanilla, and cream. Blend on low speed until moistened. Add additional cream a teaspoon at a time if necessary to achieve the right consistency. Beat at high speed until frosting is fluffy. If desired, divide frosting into several small bowls and stir in food coloring to create various colors of buttercream frosting.

Variations:

For a pure white frosting, use white shortening and clear vanilla.

For a whiter colored frosting that uses real butter but still holds up well at room temperature, use 1/2 cup white shortening and 1/2 cup unsalted butter.

Reviews of Buttercream Frosting:

1-5 of 31 reviews Next >>

Tonya in Morgantown Oct 18, 2008
Would make this again.
This a great recipe for icing that will set-up well. I just used it to make bowling ball cookies for my son's birthday. It was perfect. I can see where it might not be good for a whole cake, but it is very good for piping details. five stars

Jillian Jan 13, 2008
Would make this again.
this was really nice. yes, I will make it again. Whoever doesn't like it,try that browned butter frosting...it's terrible! And those two cookie bakers who posted their reviews...how can you NOT like it? it's the best frosting I ever made. Well,there was one wrong thing with it...The vegetable shortening! After my first time making it, i decided to make it with BUTTER, not SHORTENING! four stars

cookie baker in kentucky Dec 18, 2007
Would not make this again.
this recipe was horrible and goopy. the other posters obviously dont know their frosting from a hole in the ground. horrible i tell you and i still have nightmares about it. one star

A cookie baker in Canada Dec 16, 2007
Would not make this again.
I would not make this buttercream icing again, especially with vegetable shortening, that was disgusting. Maybe with butter it would have tasted better. Next time I would go for taste over looks. one star

Emily in Indiana, PA Dec 13, 2007
Would make this again.
SO Good! I might use a little more heavy cream or add a little butter just to take away some of the sugar taste and get more of a butter taste, but I'm no baker and I'm not sure if the icing will set if I do that. As per this recipe, the icing sets perfectly, I got rave reviews at my work holiday party - this recipe is great!! five stars

Recipe Info

four point four stars
85% would make this again

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