Buttercream frosting is the classic birthday cake and sugar cookie frosting. I have played with my own recipe for awhile now. The problem was finding a mix that had the classic buttercream taste while being firm enough that frosted cookies could be stacked atop one another. Adding some meringue powder to the mix did the trick. This frosting is soft enough to spread and act as a glue for sprinkles, but is hard enough to pipe and dries firmly.
Buttercream Frosting
Makes 3 cups
Ingredients
1/4 c. vegetable shortening
3/4 c. unsalted butter
1 tsp. vanilla extract
4 c. powdered sugar, sifted
2-3 tbsp. milk
4 tsp. meringue powder
Directions
1. Using a stand mixer, cream butter and shortening. Add vanilla.
2. In a seperate bowl, combine sugar and meringue powder.
3. Slowly add sugar mixture to butter. Beat at medium speed. Add milk and beat until frosting is fluffy and light.
My thoughts:
1. To make a chocolate buttercream, simply add 3/4 c. cocoa powder and an additional 1-2 tbsp. milk to the mixture.
2. To color the frosting, I use the Wilton Icing Colors. They can be purchased at any craft store and yield much richer colors than standard liquid food coloring.
Jared took this picture. He was both shocked and amused by the amount of butter and shortening I went through this Christmas
