My mother always made delicious buttercream frosting. It required the right balance of milk to 10X (the abbreviation she uses on her grocery lists for powdered sugar, a tradition I have continued). Soften a stick of Bluebonnet margarine to room temperature, put in a box of C&H 10X, add a dash of salt and cream it all with the Mixmaster. Then you add a little milk, just enough so you can spread the frosting. Too much milk is a killer. The vanilla extract is the last component ("I don't think you can have too much vanilla," she told me, but we're talking imitation vanilla extract).
One of the tricks to good buttercream frosting is beating the butter and sugar thoroughly. These are my own favorite versions of buttercream frosting. One makes a big batch and the other is really only enough for the tops of two 9-inch layers. Buttercream Frosting 2 uses ordinary sugar, not powdered sugar. I use butter, but then again, I haven't bought any sort of margarine in 20 years.
Buttercream Frosting 1
1 cup white Crisco
1 cup butter (2 sticks)
8 cups powdered sugar
½ tsp. salt
6 ounces (¾ cup) whipping cream
2 tsp. vanilla
I. Cream shortening and butter with an electric mixer.
II. Add sugar and salt. Beat really well.
Voice of experience:
I have a KitchenAid stand mixer. The sugar can really fly if you're not careful. And the cream can really splatter if you're not careful. This batch is big enough to frost two 10-inch layers, top and side, with leftover frosting. I freeze what I don't use.
Recipe source: Rick's Special Buttercream Frosting from allrecipes.com, taking reviewers' advice and going half shortening, half butter. The original recipe is all shortening.
Buttercream Frosting 2
1 cup milk
¼ cup flour
1 cup butter
1 cup sugar (granulated)
2 tsp. vanilla
I. Blend the milk and flour and bring to a boil.
II. Cool the milk-flour blend to room temperature.
III. Cream butter and sugar until very fluffy.
IV. Add the vanilla and cooled flour mixture. Beat until very fluffy.
Voice of experience:
I put the milk in a 2-cup glass measure and whisk in the flour. Then I bring this mixture to a boil in the microwave, whisking it occasionally to keep it from being lumpy. This is my frosting of choice for the Genoise I bake. I'll post the Genoise recipe in the future.
Recipe source: Decorating Cakes and Party Foods, Baking Too! by Louise Spencer.
One of the tricks to good buttercream frosting is beating the butter and sugar thoroughly. These are my own favorite versions of buttercream frosting. One makes a big batch and the other is really only enough for the tops of two 9-inch layers. Buttercream Frosting 2 uses ordinary sugar, not powdered sugar. I use butter, but then again, I haven't bought any sort of margarine in 20 years.
Buttercream Frosting 1
1 cup white Crisco
1 cup butter (2 sticks)
8 cups powdered sugar
½ tsp. salt
6 ounces (¾ cup) whipping cream
2 tsp. vanilla
I. Cream shortening and butter with an electric mixer.
II. Add sugar and salt. Beat really well.
III. Add the vanilla to the cream and then add this liquid to the creamed mixture. Beat really, really well.
Voice of experience:
I have a KitchenAid stand mixer. The sugar can really fly if you're not careful. And the cream can really splatter if you're not careful. This batch is big enough to frost two 10-inch layers, top and side, with leftover frosting. I freeze what I don't use.
Recipe source: Rick's Special Buttercream Frosting from allrecipes.com, taking reviewers' advice and going half shortening, half butter. The original recipe is all shortening.
Buttercream Frosting 2
1 cup milk
¼ cup flour
1 cup butter
1 cup sugar (granulated)
2 tsp. vanilla
I. Blend the milk and flour and bring to a boil.
II. Cool the milk-flour blend to room temperature.
III. Cream butter and sugar until very fluffy.
IV. Add the vanilla and cooled flour mixture. Beat until very fluffy.
Voice of experience:
I put the milk in a 2-cup glass measure and whisk in the flour. Then I bring this mixture to a boil in the microwave, whisking it occasionally to keep it from being lumpy. This is my frosting of choice for the Genoise I bake. I'll post the Genoise recipe in the future.
Recipe source: Decorating Cakes and Party Foods, Baking Too! by Louise Spencer.