Decorator Buttercream Icing Recipes

Steps:

• Cream room temperature butter with a hand mixer, the paddle attachment of a stand mixer, or a wooden spoon until smooth and fluffy. Gradually beat in confectioners' sugar until fully incorporated. Beat in vanilla extract.
• Pour in milk and beat for an additional 3 to 4 minutes. Add food coloring, if using, and beat for thirty seconds until smooth or until desired color is reached.

Steps:

• In a large bowl, use an electric hand mixer to cream butter until smooth, but not airy. Add milk, vanilla and salt and mix to incorporate.
• Sift powdered sugar over the butter mixture. Mix until incorporated and smooth. Do not overmix, to avoid air pockets in your frosting.
• Divide the frosting and add gel food coloring as desired.
• Use a piping bag fitted with desired tip to pipe flowers onto parchment paper. Freeze the flowers for at least 20 minutes.
• Use a knife to lift frozen flowers from parchment and onto a frosted cake. Arrange as desired.
• Enjoy!

Steps:

• Cream butter and shortening then add vanilla.
• Add sugar a cup at a time beating on medium speed.
• Add milk 1 Tbls. at a time and beat on high until completely blended.
• TIP: To cut the sweetness I usually sprinkle some salt in the vanilla (so it will dissolve) before proceeding with recipe as instructed.

Steps:

• 1. Cream shortening and butter with an electric, handheld, or paddle-whip mixer. Add flavoring and salt. Gradually add sugar, one cup at a time. Add meringue powder. (The mixture will appear dry.)
• 2. Add liquid of choice and beat until light and fluffy (approximately 5 to 8 minutes). Keep the bowl covered with a damp cloth or plastic wrap.
• Storage: Store the icing in an airtight container and freeze for up to 3 months.
• Yield: 2 1/2 quarts (2.37 L)
• MASTER CHEF'S HINT
• Add extra liquid to soften the buttercream or extra 10X confectioners' sugar to stiffen it.

Steps:

• In a large bowl, cream together the butter, shortening, and vanilla. Blend in confectioners' sugar, 1 cup at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the milk, and continue mixing until light and fluffy. Keep icing covered until ready to decorate.

Steps:

• Stiff Consistency: In large bowl, cream shortening and butter with electric mixer. Add cocoa and vanilla. Gradually add sugar, one cup at a time, beating well on medium speed. Scrape sides and bottom of bowl often. When all sugar has been mixed in, icing will appear dry. Add milk, 1 tbsp at a time until you get the desired consistency and beat at medium speed until light and fluffy. Keep bowl covered with a damp cloth until ready to use. For best results, keep icing bowl in refrigerator when not in use. Refrigerated in an airtight container, this icing can be stored 2 weeks. Rewhip before using.
• Chocolate Mocha Icing: Substitute cold brewed strong coffee for milk in Chocolate Buttercream recipe.
• Darker Chocolate Icing: Add an additional 1/4 cup cocoa (or one additional 1 oz. square unsweetened chocolate, melted) and 1 additional tablespoon milk to Chocolate Buttercream Icing.
• For Thin (Spreading) Consistency Icing: Add 3-4 tablespoons light corn syrup, water or milk.

Steps:

• Prepare and bake cake according to package directions for two 9-in. round baking pans. Cool in pans for 10 minutes before removing to wire racks to cool completely., In a large bowl, cream the butter, shortening and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the vanilla, salt and enough milk to achieve spreading consistency. , Place 1/4 cup frosting each in three small bowls; tint one blue, one yellow and one green. Set aside 2-1/4 cups of remaining frosting for basket weave decoration and shell border. Spread remaining frosting between layers and over top and sides of cake., To decorate, cut a small hole in the corner of pastry or plastic bag; insert medium basket weave tip. Fill the bag with reserved white frosting. Decorate sides of cake using basket weave pattern (see diagrams at right). Change to medium star tip to pipe shell border along bottom and top edges of cake., For writing, use medium round tip and blue frosting to pipe desired greeting off-center on top of cake. Use medium round tip and green frosting to pipe vines around writing. Switch to medium leaf tip to pipe green leaves along vines. Use small flower tip to pipe yellow and blue flowers along vines. Leftover frosting can be frozen for up to 3 months.

Steps:

• Use electric mixture and cream butter or shortening well.
• Add flavoring, salt, and powdered sugar.
• Continue to blend with mixer, adding liquid a little at a time (only enough to be able to blend easily).
• It will be heavy at this point.
• When all the sugar is well blended, stop the mixer and test consistency. It should be stiff enough to hold its shape when a knife drawn through it.
• You may not use all the liquid. It is better to add a little more later if needed. The proper texture should be fluffy, with a consistency of heavy whipped cream, but not bubbly. Overbeating, with too much liquid causes air bubbles, making holes in the finished decorations.
• If accidentally you add too much liquid, it can be corrected by the further addition of sifted powdered sugar.
• If, after the decorating processes have been started, you find the consistency too soft or too stiff, it is not necessary to return the icing to the mixer. Just blend the cream or powdered sugar with a fork in the bowl.
• This icing keeps well under refrigeration for many weeks if tightly covered.
• Bits of leftover colored icing may be wrapped separately in waxed paper and placed in an airtight plastic bag tightly sealed with a rubber band and placed in the refrigerator for use at a later date.
• Be sure to warm it to room temperature before using and fluff with a fork to restore proper consistency.
• Use paste colors sparingly, as the colors darken upon standing. Adding too much paste color may also cause a slightly bitter taste.
• When using butter, watch the liquid addition carefully. There is more moisture content and a lower melting point which means it will soften faster with the heat of the hands. The flavor of butter is much better than shortening. The colors of frosting are affected by the yellow color so if you want white frosting, it's best to stick to shortening.

Steps:

• In large mixing bowl, beat together shortening and salt. Gradually add vanilla, confectioner's sugar and water. Beat constantly until fluffy. (Icing will be stiff.) Cover bowl with a damp cloth while using so it doesn't dry out. Food coloring or color paste may be added to match wedding colors.
• Use a decorator bag and tips to pipe desired shapes onto cookies. Use writing tips for initials and highlights. Use leaf tip for flowing wedding gowns etc.