The Perfect Crusting Buttercream is the perfect frosting that goes on your cakes easily and sets which makes it perfect for a solid base as well as decorating into shapes that will keep their form. Try my American Buttercream Frosting for another versatile frosting recipe.
The Perfect Crusting Buttercream
This buttercream is sweet, and I do mean sweet! (You could probably guess that by looking at the amount of confectioners’ sugar in the recipe.) However, you can always use less sugar if you don’t want the crusting buttercream to be quite as sweet. You will also notice the recipe uses a cup of shortening. I have also provided instructions on making the buttercream using half shortening and half butter.
The Perfect Crusting Buttercream Ingredients
Sugar: Yes, you are reading that amount correctly…a 2-pound bag of confectioners’ sugar is used in this recipe (approximately 7 1/2 cups). You can always use less for less sweetness.
Shortening: Shortening (hydrogenated vegetable oil) is any fat or oil that is solid at room temperature. If you have heard of or seen a big can of Crisco, that is shortening. If you don’t want to use a full cup of shortening, I did provide instructions to make crusting buttercream with half shortening and half butter.
Vanilla: If you want white frosting, use clear vanilla extract.
Milk: Start by adding the minimum amount of whole milk to the frosting mixture. You can always add more until the buttercream reaches your desired consistency.
How to Make the Perfect Crusting Buttercream
This recipe is the recipe I use when making my rose cake, my hydrangea cake, or any cake that I want the frosting to be able to hold its shape! To get it made, first, cream together the shortening and vanilla. Next, add the confectioners’ sugar one cup at a time. Finally, mix in the milk, adding more until you have reached your desired consistency, and add the pinch of salt. This makes quite a bit, but can be refrigerated quite easily.
If the buttercream will not be used right away it must be stored in the refrigerator. It will firm up quite a bit and should be allowed to come back to room temperature before piping or spreading. Depending on how long it was stored you may need to re-mix it quickly. It will last about a week in the refrigerator.
How to Make Crusting Buttercream with Shortening and Butter
If you are using half shortening and have butter, the method to make the buttercream is a little different. First, add the butter (make sure it is room temperature) and the shortening to the bowl of a stand mixer. Next, pour all of the confectioners’ sugar on top. Then, add the vanilla, milk, and salt. Start mixing on low; then, turn the mixer to medium-high and mix for 2-4 minutes.
Looking for More Frosting Recipes?
Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
The Perfect Crusting Buttercream
Ingredients
- 7 ½ cups (2 pounds / 937 g) confectioners' sugar
- 1 cup shortening, or ½ cup room temperature butter and ½ cup shortening (See alternate method of making buttercream if using butter and shortening.)
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, use clear if want white frosting
- ½-¾ cup whole milk, as needed for desired consistency
- 1 pinch kosher salt
Instructions
- In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, cream shortening and vanilla (2-4 minutes).
- Add in the confectioners' sugar, one cup at a time. If you find your mixer struggling, slowly add in milk. Use more milk for a creamy consistency; use less milk for a stiff consistency. Finally, add salt.
Alternate Method (Using ½ cup butter and ½ cup shortening)
- Place room temperature butter and shortening in the bowl of a stand mixer. Put the entire 2-pound bag (7½ cups) of confectioners' sugar on top. Then, add vanilla, ½ cup milk, and salt.
- Turn the mixer on low and mix until all ingredients are incorporated. Turn the mixer up to medium-high and mix for 2-4 minutes. Add more milk, if needed, to reach desired consistency.
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I may have a question that seems to be a little weird to you. I´m sorry about it but I am not a native English speaker; I am Czech and live in the Czech Republic. I would love to try it but I am not sure about what “shortening” means in fact. I looked it up and found the translation that it´s a quite hard white fat. But in that case I don´t think it´s the right expression. I assume you are talking about yellow soft vegetable fat that is often used instead of butter. Could anyone of you explain me what Crisco is? Thank you.
Crisco is a hard white vegetable fat. Some shortening is made with animal fat, but you have to use the vegetable fat when making this frosting. Hope that helps!
I`’m sure the soft yellow stuff you are talking about is margarine.
Your rose cake looks absolutely beautiful! how do you make all those roses? I usually make my roses on a baker’s nail and then move them onto the cake, but yours looks like they were made right on the cake…?
https://iambaker.net/rose-cake-tutorial Here is a link to my tutorial!
Is there something i did wrong? I’m putting on the the crumb coat and the “buttercream” won’t stick to the cake.
I had the same problem last night….different cake though….not Amanda’s pretty rose one which I am going to make for our Mother’s Day brunch. I think my slippery icing problem was due to the humidity, honestly. I’ve used this, and Wilton’s exact recipes all winter long with no problem at all. I think with more moisture in the air, we need too add our liquids small amounts at a time to make sure the consistency is just right.
Also…everyone is so hung up on the butter/shortening debate, but powdered sugar makes a difference too. My Wilton instructor told me to always make sure the package says “pure cane” powdered sugar. If you can find 12x, that’s the best but 10x is usually easier to find at the grocery without going to a specialty store. If it doesn’t say “pure cane”, then it has corn starch in it and it’s hard to get the right consistency with that filler in there…
Hope this helps! Happy Baking! :0)
It can say “pure cane sugar” (meaning cane sugar, not beet sugar) on the front of the package and still have cornstarch in it, like the bag I have in my pantry right now. You have to look on the ingredient list to see if it has cornstarch. From what I understand the cornstarch helps keep it from clumping. I am interested to find out that it is sold without the cornstarch, because I’ve never been crazy about cornstarch flavor. The 12x and 10x refers to how small of particles the sugar is ground into. I wonder if I can get sugar ground fine enough in my super-blender? I just may try it. 🙂
Thank you for sharing with us ,I have been wanting to try it since i read your blog on pinterest. It s not as good as yours but i am pleased for my first time trying it. The icing was the perfect consistency I don’t care what you call it, I call it amazing.
Thank you so much for posting this! This is the prettiest cake I have ever seen in my life!
I’d really love to try this icing recipe but we don’t have Crisco here in Australia…. any suggestions for substitutes????
You can use butter! 🙂
Hi there. Love the demonstration. I’m trying it out this weekend.
Gillian R, I’m an Aussie too and I’ve researched a lot online and found a product called Lurpak.
It’s a Danish butter that is really light in colour, I noticed when I tried to colour the icing when using ‘normal’ butter, it was never lovely true colours.
PS. you will find Lurpak in Coles.
Amanda, have you heard of this product? What do you think.
Yell! YeLL! yEEEllllll! I think this is a brilliant recipe! I’m just getting into baking and “butter”creaming. I just love your rose cake.
Beautiful, laughed at all the comments about the name of the icing, greater decisions have been made with far less “opinions”. LOL anyway the cake is beautiful.
Amazing blog! thanks for sharing all you ideas. you are really talented and you make everything sound so simple that even non bakers are inspired.
would the buttercream frosting work with baking margarine? we dont get crisco in Botswana and it looks like butter would not hold the hydrangea petals.
Yes, it would. Thanks for the kind words and happy baking! 🙂
if I try this with heavy whipping cream instead of milk- what will change?
That is a great modification.. I do it often! 🙂
I have also used flavored coffee creamers in place of the milk. Carmel Machiato with a bit of maple flavoring is delicious!