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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So helpful Amanda! I really want to do one of each of those.
Hi there. Do you have to use shortening? never used it for icing before. would butter do the same or not really. thanks!
I use this same* recipe for my buttercream, but I use butter. I think it tastes better and I’m generally opposed to using shortening unless it serves a functional purpose in my recipes. Shortening will be cheaper to use than butter, but it doesn’t taste as good. I use salted butter, although some recipes specify to use unsalted. I just never have any in the fridge.
shortening is necessary if youre looking for perfect white frosting and it holds better than butter. the problem is you will end up with plain-yet-too-sweet frosting and it doesnt tastes good.but you can always overcome this problem by adding enough amount of fine salt.it may not tastes as good as butter but it should be better.
What a fabulous tip! Thank you!
also you can use butter flavoring (the wilton one is excellent), if you use a full tablespoon of vanilla, then do half and half, sometimes i even put a little bit of almond and even tastes like a wedding cake… enjoy!
I modified this by adding all BUT approximately one cup or slightly more of the powdered sugar. PLUS, I added 2 tsp of Wilton butter flavoring. PERFECT!
you can add butter flavoring just like you add vanilla . I use it in my wedding and anniversary cakes
I generally try 1/2 butter 1/2 shortening for the shape and taste.
Being a baker myself .. I can answer that question for you. NO it won’t be the same if you use all butter. The Crisco is what gives it the chance to dry and become a little harder when dried. I have made what this lady calls Butter Cream .. I called it Wedding Frosting that my Sister in law taught me how to make it 50 years ago. I have also used it on Sugar Cookies .. works well. Hope this helped
Curious about butter, too. I hate shortening.
Butter is great too, but it has a tendency to melt in the hot weather so that is why people sub shortening. I actually like my recipe that is similar to this when I combine almond, vanilla and butter flavoring!
I was wondering if you can add a flavor to this recipe and if I do, do I need to take something out, like the vanilla or just not add as much milk?
You can definitely add any flavoring you want! I would add the vanilla or extract of choice before you add in the milk, then you will be able to properly adjust the amount of milk needed to reach your desired consistency. 🙂
I use butter flavor crisco for this and find that adding lemon extract makes delicious frosting. Of course you can only use that with some cakes. I do use vanilla with the chocolate cake or a white cake. Banana cake and Carrot cake are my most popular and the lemon is perfect for those.
Butter works just fine in place of shortening
Those rosettes give me goosebumps. I love them.
butter can be used in place of shortening….but it wont hold its shape as well, especially in the warmer temps. i tried to make her hydrangea cake but bc i used just butter i couldnt get the shapes to hold. i now use a recipe that is similar to hers but i use 1 stick of crisco and 2 sticks of butter. it crusts and hold its shape better then just butter but also taste more like regular buttercream. : )
The son of a friend of ours got married at home, and I offered to make the wedding cake as a gift. Mother of groom insisted she wanted to do it, even though she had never done this sort of thing.
She used butter instead of Crisco, and the entire cake slid apaort before the ceremony was over. Another woman and I had to take a large spatula to remove the top and sit it beside the cake, before it fell on the floor.
If you INSIST on using butter, add about 2 tablespoons of dry Dream Whip to the recipe to help it hold its shape, especially if the weather is hot and/or humid.
Oh, I had never heard that bit about Dream Whip. I may try that some day.
What about using meringue powder instead of the dry dream whip to help the icing keep it’s shape?
Great solution! Thanks for sharing that idea…I will try it!
As a flavor snob and a purist who believes that treats should taste as good as they are beautiful, I have to agree that if it doesn’t have butter and either egg yolk or egg white then it is not a buttercream! It is frosting. Might not sound as fancy, but an important distinction to make in order to maintain the integrity of the craft.
Jeez, it’s frosting, not the Mona Lisa. Integrity of the craft? We’re making some cupcakes here, you know what I’m sayin’? There’s nothing wrong with shortening. Bakers have been using shortening or lard for over 100 years. Come on. It’s astounding how people demonized butter in the early 20th century, then again with lard in the later 20th century, and now we’re back to butter. Ay carumba.
My kind of girl!
Preach on sista! I use crisco and no butter in my buttercream and everyone always loves it and is shocked to learn it’s not butter in there. Now that’s a craft. 🙂
Ha! Love it. 🙂
Sooo….they can’t believe it’s not butter, eh? I’m noting the tips here about buttercream/frosting/icing/ yummy stuff great on my scraps of paper I will tuck into my chocolate tin full of decorating bits. Thank you all!
Absolutely right BakerRach ,I have had some very bad experience by using butter,so I use butter flavoring and vanilla with my shortening. I don’t call it buttercream because of how people react but everyone loves my frosting and they will call it buttercream and I don’t have the hassle of it sliding off the cake.
amen. sheesh!!
I totally agree with that ! LOL 🙂
Amen, sister! I use 1/2 butter and 1/2 shortening. Everybody raves about my frosting and always asks for the recipe. It is delicious and has better body with the shortening.
I always thought Oreos had/have shortening as the “cream” part of the cookie. People never complained. Did they?
I better do some taste testing and find out. 😉
I Love your response!
I agree if there is no butter in it then it is NOT a buttercream. It is a frosting only. When you add butter then it becomes a buttercream. I love the idea of adding the dream whip. I personally don’t care for that flat tasting frosting. Even butter flavored Crisco to me tastes nasty. Sorry as I read some other posts below I disagree with you all. Regardless of what you are baking buttercream is made with REAL BUTTER!
Hi SouthGA Lady! Sounds like you are quite passionate about buttercream!! Glad we were able to provide a place for you to share your opinion. I totally support you in that opinion, and support your right to state it. My thought process goes like this… if the definition of buttercream and my ingredient list are technically supported by the dictionary, then who am I to declare otherwise? If you never ever want to eat anything made with this recipe than that is your choice. Just like it is my, and others, choice to use whatever we prefer. Thanks!
Hi Amanda!
Thank you so much for taking the time to share your wonderful recipes and your creative talents with those of us who enjoy reading your blog. I don’t know why some people feel it is necessary to be so critical here on this site. Please don’t let those kind of people bring you down! I am sure the majority of your readers don’t care if your buttercream icing actually contains butter or not. Keep up the good work and keep those recipes coming!
Thank you so much Melissa! So kind of you to say. 🙂
I think your craft is very inspiring. I have recently fell in love with baking when I was hosting a baby shower for my daughter and found that all the cookies, cakes and other goodies where so costly. I did it all on my own, a Topsy Turvy cake, lil girl & flower cookie cut outs, dipped marshmallow, strawberries and pretzels. And NO it wasn’t the best but the feeling of accomplishment was more than I could ever have hoped for. You inspire me, I have your site open everyday and tell those who see, “Those are my dreams”. ; ) As far as Buttercream or not. Who cares as long as YOU ARE HAPPY with it….that is all that should matter. Your wonderful!
I reckon you can call it Shiny White Stuff & I’m still happy with it! 🙂 Life is so full of things to worry about – baking is happy! I love your attitude, Amanda, you’re so sweet!!
Hi I am in Australia and a lot of our ingredients are called different things lol, could someone please tell me exactly what shortening is . Thanks
“Shortening is any fat that is solid at room temperature and used to make crumbly pastry. In pastries such as cake, which should not be elastic, shortening is used. Although butter is solid at room temperature and is frequently used in making pastry, the term “shortening” seldom refers to butter but is more closely related to margarine.”
(Quote taken from Wikipedia)
In North America, shortening is usually synonymous with lard, which is animal (usually pig) fat.
Hope this helps 🙂
Hi Kathy,
In Oz we call it copha, like you use in choc crackles. Alternately use lard.
Tiff
Don’t use copha!, copha is vegetable shortening and wont work when making icing, it doesn’t soften nicely unless melted and then it’s just liquid and not good for anything other than chocolate crackles lol
You can get shortening online or in some Aussie cake decorating stores. Also, usafoods.com.au sell crisco
Just to clarify the pig fat comment: Lard is animal fat. Crisco Shortening is all vegetable!
Also, I just took a cake decorating class and the recipe the store uses for their buttercream uses Hi Ratio Shortening…not a drop of butter 🙂 They cautioned us about using butter, especially in the summer, since butter softens/melts in warm/hot weather.
Hi Kathy,
I thought this too (I’m also in AUS) but Coles do stock a few options.
Allowrie is solidified animal fat, or Copha is solid vegetable fat. I’m not 100% sure whether either of these actually TASTE like Crisco, but I would say Copha is the closer comparison as it is vegetable based.
http://shop.coles.com.au/online/national/allowrie-fat-lard
http://shop.coles.com.au/online/national/copha-oil-solid-cooking
I’m going to be trying this recipe over the weekend, so I will let you know how it turns out. Happy baking!!
You go girl!!
Amanda, my comment is for your reply to SouthGALady. 😀
Hello, I just wanted to say thank you for contstantly amazing and inspiring me with your fantastic baking.
For the first time this weekend, I filled a cake and iced it with buttercream – I’ve never had so many compliments!
I really appreciate you posting such great recipes, sharing your tips and showing such beautifully decorated cakes and cookies.
@Alycia then you should have a more constructive comment than telling this wonderful blogger something she already acknowledged in her post, like another name for this excellent, helpful recipe.
You’re right. How about “Crusting Crisco Frosting?” Fortunately, it is actually possible to make these roses with an Italian meringue buttercream, and they will taste as good as they look.
Amanda does have a fun design sense and blog style.
Touche Alycia.
please give a recipe for this Italian Meringue Buttercream…thanks!