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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Hello!
I’ve tried this recipe and it’s so delicious! But may i asked, if I’m able refrigerate it? I’ve kept the cake with the frosting outside in room temperature but never in the refrigerator. Will condensation affect the buttercream once taken out of the fridge?
Hope to hear from you soon!
I dislike the “raw” taste of confectioners sugar in icings such as this one although it seems a great option to cooked buttercream. Does anyone have a trick to rid the sugar of that raw taste? I think it comes from the cornstarch in confectioners sugar but it is so yucky to me!
Thanks!
I have a recipe for a wonderful white frosted wedding cake from a caterer. It almost matches your wedding cake recipe and this frosting. It uses the almond flavoring in the frosting and the cake. It almost exactly matches your recipe and it is called a buttercream frosting. It is the best cake and frosting ever. I think buttercream is more about texture than butter. Depends on what you prefer. Can’t please everyone, so just delete anything negative and keep on making the rest of us happy.
Thanks for the recipe! Have you ever experimented with Coconut oil as the shortening? I tried a similar recipe with half coconut oil/half margarine and rice milk instead of cow’s milk(my daughter is sensitive to dairy and soy). Not only did it slide off the sides of the cake in an air conditioned room, the remaining icing (on top of the cake) turned rock hard once refrigerated. I’m trying to determine which substitution caused the most harm. Any suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks!
I am not a baker, so I am just learning, myself. However, I do know that the melting temperature of coconut oil is very low- like in the seventies. I imagine that any frosting made with it would slide right off at even air-conditioned room temperature, unless it’s meat-hanging cold.
Do you have a recipe for a cream cheese buttercream that you would recommend for the rose cake? I’m making a red velvet cake and would like a cream cheese frosting?
I want to make a chocolate and cream cheese version of this. Is it possible? If yes, how much cocoa powder and cream cheese can I put in?
What else would you call it? It IS a buttercream frosting. It is like complaining because hamburger contains no ham. It looks delicious. thank you!
Love that!
Hi Amanda! this is kind of un related but Ive noticed when you do your crumb coat its barely crummy. I tried frosting a cake this past weekend with the whipped buttercream recipe and it was very crummy and also didn’t harden up well. I don’t know if it was just too warm in my kitchen or what but it didn’t come out like I expected. any suggestions welcome =)
When I’m frosting a cake that is very crumby, I chill it first- even before the crumb coat. You nay have to refrigerate before steps. I’ve also been known to turn my AC to somewhere around “arctic” when a cake is not behaving.
You mentioned that your Crusting Buttercream uses the ORIGINAL Crisco. I had no problem with Crisco until they changed the recipe. I make buttercream flowers and yes it takes 3 weeks for some to dry but now with the NEW CRISCO I can’t get the flowers to dry in months. I’ve tried lard and other shortenings but it won’t crust up. I use meringue powder in the buttercream and it doesn’t seem to make a difference. So where do you find the ORIGINAL Crisco?
Use 1/3 cup of hot water mixed with 2 tablespoons of coffee creamer instead of the milk and I do 2/3 shortening and 1/4 butter and it crusts great as long as you don’t stick too much of the liquid in watch your consistency by adding the liquid in a tablespoon at a time
Beautiful cake. I’m making my son and DIL’s cake this weekend. I hope the flour icing I’m making holds up. We don’t like the mouthfeel of shortening icings. Just too greasy, oily, idk what to call it but it’s just not that great…to my family.
Same here! That’s why I don’t do this anymore. I can’t tolerate that grease film left in my mouth. 🙁
Do you have a recipe for whipped frosting?
Not 7 minute. Bakeries use it on cakes and cup cakes etc. Tastes like it has whipped cream in it.
Chemicals 🙁
It’s Chantilly cream, you can find it pre sweetened and sold in cartons, just have to whip it up. Or make it yourself. Plenty of recipes online, it isn’t as stable as buttercream, you may need to add powdered sugar to be able to pipe.