Green Mama back again with some more cake making tips!
Today I will share my simple & easy homemade icing recipe along with some quick icing tips.
Before you say 'yuck' with some of these ingredients, let me say that a lot of the cakes/cupcakes that you purchase in the store have icing made of 100% shortening
(that's the main ingredient for the filling of an Oreo too)!
With that said, here is my basic icing recipe:
- 1 stick salted butter at room temperature
- 1 stick unsalted butter at room temperature
- 1/2 cup shortening
- 1lb (4 cups) powdered sugar
- 1T Dream Whip
- 2t vanilla
- 2t butter flavor
- 2-4T water, as needed
TIP #1 - Flavoring your Icing
Personalize this icing by adding additional flavors to suit your taste. Some of my favorite extracts are: almond, citrus, banana, maple and cherry.
Also, check your refrigerator for flavored coffee creamers. Substitute this for the water in my recipe for a unique icing. This is great around the holidays with Egg Nog & Gingerbread flavored creamers.
Get yourself to your nearest chain craft store armed with your 40% or 50% off coupon. Head over to the cake decorating section and pick up a small box of disposable decorating bags and a 1M decorating tip (total cost before coupon is about $6). Following the directions on the back of the decorating bags, drop in tip #1M and fill bag 1/2 way with icing. You can make a traditional swirl by squeezing icing, starting at the outer edge of the cupcake, and swirling it in a circle motion back into the center.
For a step-by-step with photos, click here. They suggest making 2 layers of icing, but I find this is too much.
TIP #3 - Ice Cream Cone Cupcakes
Another use for the decorator bags & tip #1M is making ice cream cone cupcakes. Fill cake cones 2/3 fill with batter and place cones in a cupcake pan to bake. Let cool and swirl the icing on as directed in Tip #2. Top with sprinkles and even a maraschino cherry!
Want more cupcake ideas? Check out the Cupcake Fun website for some really cute and easy cupcakes.
7 comments:
Wow!!! You really are spilling the beans on how to decorate cakes and cupcakes! Now I have more confidence that I too can create the looks you see in the bakery - but better because it's homemade. Thanks!
I made the cupcakes last week and my family LOVED them. Even my husband who isnt big on sweets!
Thanks!nh
Great stuff!
When I started taking my Wilton class I was telling everyone I knew about how the icing we all eat and love is made from shortening an no one believed me! LOL
I love that butter flavoring, too....it makes your whole house smell like yummy butter!
:)
And those cones look awesome..I'll have to try that!
If you want to flavor your frosting with another extract, do you still add the butter flavoring?
Leah - Yes, you still add the butter flavor + your own flavor. Just went to my local grocery store and they had tons of new flavorings-Target has lots too.
Perfect timing for this post!! :) I have to make cupcakes tomorrow for a birthday party and I was really dreading the icing part but now I'm actually looking forward to it!
& thanks for the tip about using the 50% off coupons. I was able to get 2 of the cupcake caddy's for the price of 1 regular! Yippee!! :)
Green Mama, if you have a fabulous Christmas cookie recipe, please share it with us! I have been trying to find a good recipe for rolled cookies and icing for the past five years and I can find are decent ones!
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