Ideal Decorating Buttercream Frosting

More About This Recipe

• The shortening in this frosting may seem off-putting at first glance but it's actually the key to a bonified decorating icing. The ultra-thick texture of shortening acts as a stabilizer, ensuring your icing will hold up. Pair shortening with the rich slightly-salty flavor of butter, and you've got yourself a smooth buttercream frosting that gets the decorating job done and gets the decorating job done right. Also, starting this recipe with softened butter will greatly aid in the mixing process. While it typically takes 30 to 60 minutes for butter to reach room temperature on its own, cutting your butter in cubes before leaving it to sit out or—even better—popping it in the microwave for a quick second will save valuable time. Check out our other frosting recipes. We have everything from buttercream to royal to whipped.