My first experience with frosting on a cake here came a couple weeks after we moved here.
I made matching cupcakes for this same birthday to take to my in-laws for Sunday dinner and by the time we got there the frosting completely melted off, the eyes were sliding off and the cookies were soggy. FAIL!!!
I had a couple more experiences like this before I saw the light!
I went to a birthday party for my friend's little boy, in August, Outside, at 118 degrees, and her frosting DIDN'T MELT!!!
Naturally I asked for her recipe and it is glorious! I've left this frosting in the car, in July, for 3 days, and it still didn't melt (mind you at that point I didn't eat it anyway because I'm pretty sure something had gone bad by then, but you get my point!)
Now here is where I guess I should make a confession... before my frustrations with frosting in AZ, I had never (successfully) made my own frosting. I always just bought a can of whatever flavor fit my needs and that was that! Turns out, most buttercream frostings have nearly the same ingredients and proportions. Where you live, the temperature and humidity mostly, make the biggest difference, that and dietary needs. So here is what I do now for all my frosting needs!
So here it is, No-Melt Frosting!
Ingredients:
1 Cup Shortening or Butter
3 Cups Powdered Sugar
1 tsp Vanilla or other flavoring
Milk of choice as needed
I should mention here that because of the milk allergies we have in our house, I use shortening for my frosting. Both regular and butter flavored shortenings are dairy free! Regular ol' unsalted butter works great too! I do not recommend some of the dairy free butters, such as Blue Bonnet Light. They tend to have lots of water in them which (in my experience) tend to separate when beaten and make for a sticky mess instead of fabulous frosting.
It is important to note that regular butter will melt faster than shortening. If you're doing a cake for an outside party, consider using shortening! Alrighty then, lets get going!
First beat the shortening in a mixer, like really fluff it up good! If you're using butter (or butter flavored shortening) beat it for as much as five minutes to lighten the color. It will help your frosting be more white in the end.
Add all the sugar at once and stir slowly so it doesn't poof everywhere!
At first it will look like there is no way it will all stir in, like this.
Keep going! It will come together!
While it's mixing let me mention something. Pro-tip! Do not add the vanilla or milk until the sugar is completely combined! I know it seems like it will save you time, but from experience, it will bind with the sugar and you will end up with vanilla sugar lumps that will not go away! Please wait! I promise, it won't save you time!
See, starting to come together!!
And there we have it! Now that it looks like frosting, turn it on really high and give it a good beating!
Then add your vanilla and whip it up again. Add milk a teaspoon at a time until it thins to the consistency you want it. Then add food coloring as needed for your needs!
Fish cupcakes for a fishing birthday!
(fondant recipe to come)
I used my Russian tips to get these beautiful flowers!
Cookie cake recipe to come!
I used Wilton 1M tip for these cupcakes, a 2D also works really well! They're big though, so you'll need a designated piping bag with a bigger hole at the end, but you'll get beautiful cupcakes so easy!
More Russian flower tips.
And again...
And again!
The Yoda is made out of marzipan, but the frosting is this recipe!
to avoid having quite so many bags of frosting, the light sabers I frosted from a zipper baggie with a tiny corner cut off!
So versatile and super delicious! You could totally use almond flavoring, orange, lemon, strawberry, watermelon, rootbeer, anything really! (keep in mind some, like rootbeer, would tint the frosting somewhat) Enjoy!!!
(To print the recipe, right-click on the picture and select "save image as" and save to your computer. It is designed as a 4x6in print. Enjoy!)
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