How to Make Delicious Homemade Buttercream Frosting

Top off your baked goods with delicious homemade butter cream icing.

When making homemade cakes and cupcakes, successfully completing the cake component is only half the process. Instead of using frosting from a can, be brave and make your own. Even if baking isn't your specialty, making a homemade buttercream frosting is not nearly as difficult as it seems. In fact, making your own buttercream frosting from scratch is an inexpensive and easy project that will make any cake even more delicious.

Things You'll Need

• Large mixing bowl
• Mixer or food processor
• 1/2 cup shortening or lard
• 1/2 cup margarine or butter
• Rubber spatula
• 1 tsp. of clear vanilla extract
• 4 cups confectioner's sugar
• Milk

Instructions

Instructions

1. Prior to starting the creation of the buttercream frosting, remove the butter or margarine and the lard or shortening from the refrigerator. These ingredients should be at room temperature when making your frosting as butter and lard that are too cold may separate when mixed.

2. In a food processor or mixer, cream the butter or margarine and the shortening or lard together. Place the ingredients in the mixing bowl and set the mixer on medium speed. Mix for 30 seconds and turn off the mixer. Use the rubber spatula to scrap down the sides of the mixing bowl so that all ingredients are equally incorporated. Continue to mix the ingredients in 30-second increments until they are thoroughly combined.

3. Add the clear vanilla extract to the lard and bitter mixture and mix for an additional 30 seconds. You can use regular vanilla extract, which is brown in color, but this will tint the color of the frosting. Combine the ingredients on a medium speed.

4. Add the confectioner's sugar to the mixture. Add the sugar 1 cup at a time on a low speed to avoid throwing sugar out of the bowl. Blend the mixture for 30 seconds before adding an additional cup of sugar. Before adding another cup of sugar, scrape down the sides of the mixing bowl with the rubber spatula.

5. Add milk to the frosting. Depending on how the frosting is coming together and your frosting preferences, you will add less or more milk. Turn the mixer on low and slowly drizzle milk into the frosting mixture. Continue to add small amounts of milk until the frosting is smooth and fluffy.

Tips & Warnings

• Add food coloring to the buttercream frosting for a fun and colorful look.

• Add different extracts to change the flavor of your buttercream frosting. Try almond or lemon extract.

• Don't over mix your frosting as it will become lumpy.

References

• Cake Central: Homemade Buttercream Frosting
• Cooks: Buttercream Frosting