Butter or Shortening for the Base?

• Butter is more flavorful than shortening and has a more pleasant texture when you eat it; shortening has a slightly waxy texture. Butter yields frosting that is pale yellow, which may affect the final hue if you add coloring. Shortening-based frosting is white, which is easier to color. Butter has a lower melting point than shortening, so a butter-based frosting softens faster in hand-held piping bags and warm weather. Shortening may be a better base for elaborate piped decorations or desserts you intend to serve outside. A blend that is equal parts butter and shortening is common among bakers.

Use Real Butter, Softened

• Use real unsalted butter if you choose a butter or blended base; the fat in real butter is vital to achieving the proper consistency. Soften butter to room temperature -- about 65 to 68 degrees Fahrenheit -- a couple hours before you prepare the frosting so that it blends smoothly. Do not try to soften butter in the microwave, which will melt some of it entirely before it all softens.

Ratios and Volumes

• Buttercream is typically 1 part fat to 4 parts confectioner’s sugar. For example, if you use 1/2 cup of butter or shortening, you need about 2 cups of confectioner’s sugar. The sugar and fat condense when you blend them, so the volume of the final frosting is less than the total volume of all your ingredients. Mixing 1/2 cup butter or shortening with 2 cups confectioner’s sugar yields about 1 1/4 to 1 3/4 cups of frosting.

Mix the Primary Ingredients

• Beat the softened butter or shortening with an electric mixer on medium speed. It is easier to incorporate other ingredients if you beat the base ingredient until it is light, smooth and fluffy. Add sifted confectioner’s sugar 1/2 cup at a time, blending the mixture until it is smooth and even before you add more sugar. Add 1/2 tablespoon heavy cream, half and half, or whole milk per cup of confectioner’s sugar in the frosting.

Add Flavoring in Small Increments

• Add flavoring ingredients a little bit at a time to avoid adding too much. Blend the mixture thoroughly after each addition, then taste the frosting to gauge the intensity of the flavor.

  • Add about 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract per cup of confectioner’s sugar to create a standard vanilla buttercream.
  • Add 1/4 teaspoon of liquid extracts such as mint extract or lemon extract per cup of sugar to create a flavored buttercream.
  • Add 1/4 cup cocoa powder or 1/4 ounce melted baker’s chocolate per cup of sugar to create chocolate buttercream.
  • Add 1/2 teaspoon espresso powder per cup of sugar to create coffee or espresso buttercream.
  • Add 1/2 teaspoon of alcohol or a liqueur such as Irish cream, bourbon or high-end orange-flavored liqueur per cup of sugar for an alcohol-infused buttercream.

Color the Frosting Gradually

• Dip a clean toothpick in a jar of concentrated icing color. Swirl the toothpick in the frosting to transfer the color. Mix the frosting thoroughly. Repeat the process, using clean toothpicks each time, until you achieve the desired color intensity. Keep in mind that colors may intensify a little one to two hours after you mix the frosting.

Adjustments and Storage

• Adjust the consistency with additional confectioner’s sugar or cream, as needed, after you incorporate the flavoring and coloring ingredients. Refrigerate buttercream in an airtight container for up to two weeks. Soften refrigerated frosting to room temperature before working with it. Stir it to ensure the consistency is even before you apply it to a cake or fill a piping bag. Allow desserts topped with a butter-based buttercream to reach room temperature before serving them. Butter-based frostings tend to be stiff when they’re chilled.