Crusting Buttercream Recipe

By RoketJSquerl

This recipe is adapted from what is often called the “Viva” method — named after a brand of paper towels, which, owing to their flat (non-quilted or textured) surface, works extremely well for flattening the surface of your crusting buttercream.

Ingredients

• 1 bag (2 pounds) sifted confectioners’ sugar
• 1 stick unsalted butter, softened and cut into 1/2 inch cubes
• 1 1/2 cups solid vegetable shortening
• 1 1/2 tablespoons vanilla extract
• 1/8 to 1/2 cup whole milk (to desired consistency)

Preparation

Step 1

STEP 1:
In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream the butter, shortening and vanilla extract until smooth, 3 to 5 minutes on medium speed. Stop the mixer.

STEP 2:
Add about 1/4 of the confectioners’ sugar. You need to add this gradually, or you might have a sugary snowstorm in your kitchen when you
start to mix. Mix on low speed until incorporated. Pause to scrape the sides of the bowl down with a rubber spatula and add another 1/4 of the
confectioners’ sugar. Continue mixing and pausing to scrape down the
sides of the bowl and add more confectioners’ sugar until you’ve added
it all. This mixture will likely be quite thick.

STEP 3:
Add 1/8 cup of the milk and mix at low speed until incorporated. At this
point, it’s up to you whether or not you’d like to add more — it’s a matter of your preference for the consistency.

STEP 4:
Ice your cake. Try to apply the icing as smoothly as possible.

STEP 5:
Let set for 20-30 minutes to form a “crust”.

STEP 6:
If you’d like a flat surface on your cake, once it has crusted, you can use a square of un-patterned paper towel (or, if you don’t have that, a sheet of clean, white paper or parchment paper will do). Lay the paper on the area of the cake you want smoothed and using your hand, a spatula, a fondant smoother or even a clean and unused credit card, smooth the icing.

STEP 7:
Once smoothed, decorate in any way you’d like!