Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Salted butter? For frosting? Yick.

Are standard butter-powdered sugar-milk-vanilla ones not doing it for you?

Double yuck on using salted butter. Salted butter is for the table if at all. Only cook with unsalted butter.

Wrong!

Anonymous wrote:http://www.epicurious.com/tools/searchresults?search=toba+garrett+buttercream

Note that the decorator icing recipe calls for unsalted butter and a full teaspoon of salt. That's no different than just using salted butter.

Anonymous wrote:So I discovered this totally by accident when I was using heavy whipping cream to thin my buttercream because it was all I had on hand - add a few tablespoons and let it "whip"' in the frosting. It's awesome and lightens it up a ton.

Not OP, but this is a great tip. Thanks!

Anonymous wrote:Salted butter? For frosting? Yick.

Are standard butter-powdered sugar-milk-vanilla ones not doing it for you?

Frosting is way better with salted butter. Salt really rounds out the flavor, and no, the frosting does not come out salty. It helps if you use a butter and Crisco mix.

So I discovered this totally by accident when I was using heavy whipping cream to thin my buttercream because it was all I had on hand - add a few tablespoons and let it "whip"' in the frosting. It's awesome and lightens it up a ton.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Salted butter? For frosting? Yick.

Are standard butter-powdered sugar-milk-vanilla ones not doing it for you?

Double yuck on using salted butter. Salted butter is for the table if at all. Only cook with unsalted butter.

Lame. Even the experienced cooks that I know use salted butter almost all the time. All the recipes that call for unsalted butter (including buttercream) have you add salt anyway so what's the point?

I just use the Wilton recipe and I like the way it comes out. It colors well, too.

Honestly, some people just don't like frosting. I think it's a stretch to complain it's too sweet or too buttery when the ingredients are almost entirely sugar and butter. The Wilton recipe uses half butter, half shortening (Crisco) so that is what you might want to try to cut the butter taste.

Heavy cream whipped with a box of Jello instant pudding mix is not too sweet and has a fluffy, light consistency. It tastes so much better than regular frosting.

Anonymous wrote:Salted butter? For frosting? Yick.

Are standard butter-powdered sugar-milk-vanilla ones not doing it for you?

Double yuck on using salted butter. Salted butter is for the table if at all. Only cook with unsalted butter.

Salted butter? For frosting? Yick.

Are standard butter-powdered sugar-milk-vanilla ones not doing it for you?

http://www.epicurious.com/tools/searchresults?search=toba+garrett+buttercream

I add a spoonful of lemon juice to my buttercream to cut the sweetness. If you don't use enough sugar, it tastes like butter, not like frosting.

Start with 1 cup salted butter, room temp.

Put it in a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, with about 2 cups powdered sugar and a tablespoon of meringue powder (helps stabilize the frosting). Mix it on low until the sugar is incorporated, then turn it up to high and really whip it around until it's light and fluffy, around 5-6 minutes.

Add a tsp of vanilla and another cup or two of powdered sugar (sorry, I eyeball it so don't have good measurements) and continue to beat on high for another minute or two. Taste it, and add more sugar if needed.

I'd use good unsalted butter. Then make a standard buttercream. But while adding the sugar, taste test the icing and stop when you think it's sweet enough. Some recipes call for like 4 cups when 2 might be enough.

I have tried so many frosting recipes and they all end up either too sweet or too buttery. I'm looking for a good standard vanilla frosting for a kid's birthday party cake, so kid-friendly and something that I can dye and pipe through decorating tubes. Thanks in advance!