Buttercream Frosting
This is the basic, tried and true frosting that I have used for many years. It has lots of options that I've listed below.
About this recipe:
• Before frosting in tubs came along for bakeries, this was the standard recipe, although most bakers used all shortening with butter flavoring.
• You can use butter-flavored shortening.
• I like to use all butter; it gives a richer flavor, but it must be refrigerated.
Basic Buttercream Frosting
Ingredients
• ½ cup vegetable shortening
• ½ cup butter (or 1 stick)
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 lb. confectioners' sugar, sifted
• 2 Tbsp milk or cream (will definitely need to add more)
Instructions
1. Thoroughly cream butter and shortening. Add vanilla. Gradually add sugar, one cup at a time, beating well after each addition. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl often. Icing will appear dry after adding all the sugar. Add milk and beat at medium speed until light and fluffy. You WILL need to add more milk, up to 2 tablespoons. I let it beat for a little bit each time after adding milk. To be honest, I usually turn the mixer to a higher speed because I like mine frosting really light and fluffy, unless I'm using it for decorating.
2. Keep icing covered with a damp cloth while using or refrigerate in an airtight container. Can be stored up to two weeks. Beat again before using. Makes about 3 cups, enough for our Yellow Butter Layer Cake.
Options
• Substitute all shortening, clear vanilla and 1 tsp butter flavoring for white icing.
• Or you can just use the "butter shortening" with vanilla for regular icing.
• Two sticks of butter can also be used; beat it until light in color and fluffy before adding sugar.
• Use almond flavoring (I use Disaronno Amaretto liqueur) instead of vanilla.
• Coffee liqueur (like Kahlua) makes a good flavoring for our Basic Chocolate Frosting. (recipe below)
• Another alternative is liqueurs or extracts, like orange, lemon or cherry.
• Add 1 or 2 drops (not too much) of peppermint oil.
Tips
• It is really important to sift the confectioner' sugar, makes for a better
all-round frosting.
• Some liqueur comes in mini bottles; may have better flavor and might be cheaper than the extracts.
• If you want to make your own vanilla, check out our recipe here.

Basic Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
Prepare our Basic Buttercream, then add ¾ cup cocoa or 3-1 oz
unsweetened chocolate squares (preferred), melted and cooled. If using the
cocoa, you may need to add more milk, a little at a time, until it reaches the
right consistency.
Recipes are like stories; they can change from person to person. Everyone has their idea of how a recipe should be, even
though it may have changed from the original. We will never know the true author of the original recipe, regardless of
what some may say. That's why I go back and look through the oldest cookbooks that I can find. Sometimes it's not the
recipe in the books that I find, but the tiny pieces of handwritten recipes and newspaper articles that are stuck within
the pages. That's where the real story is, finding those simple Southern recipes. -Mac