My first recipe is for buttercream icing. I learned to make this during my Wilton cake decorating classes. It is a little sweet but is the best icing you can use for decorating cake because it is very easy to work with.

Ingredients:

1 cup of Crisco or any white vegetable shortening
1 tsp. of flavoring (vanilla, almond, butter, etc.)
2 tbls. milk or water (I always use water)
1 lb. or 4 cups of confectioners' sugar
1 tbls. of Wilton Meringue Powder
A pinch of salt (optional-cuts down on the sweetness)





Directions:

Cream shortening, flavoring and water (or milk). Add dry ingredients and mix on medium speed until all ingredients have been thoroughly mixed together. Blend an additional minute or so, until creamy

*Decorator's Tip* Add the confectioners' sugar a cup at a time or your whole kitchen will be white.

This will give you a stiff consistency icing. It is great for making flowers with upright petals like roses (post on how to make buttercream roses to follow).

Medium consistency icing is used to create stems, figure piping, borders and flowers with petal that lie flat. Add 1 tsp. of water to each cup of stiff consistency icing. Mix well until blended.

Thin Consistency is used or writing, making stems leaves, and icing a cake. Add two tsp. of water for each cup of stiff consistency icing (2 tbls. of additional liquid for the full recipe). Mix until well blended.

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