Today we’re talking about bright white heat stable pipeable buttercream that actually tastes good.
It’s a challenge to create a shortening buttercream that tastes close to real buttercream, but I was up for the challenge.
Hey there! Before you scroll, there’s lot’s of important stuff in the post!…including the Important Information Section, which may answer any questions you might have about this recipe. Enjoy!
This frosting is perfect for those warm or hot days when you need a more stable buttercream and when you want super white frosting.
It’s also perfect for piping roses and other buttercream designs on cakes or cupcakes.
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Important Information to Read First:
IMPORTANT PLEASE READ BELOW! I want to address something before we get into this recipe. I have received a lot of ‘hateful’ comments regarding this recipe and I want to clear up a few things so you’ll know what to expect from it.
- This recipe makes a lot of icing, that is why it calls for many cups of confectioner’s sugar and shortening. It will make enough buttercream to cover at least two, 8″ round cakes plus extra for plenty of piping details. You can always halve the recipe if you don’t need that much.
- I do realize this isn’t ‘real buttercream’ because it uses vegetable shortening instead of real butter. The point of this recipe is to use shortening to get a more heat stable, pipeable and bright white buttercream. People have been calling this a heat-stable buttercream for many many years and I am not the first. Now, if you want a ‘real’ buttercream recipe using all buttercream, you’ll want to see that recipe here: Vanilla Bean Buttercream
- Vegetable shortening is NOT lard. Vegetable shortening is plant fat and lard is animal fat. This recipe does not call for animal fat (lard).
- This recipe is similar to every other bright white, heat stable, pipeable ‘buttercream’ or icing that you’ll find at bakeries, grocery stores and home bakeries all over the U.S. It has been used for many many years by home and professional bakers alike and I’ve just modified it to make it taste better. If you’ve eaten a cake from the grocery store, it’s likely you’ve had this icing.
- Please note these things before sending me mean comments. I am truly trying to provide free recipes and be helpful to those who want free cake advice and recipes. It is completely acceptable for you not to like this recipe or decide not to make it. I will understand. Please remember to be respectful when making comments as I am a real person.
With that out of the way, let’s get back to the actual recipe, right!
About this recipe:
So, shortening based American buttercream isn’t exactly a new thing, so I’m not reinventing the wheel here, but I am adding a few things in that actually help to give you a great tasting buttercream when you can’t actually use butter.
So the way you make bright white, heat stable and pipeable buttercream is to use shortening instead of butter. Yeah I know it doesn’t sound super appetizing, but I promise it tastes better than it sounds.
If you’re not quite up for going with all shortening here, you can use half shortening and half butter. Your icing won’t be as white this way, so it’s a give and take.
This buttercream is also a ‘crusting buttercream’, which means that a very thin film will develop over it which will allow you to smooth your cake using the Viva paper towel method.
That’s the method you use to smooth buttercream by letting your buttercream crust, then laying a viva paper towel over it and smoothing it lightly with your hand.
To see more about getting smooth buttercream, you’ll want to check out this post: How to Get Smooth Buttercream
Make sure you keep this buttercream covered after you’ve mixed it, so that it doesn’t develop a film over it before you get a chance to ice your cake.
How heat stable is this buttercream?
I’m calling this buttercream ‘heat stable’, but that’s within reason. There is nothing you can do to buttercream to keep it from melting if you’re putting it out in direct hot sun.
This buttercream stands up better to warmer temperatures than an all butter buttercream, but you want to be reasonable about it.
Another thing to note is that from my experience, this buttercream is not the best under fondant because it does not firm up as well as butter does in the fridge, which makes it a little more tricky when adding fondant over it.
I love this buttercream when it’s summer-time and the temps are warmer. I also love it when I need a bright white icing. There are tricks you can use for all butter buttercream to get it more white, but to me, it just never gets truly white like this buttercream gets.
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About the Ingredients:
- Vegetable Shortening: Now, if you can get high-ratio shortening, it works the best, however because of the trans fats, it’s now been banned in most places. I’ve found that the Walmart store brand is a close second.
- Meringue Powder (optional): If you’re using regular shortening, but you want to stabilize it even more, you can add in a couple tablespoons of meringue powder. This gives it some holding powder.
- Salt: Ok this is actually really important because shortening based icing tends to coat your mouth and ‘seems’ like it’s actually sweeter. To combat this, we’re adding salt.
- Powdered Sugar: You definitely need this to add sweetness and to thicken up the consistency.
- Cream or Milk: This will make it cream and help you to adjust the consistency.
- Clear Vanilla Extract: To keep this buttercream as white as possible, you can use clear vanilla extract in place of regular extract. I like the taste of regular vanilla extract better, but this is your call.
- Butter Emulsion: I LOVE LorAnn Oils and the butter emulsion is really good. Regular butter extract you get at the grocery store just tastes gross to me, so I use this instead to give the buttercream more of that ‘butter’ taste. You can get this emulsion here: LorAnn Butter Emulsion
- Buttery Sweet Dough Emulsion: This one is optional, but I really like the flavor it adds. You can get it here: LorAnn Buttery Sweet Dough Emulsion
Now, if you’d like an all butter buttercream instead, make sure to go here to get my recipe for that: Vanilla Bean Buttercream Recipe
Video:
Ok, let’s get to the recipe:
**By the way, this recipe was developed and tested using volume measurements (cups etc.). I do this because most people are used to measuring, instead of weighing. You may use the metric converter button to see the weight (gram) measurements. Those numbers are estimates on weight. Your results may vary a bit if you use the weight measurements.
Recipe
Bright White Heat Stable Pipeable Buttercream
Ingredients
- 3 cups vegetable shortening
- 9-10 cups confectioner’s sugar
- 2 tablespoon meringue powder (optional for more stability and holding power)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 6-8 tablespoon milk or cream
- 2 teaspoon clear vanilla extract (can use regular vanilla extract if you don’t have clear)
- ½-1 teaspoon butter extract/emulsion (LorAnn oils has a good option)
- ½-1 teaspoon LorAnn buttery dough extract/emulsion (optional)
Instructions
- Mix shortening until smooth.
- Add in the salt, 4 cups confectioners sugar and 3 tablespoon milk and mix well.
- Optional: If you want to add in a couple tablespoons of meringue powder for extra stability, you can do that now.
- Add in another 5 cups confectioners sugar plus another 3 tablespoon milk and mix well.
- Scrape down sides of bowl. Add a tablespoon or two of milk or cream if the buttercream is too thick. Mix well.
- Add in the extracts and mix well.
- Add more milk if icing is too thick. Add in only a tablespoon at a time. Mix well.
- Finally, mix by hand with a rubber spatula to help press out any air bubbles.
- This recipe makes enough to cover 2, 8″ round cakes
Notes
- This recipe makes a lot of icing, that is why it calls for many cups of confectioner’s sugar and shortening. It will make enough buttercream to cover at least two, 8″ round cakes plus extra for plenty of piping details. You can always halve the recipe if you don’t need that much.
- I do realize this isn’t ‘real buttercream’ because it uses vegetable shortening instead of real butter. The point of this recipe is to use shortening to get a more heat stable, pipeable and bright white buttercream. People have been calling this a heat-stable buttercream for many many years and I am not the first. Now, if you want a ‘real’ buttercream recipe using all buttercream, you’ll want to see that recipe here: Vanilla Bean Buttercream
- Vegetable shortening is not lard. Vegetable shortening is plant fat and lard is animal fat. This recipe does not call for animal fat.
- This is similar to every other bright white, heat stable, pipeable ‘buttercream’ or icing that you’ll find at bakeries, grocery stores and home bakeries all over the U.S. It has been used for many many years by home and professional bakers alike and I’ve just modified it to make it taste better. If you’ve eaten a cake from the grocery store, it’s likely you’ve had this icing.
Nutrition
How to Share
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Other Recipes You Might Like:
Beth
First of all, I am soo sorry people have been mean to you or anybody else for that matter. I used to use a recipe like this years ago when making birthday cakes for my children…this is how I was taught in professional baking classes! If someone doesn’t like it, move on to a recipe you love!!! Thank you for all you post and love your recipes!!
Kara
Beth, thanks so much for the kind words! So glad someone understands. 💖
Rachel Boothe
I have a hard time piping roses on flower nails due to the petals falling over before I can even get them piped. I tried a Crisco all shortening recipe and got the same results. I do have a problem warm hands and I live in the southern United States where it is so humid. Do you think I would get a good result piping roses with this recipe?
P.S. I have never understood why people want to be rude, particularly when someone is trying to be helpful. I am sorry you have had to experience this.
Kara
Hi Rachel, thanks for those kind words. I really appreciate it.
I do get your frustration about piping roses in humid weather…the same here. I’m wondering if you could just make a small (1/2) batch of this recipe and try it out and see if it works any better for you. You could also add in an extra cup of powdered sugar to make it a little thicker and I wonder if that would help it stay firm for you a little longer. You could also try adding in a tablespoon or so of meringue powder. That could help firm it up a little more as well.
The general advice when piping is to not fill the bag up too much, but if your hands are really warm, it might be okay to fill it up a little more.
Also, I wonder if you wore gloves if that would help insulate them and keep some of that heat from reaching the buttercream? Might be worth a try.
Sheryl
I’m so sorry for anyone who comes on here and is blatantly rude. Your frosting is perfect…I have used similiar in the past and lost my recipe and was in search for a frosting that will stand up to the heat and humidity for an outdoor birthday party. You are very much correct when stating that shortening is a must for stability. You have delivered what is needed in your recipe for this to happen. Thank you for sharing this recipe. I appreciate it. Happy Baking! Happy Weekend!
Like you mentioned if you want a true buttercream than look up that recipe! Geesh peeps it’s as simple as that! Stop with this nonsense and make your own blog of FREE recipes before complaining!
Kara
Thanks so much, Sheryl for your kind words. It really means a lot. So glad there are people who understand! Love your comment. 🙂
Kelly
Can you add food coloring gel to frosting and it still keeps consistency
Kara
Yes, if you add gel food coloring it won’t dilute it like liquid food coloring.
Rabiah
Thank you for your kind help!! I’m very sorry folks have been disrespectful towards you and all the hard work you put into creating FREE recipes/advice.
I plan on making this cream recipe tonight! I was not able to find Butter emulsion but found Butter Vanilla emulsion. Is that an ok switch?
Thanks for your awesome posts!
Kara
Thanks so much! I appreciate your kind words 🙂 Butter vanilla emulsion will work just fine in this recipe. I hope you like it!
Nilda Panos
How can anyone be mean to someone so nice?It’s a shame!
Thanks for the recipe and all that you do!
Kara
Oh, you are wonderful! Thank you so much. 💖
Christine
As a newly approved Cottage Baker who cannot use butter in buttercream, I appreciate this recipe so much! High ratio shortening was recommended to me but I had no clue where to even start with it. I made a couple of tweaks here and there just for my personal taste preferences, but I feel confident now in being able to continue to make cupcakes and cakes while aligning with my local Cottage Food rule.
Kara
Yes! I’m so glad you found this one useful. I sold cakes out of my home for a couple of years under the cottage food law and it was such a pain to find good frostings and fillings that weren’t perishable, but that still tasted like the real thing. So, I feel your pain. Thanks for the great review. Best of luck with your baking business!
Linda Wascom
Hi there! I’m hooked on your page and recipes. I have been “tasked” with making the wedding cake for my son’s small wedding. I’ve already decided that your “Moist White Cake” is going to be my recipe. And I definitely am NOT an experienced baker/decorator. So my question to you is do you have a recommendation between this icing recipe and your Best Vanilla Bean Buttercream Frosting recipe? Considering I will be making a “naked” edge on the cake and no piping because we will decorate with silk flowers, and my lack of experience, I thought you might be able to make a recommendation…? Thanks!!
Kara
I’m a big fan of my favorite vanilla bean buttercream. This one is good if you need a heat-stable, pipeable buttercream, but my number one buttercream would be the all butter one which is the vanilla bean buttercream. If you need it to be more of a white color, you can use clean vanilla extract (use about 2 teaspoons) instead of the vanilla bean paste that the recipe calls for. You can also whip it for several minutes to lighten the color and/or you can add a tiny tiny speck of violet gel food coloring and that will cancel out any yellow from the butter and will give you a whiter icing.
Riley Essig
Do you sift your powdered sugar for this recipe?
Kara
I usually don’t sift unless it’s clumpy. You can sift though if you prefer that. Sift after you measure though.
Kristina
hi just wondering if you can apply this buttercream over normal buttercream?
and should u put the cake in rhe fridge once you have applied it to you cake?
Kara
Hi Kristina, do you mean applying it like a second coat? I think that would work okay depending on the consistency you make it. As long as it wasn’t a super thick consistency, it should be able to go over a first layer of buttercream. I don’t usually refrigerate my cakes unless there is perishable frosting or filling in them, but many decorators do. Either way is fine. Just do your preference. This frosting doesn’t need to be stored in the fridge though unless you want to.