How to make American ButterCream Icing

This is a Classic American ButterCream Icing which is used for decorating as well as filling. Since we use shortening, it holds its shape so good. And it is also super sweet icing. For ButterCream decorations check my Basic Cake and Cupcake Decorations post. Lets go to the ingredients now.

1 cup white Vegetable shortening (1/2 cup butter & 1/2 cup shortening can also be used for better taste)

1 tsp vanilla extract

8 tsp milk / water

1 lb powdered sugar (very fine powder)

pinch of salt (optional)

1 tbs meringue powder (optional)

Mix shortening in medium adding vanilla extract and milk till its creamy. Now add salt and meringue powder. Then add powdered sugar gradually little by little. Blend it till the icing is well mixed and creamy.

Tips:

Always make sure the icing is stiff at first because it is easy to thin rather than to stiff it. For medium consistency add  2 tsp milk/water gradually. For thin consistency add another 2 tsp milk/water gradually.

Stiff consistency - for flowers like roses; 

Medium consistency - for boarders, flowers; 

Thin consistency - for writing, icing, filling.

For Chocolate ButterCream add 3/4 cup cocoa and 1 to 2 tsp milk/water to the recipe.

Fondant Lady Bug Tutorial

 This ladybug is so cute and very simple to make. I made this for my Basket weave cake.

Required tools:

Take the red fondant and make an oval and flatten a bit on one side.
Then take the black fondant for head and make a ball and flatten it on one side to make a semi circle.
Now attach both the head and body facing the flatten sides using the edible glue .

Now take a toothpick and draw a line in the center of the body.

Take two small white balls and two even smaller black balls for eyes. First put the white ball and flatten it and then put the black on top and flatten to make an eye.


Take 6 tiny black balls and attach to the body randomly to make the dots for ladybug. And there you go our cute ladybug is done.