I have been using just a basic all crisco crusting buttercream. I hate it! I have come to realize that it is the icing, not my technique, that is making my cakes look awful. I went to the recipe section, and I am completely overwhelmed, there are so many! Mine just will not smooth, and I am getting so frustrated!

Would anyone mind sharing their favorite shortening/butter or all shortening recipe? I can't use hi ratio or sweetex, due to expense. This is "just a hobby" lol.

I am about ready to cry, and I really don't wanna do that in front of my kids

Please save me!

I use Serious_cakes recipe all the time.
www.cakecentral.com/cake_recipe-7059-0-Buttercream-Frosting.html

I just finished making some today! It's really good and uses about 2/3 more butter than crisco.

I also like Indydebi's recipe using crisco and dreamwhip.
www.cakecentral.com/cake_recipe-6992-268-Indydebis-Crisco-Based-Buttercream-Icing.html
I made one batch of sugarshack's buttercream and it was really nice, but it uses sweetex and I only got a little bit of it and yes, it's very difficult and expensive for me to get hi-ratio.
You can pm me or Serious_cakes if you have any questions about her recipe. I've been making it since last September, and it takes some "owning" of the frosting.

Oh, and also, here's a link to Serious_cakes making her buttercream on youtube. There she answers some common questions about it too!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tLcCbN2I4xI&feature=related

Here ya go: http://www.cakecentral.com/cake_recipe-7378-3-Cakepros-Buttercream-with-Trans-Fat-Free-Crisco.html

SharonZ (SugarShack)'s b'cream is super
Even if you don't end up using that recipe, it's worth the time & efford to read the threads about her method(s). I'm sorry I don't have a link for you but try searching for SugarShack's buttercream.

Switch to IMBC.

I second the SugarShack's icing. It is super smooth right after beating it. This icing is very creamy. Is is in the CC recipes, try a search for SugarShack. HTH

Here ya go... I love this and it smooths great.

1 stick butter or margarine softened
4 ounces cream cheese softened
2 cups crisco (all vegetable shortening)
2 pounds powder sugar
flavoring

Cream butter ,cream cheese and flavoring. Add in small incremants the shortening and powder sugar. Mix on Medium about 7-10 minutes..... any flavoring works really well. Also if you are coloring it add the color when you do the flavor.

Has anyone done sugarshack w/ reg crisco? If so how was it?

sharon says you can use crisco instead of hi-ratio shortening... and you can use half butter and half crisco.. you can see her make it on youtube...and yes . serious_cake is on youtube..

jamiekwebb...your recipe sounds yummy..... does it crust?

I also find the recipe section difficult to navigate. Is the IMBC recipe that everyone talks about on here the one submitted by Queequeg? If so, what is caster sugar?

Yes it does crust and I have never had any trouble smoothing it using the viva method. I love this recipe and I get rave reviews all the time.

I've been wanting to try some IMBC recipes, but they all require a mixer. I don't have one, so I can't make it. The one recipe that didn't need a mixer was so nasty I threw it out. I'm not putting a big stick of butter on MY cake... Seriously, ONE cup of sugar with THREE sticks of butter?!?!?

It might have been tasty on cinnamon rolls, I guess, but I didn't have time to make those...

Sugarshack's recipe all the way! I used it for a couple of years with just crisco, but now I use it with Sweetex. It really does taste much better with the high ratio. I'm just a hobbiest, too and it takes me quite a while to go through that big ol' box of shortning.
Just a little FYI, if you get a 50lb box of high ratio you can portion it out into gallon size ziplocs and put it in the freezer. I do 3 ziplocs in the pantry and the rest in the freezer. When I have only 1 pantry bag left I pull 3 out of the freezer to thaw and build up my pantry stock again. It's actually cheaper to get the big box of high ratio, at least in my area.
Just a thought...

thanks, jamiekwebb....I just jotted down the ingredients and can't wait to try a batch this weekend!
And everyone on here has me motivated now to try the IMBC....I've been too intimidated to try it.

thanks again, jamiekwebb....looking forward to it!

You clean your house with butter?

I am totally lost.

I bet my husband would love it if I cleaned the house while COVERED in butter, but that is for another thread.

xstitcher, that's the recipe I've given to my cake students for the past 11 years, so I've seen it used literally by over 1000+ people without problems. LOL

Baking soda..

My point was who cares that you fry chicken with crisco.. as you can also clean a house w/ a staple ingredient in cakes.

=)

Oh...ok.

In this thread there are several recipe links -- with lots of different cakes, fillings and frostings available. Hopefully one of them works for you: http://cakecentral.com/modules.php?name=Forums&file=viewtopic&t=625803&postdays=0&postorder=asc&&start=0

cakemommy,

you should try the "whimsical bakehouse" house buttercream. it's a novel approach to butter/crisco/PS buttercream and it is always smooth (because the PS is thoroughly mixed with hot water before the butter/crisco are added) and it spreads onto the cake more like and IMBC/SMBC, nice and smooth. it's quite wonderful to work.

pm me if you want to give it a try and can't find the recipe.

if you wanted to go up a notch, but IMBC sounds a little intimidating, SMBC is another great option. very easy and it has the advantage that there are no egg safety issues.

diane