I'm not sure if this should be posted in the Recipe Request forum or not. I'm not requesting a recipe, just need help with how to substitue some things. So this is the Recipe:

1/3 cup butter
1 cup Crisco
3/4 cup chocolate milk (I use white milk with Hershey Syrup added in)
1 heaping tsp instant coffee (added to the chocolate milk)
3 Tbsp powdered Dreamwhip
2 lb minus 1 cup powdered sugar
1 cup cocoa powder

What can I use to substitute the Dream Whip? I won't be able to go to Walmart or any food store besides Family Dollar until after my bro's birthday! And I am making this for his Sweet Sixteen! Help! How much would this make?

1 cup salted sweet cream butter, softened (2 sticks)
1 cup Crisco All Vegetable Shortening
3 t. Pure Vanilla extract
2 lbs. (8 cups) sifted powdered sugar, divided
1 cup sifted Hersheys Cocoa
1 T. Meringue Powder
8-9 T. heavy whipping cream, divided

This would be one of my other options. I can only use recipes that use cocoa. 8-9 TSPS???! That seems like a lot! Is there something I can substitute for heavy whipping cream? How much will this make? I only need enough to cover a 13 times 9 inch cake, including crumb coat. I don't really want any left overs!

Another options:

1/2 c shortening (WITH trans-fats) HUH! Can't I just use Crisco???!
1/2 c butter or margarine
1/3 c powdered non dairy coffee creamer
1/2 c cocoa
1/2 c water
1/4 tsp. salt
2 tsp. vanilla
2 lbs pwd sugar

How much is 2 lbs of powedered sugar? How much would this make?
Another Option:

1 1/3 c. butter (2 sticks plus 6 tbs.)
2/3 c. crisco shortening
1 1/2 c. cocoa
2 tsp vanilla
8 c. pwd sugar
approximately 2/3 c. half and half
2 tbs. corn syrup

This is actually looking like my best option.... So, if I do a whole recipe, it would make around 7-8 cups, right? Actually, I could halve this, and do chocolate BC. But, I still need some for decorating, so I just do a regular BC recipe, correct? I am just getting SO worried about this cake! It means a lot to me to A+ this cake. We are having over a lot of people and I will DIE if this cake sucks. I'm freaking out.

How I am doing the cake is: I'm going to thin out some icing and do a crumb coat. Let it crust completely. Do the top layer. Let it crust over again. I am going to try the copy paper or the napkin/paper towel method of smoothing. Next, TRY to color some icing black (should I start with brown?!) - use my 104 petal tip to make a race track. Let it crust. smooth out. Use my round tip to pipe a little "border/outline" around the racetrack. Go to Family Dollar buy 5-6 little hot rod cars, place them on the track. And write Sweet Sixteen or Happy Birthay Aaron. Does Sweet Sixteen sound "Girly"? Please, any andvice on how to do this, give it! I'm have no fingernails left, I'm so nervous! Thanks!

I use Indydebi's recipe and add unsweetened melted chocolate. It is THE BEST chocolate buttercream I've ever tasted. Of course you'll have to go get Dream Whip but if you want the recipe pm me. I gave it to another cc member on Saturday and she got two more cake orders on the spot because of the chocolate buttercream. Just offering since you seem to be undecided.

Robin

@mamawrobin: I am VERY undecided. And freaked out. And not even sure if I should do this. There unfortuanaly is no way I can get Dream Whip unless for some miraculous reason mom has to go to Tucson. Haha, really!? If I had dream whip, I use indydebi's, thank you anyways!

Your first recipe option was a mocha flavored buttercream so I'm assuming you like that flavor. I've used this recipe many times and it makes a nice frosting.

1 cup shortening
1 cup unsalted butter
1 cup cocoa
2 lbs confectioners' sugar
2 tbs meringue powder
2/3 cup (approximately) warm coffee (brewed, not instant)*
1 tsp vanilla

*you could probably MAKE the instant coffee and use it but you can't just use the powder/crystals

Good luck!

Using 2lbs of powder sugar (about 8 cups) and 2 cups of fat (butter/crisco) will give you around 5 cups of icing.

I'd go with the middle one, and you can use milk in place of the heavy cream, or even water.

I don't measure my cocoa or chocolate, I just add it in until I get the color and taste I want.

Try Sugarshack's buttercream in the recipe section, it's similar to the one you posted with heavy cream. It will work out great. Because I have a small mixer bowl, I sub part of the powdered sugar for cocoa, and it still comes out great.

Your 2nd recipe (minus the meringue powder) is very similar to a recipe here called Buttercream Dream and it is all I use. I do not use meringue powder or dream whip. That recipe will easily cover a qtr sheet (9x13) or 2-8" rounds.

mamawrobin - do you have the chocolate bc recipe posted somewhere? I'd love to try it since I really like Indydebi's recipe.

@TexasSugar: Should I halve the recipe?

@TexasSugar: What if I did the Whole recipe, and just left a little bit of it white, and whatever leftover of the brown I had, I could use it for black?

I'd go with the middle recipe and sub regular milk in place of the heavy cream.

As far as trying to color your icing black. The only way that I know to make black is to start with the amount of icing you want black, add chocolate (cocoa) powder and a bit more water to help thin it out. Blend well and then add your black gel. Blend well to get a REAL black color. Using white icing with black gel only turns it gray or dark gray.

Good luck!