This is a delicious alternative to cream cheese icing for Red Velvet Cake, and goes beautifully with many other cakes as well:)
Ingredients
1 1/2 cup shortening
1/2 cup softened butter
4 cups confectioners sugar
1 tsp Pure Vanilla extract
3 tbsp Milk
8oz White Chocolate
1/4 cup Heavy Cream
1 1/2 tbsp unsalted butter ( softened)
Instructions
To make buttercream; Cream butter and shortening, add vanilla, add sugar one cup at a time blending well adding one tbsp of milk after each cup of sugar. Mix until well blended. Put white chocolate into a microwave safe bowl add enough heavy cream to cover about 1/3 of the chocolate,add butter to the bowl microwave for 30 seconds on high then WHISK together (using the whisk is key!!) until smooth. Let the ganache cool slightly then whip it into to the buttercream:)
I'm quite sure that Nestle white chips are 0% white chocolate. Most chips you find, other than Ghirardelli or the like, are just hydrogenated oil and vanilla flavoring. So to get a real white chocolate taste, instead of a more intense vanilla, go for the real stuff. :)
I made this today and it tastes awesome, but it came out really thin even though I only used 1 tbsp of milk and let the ganache cool completely. I had to use twice as much powdered sugar to get it to a medium consistency. Do you usually chill it before using it to let it firm up?
I am so excited that i found this recipe. I have a Red Velvet cake this weekend. And was looking for an alternative to the cream cheese,I will be covering the cake in fondant, and I do not have good luck with refridgerating fondant covered cakes. I have also made WASC cupcakes for a relatives baby shower this weekend.What do you folks think of using this icing on them.....sounds yummy to me.
I actually made this recipe BUT used Wiltons Buttercream recipe and then added the white chocolate ganache without the extra butter. It was fluffy and delicious.
I'm pretty new at this, so I'm just wondering if it has cream in it, why does it not have to stay refridgerated? Doesn't all non-cooked milk products have to stay cold?
Michelle0108, cream is more stable than thinner milk products. I think it's due to the higher fat content. If you compare the expiration date of fattier products like butter or cream to a gallon of milk at the grocery store, you'll notice that butter and cream have a MUCH longer shelf life (like several months!), especially when refrigerated. There is a limit, of course, but even at room temperature, these should be fine for a few days.
That said, I don't know what the FDA regulations on all of it are, as I only do it as a hobby (not a business). But having lived overseas for several years - where there are very different standards concerning food safety - I have learned that many things that Americans do concerning "freshness" are a bi overboard. I know they are intended to protect us, but there generally has to be a pretty serious violation of the standard before there are any real consequences.. Leaving a cream-based icing on the counter for a few days doesn't qualify under the heading of "serious violation." Raw chicken, yes, but not chocolate ganache...
Has anyone tried this with only butter? Sounds divine.. but here In France I am not sure what to use for shortening and even with my normal buttercream I just use butter... is that possible with this one?
Just finished making this. Oh man it tastes delicious!! Yum Yum! It is thin so I too am putting it in the fridge and will probably have to add some more powdered sugar to get it a bit thicker. It crusts very slightly.
I put the leftover icing in the frig and , of course, it firmed up a lot. So... if I take it out and sit at room temp, will it ice a cake just as well as the first time?
Is this pipeable (if that is even a word but people on here get it)?
Yes it is pipeable. I also use it under my fondant after chilling in the fridge.
Will this buttercream form a crust?
does it have to be refrigerated?
It will crust slightly...no it does not need to be refrigerated:)
Is the white choc in the form of chips, or do you get the bar and break it up?
For this I just use nestle white chocolate chips...If I were making just ganache I would use higher a quality bar, but for this the chips are great:)
Sounds delish! Does it make a nice firm frosting suitable for piping swirls on cupcakes?
Yes it makes a nice swirl on the cupcakes:)
I'm quite sure that Nestle white chips are 0% white chocolate. Most chips you find, other than Ghirardelli or the like, are just hydrogenated oil and vanilla flavoring. So to get a real white chocolate taste, instead of a more intense vanilla, go for the real stuff. :)
How large of a cake does this frost?
If I make this a couple days ahead and stuck it in the fridge...would it hold up ok? Meaning, will it be to crusty to work with?
I made this today and it tastes awesome, but it came out really thin even though I only used 1 tbsp of milk and let the ganache cool completely. I had to use twice as much powdered sugar to get it to a medium consistency. Do you usually chill it before using it to let it firm up?
It will hold up great in the fridge...and yes you should let the ganache cool and thicken a bit before adding it to the buttercream
Hi, after frosting the cake with this recipe is it ok to put in the fridge? im making white cake with strawberry pastry cream filling.
I loved it! The consistency is great and gives the cake a superb flavor, especially under the fondant. Yum!
I am so excited that i found this recipe. I have a Red Velvet cake this weekend. And was looking for an alternative to the cream cheese,I will be covering the cake in fondant, and I do not have good luck with refridgerating fondant covered cakes. I have also made WASC cupcakes for a relatives baby shower this weekend.What do you folks think of using this icing on them.....sounds yummy to me.
I just finished a batch and it's a little thinner than I wanted, I'm gonna chill it and hope it thickens a bit
Just tried this on red velvet, it was soooo good. Does it crust and what is the shelf life?
I actually made this recipe BUT used Wiltons Buttercream recipe and then added the white chocolate ganache without the extra butter. It was fluffy and delicious.
I'm pretty new at this, so I'm just wondering if it has cream in it, why does it not have to stay refridgerated? Doesn't all non-cooked milk products have to stay cold?
Michelle0108, cream is more stable than thinner milk products. I think it's due to the higher fat content. If you compare the expiration date of fattier products like butter or cream to a gallon of milk at the grocery store, you'll notice that butter and cream have a MUCH longer shelf life (like several months!), especially when refrigerated. There is a limit, of course, but even at room temperature, these should be fine for a few days.
That said, I don't know what the FDA regulations on all of it are, as I only do it as a hobby (not a business). But having lived overseas for several years - where there are very different standards concerning food safety - I have learned that many things that Americans do concerning "freshness" are a bi overboard. I know they are intended to protect us, but there generally has to be a pretty serious violation of the standard before there are any real consequences.. Leaving a cream-based icing on the counter for a few days doesn't qualify under the heading of "serious violation." Raw chicken, yes, but not chocolate ganache...
Has anyone tried this with only butter? Sounds divine.. but here In France I am not sure what to use for shortening and even with my normal buttercream I just use butter... is that possible with this one?
Oh and is it possible to color it using gel colors like wilton or sugarflair? Thanks!
The high sugar content of the icing also acts as a preservative, helping the milk products stay stable longer.
Just finished making this. Oh man it tastes delicious!! Yum Yum! It is thin so I too am putting it in the fridge and will probably have to add some more powdered sugar to get it a bit thicker. It crusts very slightly.
What color is this buttercream? Like a true white or more ivory?
Is the 1/2 cup of softened butter at the top of the list of ingredients SALTED butter?
I put the leftover icing in the frig and , of course, it firmed up a lot. So... if I take it out and sit at room temp, will it ice a cake just as well as the first time?