This is my first time posting on CC, but I have read a lot of great tips on this website over the past week or so.
I am going to try decorating my first cake this weekend. I have made a batch of buttercream icing and have been practicing with the different tips. My question is how much buttercream icing will I need to ice a 9x13x2 cake? The icing recipe I used was a Wilton recipe that uses 1/2 cup crisco, 1/2 cup butter, 4 cups powered sugar, etc....it says that it yields 3 cups. Will that be enough for a 9x13 cake, or do I need to double it? I know that I would rather have too much than not enough, but I thought I would get your advise.
Thanks
Sherri
It really depends on how thick you ice the cake and how much decorating you do. Sometimes I can do it with one batch and other times I need more. You can make 1/2 a batch if you want. That is usually what I do if I want to have plenty of icing just in case.
I have an 11 x 15 pan and just to frost that one I use 3 batches of icing. Going by the recipe you gave us. I don't crumb coat my cakes, I just get a good amout of icing on my spatula and push it against the cake. I never touch the cake itself with my spatula. I use 1 1/2 batch to decorate the entire cake. Then I use the other half to do borders and names. I then use the other batch on BCT's or any other decor. Hope this helps! Good Luck.
Glad to help. I just remembered I heard or read somewhere to use 1 batch of icing for every cake mix as a general rule of thumb to go by. The 9 x 13 pan takes about 1 1/2 cake mixes to fill it. So if you are only making one layer, 1 1/2 batches of icing should be plenty.
Oh yeah, welcome to CC! You will find lots of good ideas and get great help here I know I do! 
It also depends on if you're going to split the cake and fill it with the buttercream, in which case you would probably need about 2 batches.
And then it depends on the amount of decorations you'll put on the cake.
Wilton's chart says for a 9x13, 2 layer cake (4 " high), you'll need 6 cups (2 batches) of icing to ice and decorate with top and bottom borders.
Purple Petunia 
You will most definitely need 2 batches to ice and decorate. I just made a double 9 x 13 this past weekend and made 2 batches. I didn't even use it in the filling and used it all up to ice, do the borders and a transfer. Good luck and welcome aboard! 
I agree that you'll need 2 batches. I just made a 9x13x2 cake this weekend for a birthday (my first paid cake - YAY!), and I used almost every bit of 2 batches. That includes icing the cake (no crumb coat), shell borders top and bottom, writing, drop flowers, and a Dora picture (with star tip).
can you freeze it if you don't use it all
........can you freeze it if you don't use it all.............
I assume you are asking about icing. Yes, American buttercream icing can be fzn. It will also keep in the frig in an air-tight container for up to 3 months.
There are better recipes on this site. Here is the link to one of them: http://cakecentral.com/a/2-icing Read it through including all the replies before making :)
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