Hello everyone,

I need to rack your brains for a bit.

I am wondering what icing receipes (buttercreme, etc) that you use for regular cakes. I have tried a few and aside from the wilton class icing, haven't found anything that I am happy with. The wilton class icing is too greasy (I will continue to use it if I have to). I am hoping you would be willing share your icing receipes that you enjoy.

Another question, I have heard mixed reviews on the wilton brand clear vanilla extract. I hear it makes the icing taste funny, as opposed to regular vanilla extract. Could you shed some light on this? I do not want to go out and buy it and have it ruin the taste.

Thanks!!!!

I know there are tons of icing recipes on CC. I just havent found the right one either. It's kinda trial and error on what you think works best. Everytime I do a cake or practice something, I use a different recipe or change something in a previous one. But again, still searching HTH

Here's my buttercream recipe
1 cup each of salted butter and crisco
2 teaspoons of McCormick clear vanilla
2 teaspoons of meringue powder
mix on low speed
add 4 tablespoon of heavy whipping cream
slowly add 2 pounds of powdered sugar
add up to 2 more tablespoons of heavy whipping cream if needed (depends on heat, humidity)
mix on medium high for a couple of minutes

Jibbies

I can't speak to the flavor of the wilton clear vanilla. I've only used their butter flavor. I currently use creme bouquet, but when I do use vanilla, I just use the regular vanilla. Although the icing isn't perfectly white, I generally don't need perfectly white. I also use an icing base called Brite White by Bakemark and hi-ratio shortening. (The hi-ratio only recently replaced regular shortening though.) HTH a little.

Here's my buttercream recipe
1 cup each of salted butter and crisco
2 teaspoons of McCormick clear vanilla
2 teaspoons of meringue powder
mix on low speed
add 4 tablespoon of heavy whipping cream
slowly add 2 pounds of powdered sugar
add up to 2 more tablespoons of heavy whipping cream if needed (depends on heat, humidity)
mix on medium high for a couple of minutes

Jibbies

I use indydebi's recipe (found in the recipe section) and I love it. It crust very well and taste great. However, I use hiration instead of crisco. I've also used sugarshack's recipe and it is very good too.

Here's mine, it's a twist on Wilton's, I don't like greasy icing either so I increased the butter and decreased the shortening:

I just tried this the other night and I am in love with it.

1 stick salted butter
1 1/2 cups sweetex (high ratio shortening)
11 tbls water
3 teaspoons Wedding Bouquet (recommended by sugarshack)
2 tbls meringue powder
2 lbs powdered sugar
salt to taste

cream together butter, sweetex, 7 tbls water and wedding bouquet, add 1/2 of the powdered sugar, mix well. then add other half powdered sugar, meringue powder, salt, and 4 tbls water; cream well.

It was TO DIE FOR!!!