Is there ANYTHING I can do to make buttercream icing without using hi ratio?   I decorate  for my own use and we only have a WalMart and I've not seen any hi rato shortening.  My buttercream looks like cottage cheese.   Hope there are some suggestions.     Thanks

Your recipe would help us determine any issues... Which one are you using?

Your method would help us as well... how do you combine the ingredients?

I typically only use butter in my american buttercream recipe, but shortening will work in it as well...

When using swiss meringue buttercream, all I use is butter...

My ermine recipe can be used with either butter or shortening, but I prefer butter...

A pretty close second to hi ratio is to find shortening that DOESNT say 0 transfat. So you wouldn't want to use Crisco. You may have to shop around for it though. I'm on the east coast and can find it at Shoppers Food Warehouse, in the south you can find a similar brand at Publix, it has fried chicken on it. Occasionally, I've found it in Walmart but it's far and few between.  And as someone else mentioned you could just use butter. It really depends on your recipe. I would play around, experiment a bit.

Ideally, you shouldn't use shortening in your buttercream frosting at all unless you are having to deal with hot humid temperatures or need extended shelf life at room temperature.   

Are you using room temperature ingredients when making your buttercream?

Around here, the IGA brand shortening still has 2.5 grams transfat per serving......

If you are unable to find what has been suggested (shortening WITH transfats) I have used the 'new' Crisco with good results.  I have never (that I remember) used Hi ratio.

Thanks everyone- the recipe I use was given to me in a Wilton cake decorating class Yrs back.

1 cup shortening

1lb 4X sugar

flavoring

What as needed

mix the shortening with flavoring until fluffy and gradually add sugar beat add water as needed.

Unless you are fond of the way it tastes, I would encourage you to abandon that recipe and replace it with a standard buttercream recipe that uses real butter and no shortening.  Shortening does not melt in your mouth like butter; it maintains a greasy feel and doesn't provide any flavor, either.  Hydrogenated fat is also less healthy for you than even butter.  Of course the pros are that it's cheap, white, extends shelf life, and can be useful if in a very hot, humid room.  That type of recipe might be close to the "baker's frosting" used in supermarkets to maximize profit for their cakes..... those cakes that always look ten times better than they taste.   Actually, bakers frosting has milk and sometimes at least a little butter.

But, if you like it, keep it.  That's what really matters.  

I get mine at Walmart and actually found the Walmart brand shortening to be the best option I've found! Not their vegtable shortening, but their actual shortening. Krazy Kool Cakes from YouTube actually recommends it in their buttercream recipe also.

This is what I use, and I absoluely love it. Don't recall where I found it, but it is great.  Doesn't taste greasy at all to me.

1 cup shortening

1 cup butter

2 tsp of vanilla

8 cups confectioners sugar

2-4 tbs of milk or water

Thanks. I'll try this recipe.   What brand of brand and shortening.   Most butter tints the icing yellow. 

"Most butter tints the icing yellow."  Yes, but there are a few ways to make it white.  Here's the method I use: 

How to Make White Buttercream

I tried this method for the first time last weekend (on a wedding cake, no less) and my all butter buttercream turned a lovely white! :) I was ecstatic :)

Do you use pure butter and does it crust?

I always use half butter and half shortening in my buttercream, and it's off white, but not enough that you'd particularly notice unless you have pure white next to it.

I've only made wedding cakes for friends, but they've all opted for this icing rather than pure white all shortening icing, since it tastes much better.

In the following article, Duff Goldman discusses the use of shortening in frosting.  Link

I still think an "american b'cream" can be made to be tasty.  I have tried the meringue ones and do NOT like eating a straight stick of butter :( 

As someone else said, ditch that awful recipe you have been using and try this one:  http://www.cakecentral.com/recipe/22469/2-icing        I think you will be very surprised at how good it is.

Yes, I don't have a problem with powdered sugar, just shortening.

Mine is 100% butter and it did crust (lots of sugar!) It was super sweet (as most American buttercream tends to be.) If you look on my photos, you'll see the little wedding cake with the bird topper. That's about as white as I can get it, even when using dark vanilla extract :)

If you cream your butter separately for a few minutes before adding other ingredients you'll notice that some of the yellow will fade.  After that, if you're still looking for something even more white you can follow the tip on the video above to add a touch of purple or use one of the commercial products used to whiten buttercream.  Not only would I use all butter, but premium butter, like Land O'lakes premium, unless I'm trying to control costs. Shortening can be helpful in some cases, most them already mentioned.  Another one not mentioned is when piping flowers and you want extra assurance they'll hold well.  For that I might use part shortening, but not for the actual frosting layer.