Family Favorite Buttercream without the Butter!

     Sunday, Father's day, was also my husband's birthday. Since he is so awesome, we had a family dinner, which Madalynn cooked! I made the cake.  I am not a terrific cake decorator, but I do make a pretty delicious cake, with amazing frosting that everyone always wants to know the recipe for.  I guess you call it a buttercream frosting, but there is no butter in the recipe.  I don't really like butter in frosting.  It always tastes too sweet and rich to me.  Plus, I don't feel like it holds its shape well enough for decorating.  So, I thought today I would share the frosting recipe that I grew up making in my family.  It is super simple and I thought everyone made frosting this way, but apparently not because many people tell me that they don't like to go to the trouble of making frosting so they just buy it in the little containers at the store. Believe me when I tell you that this simple homemade frosting tastes so much better and it makes your cakes better as well.
​

     Start with 3 1/2 c. of powdered sugar, or 1 lb. I measure it right in my old handy-dandy Tupperware mix and measure bowl.  

     Here is the butter replacement, Crisco.  And, I only use Crisco, never the store brand or any other brand of shortening.  This is one case when I do not vary on brands.  Pie crusts come out better and the difference is noticeable in about every recipe I have tried if I vary from this brand.
​     

      Now, when you hear the recipe, we say that it takes 3 heaping T. of Crisco.  Well, the kind of Tablespoon we are talking about is like the one in the photo.  It is a serving spoon. Next you can see the amount that you scoop onto the spoon.  Drop them into the sugar in the bowl.      

   Cut the shortening into the powdered sugar, then add milk. I suggest adding about 6 Tablespoons to get it to the right consistency.  

    Don't forget to add about a teaspoon of vanilla for flavoring.  I always add it last so that you don't get weirdly colored powdered sugar lumps in your frosting.  You want to blend it until it is smooth, you can use a mixer, but I usually do it by hand with a knife. Does that sound funny? That is how we always did it, because then you can use that same knife to spread it on the cake!

     At this point you can add cocoa to make it chocolate, or colors for decorating, or just use the fluffy white goodness on it.  I love a chocolate cake with vanilla frosting! 

     Buttercream Frosting

1 lb. or 3 1/2 cups of confectioners sugar
3 heaping T. Crisco
About 6 T. milk
1 tsp. vanilla

​     Put the sugar in a mixing bowl.  Cut in the Cjrisco until there are tiny lumps of frosting throughout.  Add the milk and mix well until smooth.  Finally, add the vanilla and beat in.  Now you are ready to frost!