I tried a new frosting for Elizabeth’s birthday cake. I wanted something that went on more smoothly than the Wilton’s buttercream recipe. This worked really well for the smooth frosting, and it was delicious!  It did however get really melty quickly when I piped on the bubbles.  It was fine for this cake because I didn’t have a lot of piping to do.

So overall, if I’m doing a whole bunch of piping, I’d do the Wilton recipe, but if I want to spread a smooth cake, I’ll use this recipe found at allrecipes.com.  I quadrupled the recipe, but a triple recipe would have been plenty for this cake and the dozen cupcakes I made.

Quick and Almost-Professional Buttercream Icing

INGREDIENTS

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
2 tablespoons milk
3 drops food coloring, or as needed (optional)

DIRECTIONS

1. Cream room temperature butter with a hand mixer, the paddle attachment of a stand mixer, or a wooden spoon until smooth and fluffy. Gradually beat in confectioners’ sugar until fully incorporated. Beat in vanilla extract.
2. Pour in milk and beat for an additional 3-4 minutes. Add food coloring, if using, and beat for thirty seconds until smooth or until desired color is reached.