Feb 12 2011

Bakery Style Frosting

Published by at 4:45 pm under Dessert,Holiday

valentine's cupcakes

I’ve mentioned before my love of frosting, especially frosting from certain bakeries. I was never sure quite what they did; I knew it wasn’t a meringue style buttercream, but it also didn’t taste like the homemade buttercream I make (butter plus confectioners’ sugar).

No, their frosting is bright white. I knew from experience that making frosting using non-hydrogenated shortening and confectioners’ sugar didn’t produce quite the right texture or flavor, either.

bakery-style frosting

It wasn’t until making the homemade oreos that I nearly smacked myself in the forehead. It was equal amounts of shortening and butter. Duh.

The color is gloriously white, so take note that if you add vanilla, it will tint the color of the frosting. Instead of vanilla, I use almond extract; sweet tasting and clear in color, it’s perfect for bright white icing.

vanilla cupcakes with white icing

Bakery Style White Frosting

Print Recipe

1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, room temperature
½ cup non-hydrogenated shortening
3 ½ cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
½ teaspoon almond extract

Mix butter and shortening on low until smooth. Add confectioners’ sugar, ½ cup at a time, until blended. Add almond extract, mix to combine. Increase speed to medium-high and beat for 3 minutes.

Frosts 12 cupcakes

For the cupcakes, I used this recipe for vanilla bean cupcakes, my all-time favorite. (Note: For this post, I halved the recipe.)

Print Recipe for Vanilla Bean Cupcakes

47 responses so far

47 Responses to “Bakery Style Frosting”

  1. Jenn@eatcakefordinneron 12 Feb 2011 at 10:54 pm

    Frosting is my favorite thing too!!! I love to eat it by the spoonful. I have been dying to find a homemade recipe that tastes just like the bakery. I even considered getting a temporary job at a bakery just to find out their secret!! Have you ever tried clear vanilla extract? Do you think the almond extract is a key ingredient?

  2. bigFATcookon 13 Feb 2011 at 5:17 am

    wow!! This looks sensational!! I absolutely adore the way you decorated these cupcakes!:)

  3. Rosa McNeely Ashbyon 13 Feb 2011 at 5:21 am

    There is a recipe for cooked frosting. It is the best and it does taste like the bakery frosting. I will have to find it for you.
    You cook flour and water together and then you beat sugar and white (shortening) into it…I will try to google it up for you. I tastes just like the bakery one and it doesnt get hard…it stays fluffy.

  4. Rosa McNeely Ashbyon 13 Feb 2011 at 5:25 am

    http://www.cooks.com/rec/doc/0,191,150178-248201,00.html

  5. Michelleon 13 Feb 2011 at 6:16 am

    These are beautiful!

  6. Lynneon 13 Feb 2011 at 10:25 am

    Yum! Your frosting looks amazing!

  7. Saraon 13 Feb 2011 at 11:22 am

    Jenn – The almond extract isn’t a must, I just like the flavor and clear color. I have not tried the clear vanilla, but it would work well with this frosting.

    bfc – Thanks! I can’t really take credit for the decorations, as I purchased them from a craft store. :)

    Rosa – Thank you! I was just talking with someone a couple of weeks ago about this type of icing.

    Michelle & Lynne – Thanks, ladies!

  8. a frog in the cottageon 13 Feb 2011 at 2:35 pm

    what a luxurious cupcake for valentine’s day !! gorgious

  9. Bethon 13 Feb 2011 at 2:49 pm

    Will this frosting stay stable unrefrigerated, but in a covered cake keeper, overnight?

  10. Saraon 13 Feb 2011 at 4:00 pm

    Frog – thanks!

    Beth, as long as you keep it covered and the room temperature isn’t too high, this frosting will be fine (covered) for several days.

  11. Dinaon 13 Feb 2011 at 4:02 pm

    i’ll have to try this. it looks like great frosting.

  12. Memoriaon 14 Feb 2011 at 12:13 am

    I make my frosting this way, too. I actually prefer it over the more fussy buttercreams like Italian buttercream.

  13. Adelinaon 14 Feb 2011 at 10:45 am

    This cupcake deserves a spot light on a Valentine Day’s card!

    Thanks for sharing!!!

  14. Saraon 14 Feb 2011 at 1:10 pm

    Dina – I hope you like it as much as I do.

    Memoria – I couldn’t agree more.

    Adelina – Thank you!

  15. Candaceon 19 Feb 2011 at 12:53 pm

    Where so you buy NON-hydroginated shortning? That’s what makes it shelf stable, so what brand are you using?

  16. Saraon 19 Feb 2011 at 9:40 pm

    Candace, I buy Spectrum organic non-hydrogenated shortening at the grocery store.

    For more information on the product: http://www.spectrumorganics.com/?id=87

    Or, to purchase from Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Spectrum-Shortening-100-Vegetable-Organic/dp/B000A40OVQ

    I hope this helps!

  17. Cortneyon 06 Oct 2011 at 5:03 pm

    Hi I have a question about cupcakes I am making homemade cupcakes and they are coming out dense am I over mixing? Please help and I am going to try your frosting!

  18. Saraon 08 Oct 2011 at 12:43 pm

    Cortney, can you give me a link to the recipe you’re using for the cupcakes? Are you using the one I linked to here?

  19. Foodfairy812on 16 Oct 2011 at 12:58 pm

    May I know where you got the ‘doily’ to decorate the cupcake cups? Thanks!

  20. Saraon 17 Oct 2011 at 9:26 am

    I got them at a craft store (either JoAnn or Michael’s, I don’t recall which) around Valentine’s Day.

  21. Micheleon 21 Oct 2011 at 10:48 am

    Thank you so much for this recipe! My husband has been looking for this for so long, I thought we’d never find it. He likes the other frosting I’ve made, but nothing came close to the bakery frosting he longed for. I will be using this recipe now whenever he gets a craving for cake with a bakery style frosting. Thanks again!

  22. Thuc Doanon 19 Nov 2011 at 9:34 pm

    um…I only have crisco shortening, is it okay if I replace it with the non-hydrogenated shortening?because I tried making frosting out of crisco and confectionated sugar and it tasted like fat and grease…eww…anyway…im trying to bake cupcakes for my class and if I screw this up…im going to end up eating it alone,lol

  23. Saraon 21 Nov 2011 at 10:29 am

    I would use butter in place of crisco. The frosting won’t be as white, but it will taste divine!

  24. Lisaon 01 Feb 2012 at 2:27 am

    This frosting is the best I’ve ever tasted! It is also amazing as a cream cheese frosting. Just use cream cheese instead of the shortening, the same amount with no other changes. I use it to frost big soft sugar cookies too!

  25. Terry joneson 31 Mar 2012 at 10:03 pm

    i just love your bakery style frosting, I added clear raspberry flavouring instead of almond and it was fantastic so I then tried lemon and then coconut with equal results. : )

  26. Galeon 18 Apr 2012 at 12:51 am

    Thank you so much for the recipe! And I learned as others did, that Crisco is a no-no. I just tasted the frosting and thought: “Mmm, shortening and butter with a hint of sugar…” lol

    Now I know! Thanks again :]

  27. Kayleigh Munseyon 18 Apr 2012 at 11:42 pm

    Looking forward to reading more. Great blog article.Much thanks again. Much obliged.

  28. Krystalon 02 May 2012 at 1:29 pm

    Thanks for sharing this recipe. I tried it and it was awesome.Yummy!

  29. Melon 13 May 2012 at 5:03 pm

    Hi can some1 tell me what is the uk brand for non hydrogenated shortening?

  30. Laurenon 08 Jun 2012 at 4:32 pm

    I am so glad to find this blog and post! I was asked to make someone’s birthday cake and they wanted white frosting. So I made this recipe today and quadrupled it to cover a double layer 10 inch cake with extra for piping and such. I used regular Cisco because I could not find the non hydrogenated and it turned out SO PERFECT! I will be using this recipe from now on! It is delicious, so thank you very much!

  31. Debbieon 18 Jun 2012 at 9:16 pm

    Thanks for posting the recipe. Although I got a “thumbs up” from family on the taste, it was incredibly difficult to pipe (it was way too thick). Can you please advise as to how I should thin the icing out? I ultimately had to use some water and corn syrup, but it didn’t make a dramatic difference. I used the non hydrogenated product you had recommended.

  32. kathyon 18 Jul 2012 at 4:25 pm

    I am looking for the kind of recipe for icing that is easy to pipe using the big star type tip. Everything I try seems to thick. I would like the kind of icing they use of TV that looks light and fluffy!!!! Any ideas?

  33. Sue Lon 28 Aug 2012 at 12:31 am

    I made this frosting today and it was very stiff. We couldnt get it to come out of the pastry bags. Very yummy , tho!

  34. chicredheadon 02 Sep 2012 at 11:49 pm

    I am using this recipe a lot with Crisco, and I still like it. I beat it longer and it is very fluffy. My question is, when do I measure the powdered sugar – before or after sifting?

  35. Victoriaon 07 Dec 2012 at 2:21 pm

    How long will this keep in the fridge?

  36. Wonon 08 Feb 2013 at 9:59 pm

    This frosting looked gorgeous on my cupcakes, but I found it way too sweet (and I only used 2 1/2 cups of confectioner’s sugar). Any tips on what i can try adding to reduce the sweetness?

  37. jennyon 30 Apr 2013 at 6:31 pm

    WON… try a pinch of salt or popcorn salt it works well cuts sweet!!! I need totry this!

  38. Italian rum cake recipeon 23 Jun 2013 at 7:28 pm

    […] I’ve seen a few versions of this cake online but with almonds instead of the peanuts. In Philadelphia, most if not all of the rum cakes that I’ve seen have the peanuts – I do wonder what area uses the almonds? It’s easy enough to substitute, but here in Philly, we’ve gotta have the peanuts. Sources: Pastry cream adapted from Good Things by David; Sponge cake from Baking911; Bakery Frosting from My Madison Bistro […]

  39. Sophieon 30 Jun 2013 at 5:08 pm

    Hey- so I’m looking for a frosting that doesn’t melt when I decorate with it and that also tastes yummy, and before I tried this out, I was wondering if it holds up? I don’t want my designs melting into a puddle of liquid-y goop after 5 minutes. Thanks!!

  40. Cherion 11 Nov 2013 at 7:02 pm

    Thank you for half in it! We always have way to much frosting left over.

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    Is there a way to modify this recipe to make it chocolate buttercream?

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