How much frosting will you need? That always depends on how thick or thin you apply the frosting or how much decorating you do but here are a couple of guidelines. (Most of the time I do this part by hand.). Make sure the food coloring gets fully incorporated. If you are adding food coloring now is the time to do it. You can check out our FAQ section below to see some other advice on making the perfect batch of frosting. He will always tell me if the consistency is wrong, if it needs more vanilla or more milk. You are trying to determine if the taste is right and if the consistency is correct. Step 8: ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS taste your frosting. If the frosting is too dry or still crumbly, add 1 teaspoon of milk and mix again. Keep on low until the butter and sugar are incorporated (about 30 seconds.) Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl and then increase the speed to medium-high and mix for another 30-45 seconds so the frosting gets light and fluffy. Step 7: Start your mixer (or beaters) on the lowest setting. Step 6: I usually put a clean dishtowel around my mixer to keep the sugar from flying out. Step 5: Add the powdered sugar to the mixer.

Instead, I rely on the mixer to do that work for me. (If you don’t have a food scale the equivalent would be 4 cups.) You can sift the powdered sugar if it is really lumpy. Step 4: Measure 1 pound of Powdered Sugar. Step 3: Use a spatula to scrape the butter and vanilla mixture down from the sides of the bowl before moving on to the next step. Step 2: Mix the butter and the vanilla on medium speed until thoroughly combined (about 2 minutes.) You want to give the butter and vanilla and chance to meld together. I’ll start with 2 teaspoons and then add more at the end. My family loves vanilla so I am a little heavy-handed with it. If it is too soft, the butter will start melting during the process of mixing and the consistency of your icing won’t be correct at the end.

If the butter is too cold it will not mix smoothly with the vanilla extract. “Slightly softened” is somewhere between straight out of the refrigerator and room temperature. Although I think margarine changes the taste, your buttercream frosting made with margarine will still be better than canned frosting. I only ever use real butter, but you can use whatever you have on hand. Step 1: Add 1 cup of slightly softened butter.

Whipping buttercream frosting