This is a perfect recipe for Buttercream Frosting. It has a delicious taste and is much better than the store bought decorating frosting. It is a really stiff frosting to begin with, so if you need it a little softer add milk a 1/4 teaspoon at a time until you reach the desired thickness. Remember, the softer it is, the less it will hold its shape.
Buttercream Frosting
1 cup shortening (not butter flavor)
1/2 tsp. clear vanilla extract
1/4 tsp. almond extract
1/4 tsp. butter flavor
2 Tbsp. milk
1 lb. powdered sugar (about 4 cups)
1 Tbsp. Meringue powder
Mix the shortening, vanilla extract, almond flavor, butter flavor, and milk with an electric mixer for 5 minutes on medium speed or until the shortening is smooth with no liquids remaining. In a separate bowl stir the meringue powder into the powdered sugar, then slowly add the powdered sugar into the shortening mix one cup at a time. The frosting will be thick. Make sure to keep the bowl covered with a damp cloth, or in a container with a tight lid.
Two tips:
1. In case you don’t have Meringue powder; an emergency substitute for meringue powder is powdered egg whites. Replace meringue powder with 1 Tbsp. of powdered egg whites. It changes the texture, but won’t make a difference if the frosting is being piped out of a frosting bag.
2. If you don’t have butter and almond flavor, you can use 1 tsp. of just clear vanilla.