Rolled Buttercream Icing Recipe

If you don’t like the taste of fondant, try this recipe for rolled buttercream that can be used to cover a cake or cookies. It offers a smooth look like fondant, but tastes great like buttercream.

Rolled Buttercream (Fondant Alternative)

Ingredients

  • 1 C Shortening
  • 1 C Light Corn Syrup
  • 1 tsp. Clear Vanilla
  • 1/2 tsp. Salt
  • 1/4 tsp. Lemon Oil
  • 1/4 tsp. Orange Oil
  • 8 1/2 C Powdered Sugar

Instructions


  1. Place Shortening into a large mixer bowl and cream on medium speed until smooth.
  2. While mixer is running, add Corn Syrup, Vanilla, Salt, Lemon and Orange Oil and mix until well blended.
  3. Reduce speed to low and gradually add about 2/3 of the powdered sugar until soft dough is formed.
  4. Turn mixture out onto surface dusted with powdered sugar.
  5. Knead in the reamining 1/3 of the sugar. Continue kneading until buttercream is smooth.
  6. If it is sticky add more icing sugar, a little at a time. chill for a few hour. Before use, bring rolled buttercream to room temp.

  7. Yields: 6 1/2 cups is sufficient to cover two 10″ round cakes 3″ high.

    Storage: One week at room temp. One month refrigerated. Three months frozen.

Comments (32)

on

Can this recipe be prepared 100% by hand without the mixer? I have a sunbeam mix-master that works wonders however when doing fondant and the like, I prefer the old fashioned way, by hand.

on

I think butter would be too soft and it would melt under the heat of your hands. Yes you can prepare this by hand, you don't have to use a mixer if you don't want to, I'm just lazy and out of shape so whatever I can do to get away from the arm work out I'm going to.

on

I have been using this recipe, however it tends to come out too shiney or greasy in my oppinion.. do you know of any variations that would allow it to loose the oily shine.

on

Dust it with powdered sugar once it's on the cake, and the shine goes away. You may have to do it a couple of times, but I can get it as matte as fondant. Also, you don't have to use lemon and orange. I use raspberry and vanilla, or vanilla alone, and it's excellent!

on

I use the same recipe, with some minor variations. I use 1/2 tsp popcorn salt, and 7-8c powdered sugar (the hotter it is, the more powdered sugar I need). I also use Sweetex, as the new Crisco doesn't work as well. You can definitely mix and match any flavorings. I also like raspberry and vanilla, or just vanilla.

You can fix this frosting beautifully, and it refrigerates well. I have made less than 20 cakes total, and find this recipe is the easiest "fondant" to use. The MM fondant is good too, but I hate that you can't refrigerate it.

Instructions: With a heavy duty stand mixer, measure all the ingredients in a bowl, saving 3-4 cups of powdered sugar. Blend till thoroughly mixed. Continue to add remaining powder sugar one cup at a time till mixture will become very stiff and crumbly like pie dough. Turn out on counter top and knead 3-4 minutes until all ingredients are thoroughly mixed together. Mixture should not feel sticky at all. If it does, add more powder sugar, little amounts at a time. If it gets too stiff, make a soft batch and add it to the stiff batch. It's the only way to fix it. You can attach it to a cake with water or piping gel. Do not use royal icing.

on

I just made this for the first time and I can't seem to get it smooth. It cracks so easily, and every time I go to lift it up it falls apart. what am I doing wrong? Do I need to knead it more? Someone help please!

on

HI all just wondering a few things about rolled buttercream. My niece does not like fondant but wants a zebra striped cake. I was hoping that I could use rolled buttercream instead. Is it used the same way and can it be coloered black very easily? Thanks for all the answers.

on

I use the RBC all the time on my cookies and I roll it out on wax paper cut it and take away the extra and then pop it in the freezer for a few minutes. Then I don't have any trouble with it cracking or falling apart. You don't have to flavor with oils but I would strongly suggest using a heavy duty mixer to mix this and mix one cup of p. sugar at a time then take out and knead for 2 minutes once you have everything mixed together. It does tend to be a little greasy so I always brush the top with a little powder sugar.

on

If it's cracking there's too much powdered sugar. Make a second batch with a cup less powdered sugar and mix them together.

on

StrawberrySS - Just be careful with it. I had to transport a few cakes up to my parents' house, and they got a little warm in the back, and the rolled buttercream literally melted down the sides of the cake. I was able to repair it for the most part (the easy repair is one of the reasons I love rolled buttercream). You just don't want it to get too hot.

on

This looks great, just a few questions:

1.  Does it harden the way fondant would?  This would be important for cookies

2.  When dusting with powdered sugar in order to lose its shine, you might lose the nice effect of the color too; does it make a difference?

3.  Why is it so not shelf-stable when there are no perishable ingredients in it?

4.  Can it be sprayed with the wilton spray colors or painted like fondant can?


Thanks so much!

Sara 

on

No one has answered the question if you can replace the oils with extract.  


Thank you I would like to try this.

on

1.  Does it harden the way fondant would?  This would be important for cookies

2.  When dusting with powdered sugar in order to lose its shine, you might lose the nice effect of the color too; does it make a difference?

3.  Why is it so not shelf-stable when there are no perishable ingredients in it?

4.  Can it be sprayed with the wilton spray colors or painted like fondant can?


Thanks so much!

Sara 


Read more at http://www.cakecentral.com/recipe/1603/rolled-buttercream-fondant-alternative#dLXXpOZOKqPrRPoe.99

1.  Does it harden the way fondant would?  This would be important for cookies

2.  When dusting with powdered sugar in order to lose its shine, you might lose the nice effect of the color too; does it make a difference?

3.  Why is it so not shelf-stable when there are no perishable ingredients in it?

4.  Can it be sprayed with the wilton spray colors or painted like fondant can?


Read more at http://www.cakecentral.com/recipe/1603/rolled-buttercream-fondant-alternative#dLXXpOZOKqPrRPoe.99

It crusts, but doesn't really harden.  If allowed to dry for a couple of days, you could stack cookies maybe 3 high without damage.

It is "shelf stable".  As the directions say, 1 wk. room temp, etc.  It dries out when exposed to air and when wrapped and left at room temp, it can mold.

I think it could be sprayed if it's been allowed to dry.  Painting on it would work best with lemon extract or veg. oil, rather than alcohol [too much water & it melts the surface]

Yes, you could use extracts, but you might need to use a bit more powdered sugar.

Now, all of that said, rolled buttercream [RBC] does NOT act like fondant.  It has no stretch, it tends to be gritty, and it's tooth achingly sweet.  It melts in heat and direct sunlight and it's "hygroscopic"--it has so much sugar in it that it attracts water if used in a humid environment. 

I've used it for small cut out accents and rolled very thin on cookies.  I would never cover a cake in it--difficult and sweeter than any buttercream I've ever made.

on

thank goodness you are still here maybenot.

This topic is so old I wondered why it had resurrected.

You wont remember this but it was you who gave the best and most concise directions for wrapping and freezing a fully decorated cake I'd ever heard of.

Since then I am always ahead of the game and actually prefer the taste of a cake that has been frozen, however briefly.

on

Hello,

Has anyone made this their go to frosting since this posting. The smooth and clean look of fondant still seems popular, However I still have many who do not want it because of the taste. I have been considering trying this recipe since I just found it.. any thoughts??

on

I haven't been on this site in forever nor have i baked in forever - how do I save this recipe to find again later?