What kind of butter does everyone use in there 1/2 butter 1/2 crisco buttercream icing? Salted or unsalted? I have always used butter but have heard some prefer margarine....any thoughts?

if your recipe calls for salt..use unsalted butter. if it doesn't...use salted.

I like using the salted..it "improves" the flavor for me...but then I don't add any additional salt.

..I thought I read that margarine is too soft! Not sure though. I use Land o' Lakes Salted butter in everything!

Yeah I thought that margarine would be too soft to but my instructor told me that is all she uses??? I think I will stick to butter - land o lakes is my favortie too I just wish is was not the most expensive!!

Land o' Lakes RULES!

..I tried a cheaper brand...Wellsley, I think that is the name...well, never again! What a mess!

I hate to go against the norm here, but Imperial is wonderful and a lot cheaper. Always trying to cut corners everywhere I can.

I know of some members that use margarine successfully but it's too yellow and too salty for me.

I use Kroger store brand unsalted sweet cream butter. Tastes great and the color is really light so the BC stays white. It costs less than the name brands and it's just as good...better than some. I trust Kroger store brands though. I knew one of the general managers (friend of DH). He doesn't work for them anymore...but he said Kroger won't put thier name on a product unless it's better than or just as good as the name brands. So far...it's been true. I even found out that Kroger all vegetable shortening ingredients are supplied by the same company that supplies Crisco (Bunge I think the co. is called).

I know not everyone has a Kroger but try the store brand and see if there's much of a difference between the name brands. Kroger guarantees or your money back so nothing to lose.

Generally, I use Land' O Lakes un-salted...but I add a pinch of kosher salt to my frosting. On occasion have used salted when I was out of the un-salted. And the only time I haven't used butter (used Crisco only version) was when it got up to $5.19 per pound here...that was back after Ivan (for almost 4 months) and then again after Katrina, but it's gone back down to around $4 per pound.

I tried margarine once....didn't like the flavor. It didn't taste like buttercream...more like margarinecream...lol. I could really taste the flavoring in the margarine in the finished product. And it took almost another pound of pwd sugar for one batch to be the normal consistency because of the softness of the margarine. And, unless you're going to color the frosting, it leaves it yellowy tinted.

Sam's (salted) Mid-America Farms... 4#/$7.82.

About margarine... back before we transitioned away from it, I think I read on the label where it contained like 60% oils.

I used Land O Lakes salted butter for my 50/50 buttercream. I do not add any additional salt to my icing. I find it's not as sweet as when I use unsalted butter.

what about the block margarine...like there's margarine that comes in tubs that would probably be too soft, but then theres the one for baking that comes in a block, like butter, i think that would work..i'm going to try it w.my next batch and use some butter flav.

i HATE that crisco-ish taste..i want my buttercream to taste like the inside of an oreo cookie

IMHO
I think Margarine makes the icing less yellowish.. I was using all shortening, but then I was having troubles with the it cracking.. So i decided to use butter/crisco.. I thought It came out tooo yellow.. That was why I was using all shortening for the Snow White look.. Then I tried margarine/crisco.. I love it!!!

I always use unsalted butter for any baking... then I can control how much salt (if any) to add. BUT, I also only make a meringue buttercream as I don't care for the taste of the crusting type so that may make a difference.

As for margarine, the tub styles contain a lot of water so are not appropriate for baking unless your recipe specifically calls for them (melt some in your microwave then let it cool ... you'd be amazed how much is water!). I believe the brick style is okay, but again, I don't like the mouth-feel of margarine or shortening icings so I don't know for sure.

I use salted. Here in Ontario, Canada, there is not much difference between one brand of butter and another except price, so I buy the cheapest I can. Our butter comes from Canadian dairy farmers for the most part. The amount of salt and the amount of humidity or moisture is about the same. I use the salted because it also has a preservative quality and since I use cream and milk in my icing, it is a good thing to have this preservative quality along with the preservative quality of the powdered sugar. Double whammny I guess. So then this icing is fine at room temperature for 2-3 days according to Wilton, the Dairy Institute and me. Actually more like 4-5 days.
However if I have unsalted, I will use that too.
Regarding margarine, well normally tub margarine isn't considered good for baking and yes it is because of the amount of moisture content. But I do know people who somehow manage to make great icing from it, though I would never bake with it. I don't bake with margarine because it was not designed for this purpose although the hard margarine does work well for cookies and some things. But since margarine can burn at certain temperatures, it is a bit risky.
There is a product called Baker's margarine that was specifically developed for commercial bakers. In Ontario, Bulk Barn has it in stock. In Quebec, it is called Covo margarine (I know this thanks to my buddy Meg1). It is almost pure white in colour and I hear it works very well with some baking recipes and it also works well for icing.
And apparently now there are tub margarines that can be used for baking, but I must say, I haven't heard a lot of good reports from bakers about them yet.
Hugs Squirrelly Cakes