I've been decorating for some time now and its sad to say but I've never made my own icing. I am trying to start a business up and I have 2 cakes I need to make one with buttercream and one with whipped icing. I seen several recipes for each but can someone help me with the best tasting and have good texture also the whipped icing needs to be firm enough to decorate please help I don't know what to choose? thank you in advance

Try the buttercream recipes here on CC for a start. I love author of "cake bible" Rose Levy Barenbaum's recipes "Neoclassic buttercream" best for taste but when I need a decorating type I use Wilton's recipe except I use 1/2 butter and 1/2 crisco and add popcorn salt about 1/8 teaspoon. You'll get tons of recipes from a number of helpful people. Try a few of them and have a taste test with friends and family. Don't expect any help from teenage boys though they think everything taste good!
"The Cake Bible" is a must have for any baker imo hth

Thanx so much! I have printed so many recipes from here and they all sound delish, and a lot of them have great responses. I guess I will have to play around with icing the nest couple days...lol I say that like its a bad thing lol maybe if I was on a diet! thanks for your help

Have you every tried any of the meringue type buttercreams: swiss meringue or italian meringue? I am a recent convert to italian meringue buttercream and it is delicious! It's not too sweet, so smooth, and doesn't have the grainy feeling from the powdered sugar or the feeling the shortening leaves in your mouth. Oh, and it is an absolute dream to pipe with! I use Warren Brown's recipe...he has a really helpful and informative video tutorial on his website cake love . com

HTH

You are going to get every different recipe recommended because we each think 'our' recipe is *the best*!
You are going to break down and try a couple to see which one you and your customers prefere.
My favorite is "2 of everything".
To me the meringue type are like eating a stick of butter - straight No, not my choice for sure.

As for whipped - try Rich's Bettercreme or one called Frostin Pride. Both are similar and non-dairy. They are a bit hard to find - Gordon's Food Supply is one place that offers at least one of those brands. It comes in a carton just like milk - qts or 1/2 gal in the frozen foods section. It never fzs hard, stays semi slushy.
To use, scoop out what you need - keeping the rest fz at all times. Then just whip it like whipping cream until it is to soft peak stage. For decorating you might want to go just a bit stiffer but watch out it overwhips quickly! If it is hard to pipe through a pastry tip, it is overwhipped. Just put it in a bowl & stir in some of the fz/liquid to soften it back down.
To me it is sweeter than the above mentioned b'cream (2 of everything) and does not hold up well - I prefere to ice/decorate with it the same day it will be delivered/eaten.

shy you know I did see the meringue recipes and they do sound very tasty,I am definetly going to have to try both of those. Cake lady, It's funny you said rich"s the place I work at actually has that bettercreme and it is good that was going to be my escape route if nothing I tried worked. OUrs comes in a bucket already whipped it's the perfect finish one. It's definetly going to be a challenge because everyone likes different things and wh'at I like may not be what my co worker likes so we'll see thank you very much for the info

I'm Not into butter tasting icings so maybe meringue is not for me who knows.. what is the 2 of everything recipe?

I use to do the same thing i would buy bettercreme from my grocery store bakery. But then i found a recipe on this site and now it is all i use. it is light and not oversweet and everyone loves it. It is the" extra special buttercream recipe" on this site try it and you wont use anythging else. the key is to use high-ratio shortening like sweetex. you can order it online it makes the buttercream more stable. I also substitute the almond extract with creme bouquet flavoring delicious!

2 of everything Icing

2 cups of butter
2 cups of shortening
2 pounds of powdered sugar
2 Tablespoons flavoring *see note later
2 pinches of salt (most of the time I forget this)

Cream butter and shortening very well - about 5 minutes. Add about 1/3 of the sugar; mix very well; slowly add more sugar as it get incorporated along w/the salt and flavoring. Continue creaming this mixture for an additional 5 to 10 minutes.
**NOTE: flavoring is an extreemly personal taste. One can use straight vanilla OR better yet, a
combination of three like vanilla, butter and almond (or lemon or orange or whatever you want).
I perfere this combinations: 1 part vanilla; 1/2 part butter and 1/4 part almond.
A "Part" can be *any measure* you want from teaspoon to gallon Just be sure to keep the ratio.

this buttercream will never crust. If you want a crusting b'cream reduce either the shortening OR the butter by 1 cup - keeping all the rest of the ingredeints the same.

It can also be made into choco by replacing up to 1 cup of the sugar with UNsweetened cocoa powder.