Last Updated on March 27, 2022
If you are a baker, it is very probable that you had or still have an account in Cake Central. It is a great community for bakers all around the globe to share their recipes, tips, tricks, and doubts. It was certainly more popular a few years ago, as it happens with internet fads. But one thing has remained the same: Indydebi’s crusting buttercream recipe.
With more than 5000 favorites, this is one of the best crusting classic American buttercream recipes out there. Today we are going to help you make it yourself and offer some flavor combinations that can spark your imagination!
Crusting Buttercream: What Makes This Recipe so Special?
According to Indydebi, this recipe will crust so nicely that it can hold up 5 hours outdoors under the Indiana August sun. That is a pretty big claim if you ask us!
Why is this? Because it uses only shortening and no butter, plus meringue powder. Wow! Butterless buttercream!
We definitely recommend it for decorating and using it in special occasion cakes that need to withstand several hours outside of the fridge before being served.
One special tip, though. Before icing your cake, make sure it is at room temperature (unless you have a perishable filling). This icing takes 5 minutes tops to crust, and if it is cold it does it much faster. Having a chilled cake certainly does not help it apply smoothly.
How to Make Indydebi’s Classic American Crusting Buttercream
This recipe will take you no more than 10 minutes and yields enough to fill and cover a medium-sized layered cake.
Remember you can always switch up the flavoring extract. Try out some new combinations for your next cake and tell us how it went below!
Another tip before we start. As Indydebi herself said: if you feel the texture is too stiff when you finish, add a bit more of milk. Or if the other way around it is too soft, you can add more powdered sugar. This will depend on the weather and humidity of your kitchen.
Ingredients
- 1 ⅓ cups of shortening
- ⅓ or ½ cup of milk
- 3 tablespoons of meringue powder
- 2-3 tablespoons of clear vanilla extract
- 2 lbs of powdered sugar, try this sugar-free alternative
- 1 pinch of salt
Crusting Buttercream: How to Make It
Step 1
An extra tip: beat your shortening for 15 minutes before adding any other ingredients. This is an optional step but it will help with how fluffy the end result is.
Step 2
Sift the powdered sugar into the shortening. This will also help with smoothness!
Step 3
Add all other ingredients and mix until it has the correct consistency. That is, not too stiff, not too soft.
If you have a stand mixer and some time, you can always let the mixer beat it for an extra 15 to 20 minutes to achieve maximum smoothness.
You could keep this frosting at room temperature for up to a week. I love to use it on cupcakes that I can keep on the counter for an easy afternoon snack for my kids.
Pretty easy, right? How about we turn it up a notch and try making a cream cheese variation of this amazing frosting?
How to Make Crusting Cream Cheese Buttercream
This recipe is just as easy and crusts really nicely as well. Remember, though, that cream cheese IS perishable, so it will not hold up at room temperature the same way that the classic American buttercream will.
For optimum results, you will need at least 30 minutes of mixing. You can speed it up, though, and cut on the mixing time if you are in a hurry.
Ingredients
- 1 ⅔ cups of shortening
- 8 ounces (1 packet) of room temperature cream cheese
- 4 lbs of powdered sugar
- 6 tablespoons of meringue powder
- 2 tablespoons of vanilla extract
- 1 to 1 ⅓ cups of milk (you can also use half and half)
How to Make It
Step 1
Mix the shortening and cream cheese together for 10 to 15 minutes, until they are nicely combined and smooth.
Step 2
Sift in 1 ½ cups of powdered sugar, add half the milk and 3 tablespoons of the meringue powder. Mix until everything is blended.
Step 3
Add the rest of the powdered sugar, another ½ cup of milk and the vanilla extract. If it is too stiff, you can add some more milk. Mix for another 20 minutes or until you think you got the right consistency for what you need.
We have two great flavoring options for this icing that we absolutely loved: For a red velvet cake, we added 6 tablespoons of white chocolate. It turned out to be an amazing combination that I make whenever I can!
For Summer I also love making an orange-flavored icing to put on top of some vanilla cupcakes with orange jam centers. You can add a dash of orange oil or extract and you got it! See how just a little flavoring can change just about anything and turn it into something special?
These two recipes are SO versatile and easy to make. You probably have most of these ingredients in your pantry, except for the meringue powder. It is very easy to find or to order online, though. It will help with crusting a lot, especially if you live in a warmer area.
Indydebi’s Own Crusting Buttercream
Equipment
- Medium bowl
Ingredients
Indydebi’s Classic American Buttercream
- 1 ⅓ cups of shortening
- ⅓ or ½ cup of milk
- 3 tablespoons of meringue powder
- 2-3 tablespoons of clear vanilla extract
- 2 lb of powdered sugar
- 1 pinch of salt
Crusting Cream Cheese Buttercream
- 1 ⅔ cups of shortening
- 8 ounces 1 packet of room temperature cream cheese
- 4 lb of powdered sugar
- 6 tablespoons of meringue powder
- 2 tablespoons of vanilla extract
- 1 to 1 ⅓ cups of milk you can also use half and half
Instructions
Indydebi’s Classic American Buttercream
- Step 1
- An extra tip: beat your shortening for 15 minutes before adding any other ingredients. This is a totally optional step but it will help with how fluffy the end result is.
- Step 2
- Sift the powdered sugar into the shortening. This will also help with smoothness!
- Step 3
- Add all other ingredients and mix until it has the correct consistency. That is, not too stiff, not too soft.
- If you have a stand mixer and some time, you can always let the mixer beat it for an extra 15 to 20 minutes to achieve maximum smoothness.
Crusting Cream Cheese Buttercream
- Step 1
- Mix the shortening and cream cheese together for 10 to 15 minutes, until they are nicely combined and smooth.
- Step 2
- Sift in 1 ½ cups of powdered sugar, add half the milk and 3 tablespoons of the meringue powder. Mix until everything is blended.
- Step 3
- Add the rest of the powdered sugar, another ½ cup of milk and the vanilla extract. If it is too stiff, you can add some more milk. Mix for another 20 minutes or until you think you got the right consistency for what you need.
Notes
- We have two great flavoring options for this icing that we absolutely loved: For a red velvet cake, we added 6 tablespoons of white chocolate. It turned out to be an amazing combination that I make whenever I can!
- For Summer I also love making an orange-flavored icing to put on top of some vanilla cupcakes with orange jam centers. You can add a dash of orange oil or extract and you got it! See how just a little flavoring can change just about anything and turn it into something special?
- These two recipes are SO versatile and easy to make. You probably have most of these ingredients in your pantry, except for the meringue powder. It is very easy to find or to order online, though. It will help with crusting a lot, especially if you live in a warmer area.
With such easy recipes, you have more time to get creative! Add some food coloring and pipe beautiful designs on top of your cakes, cupcakes or cookies. As it crust, they are perfect to make ahead and pack some treats for your coworkers or a special occasion.
Did you know about Indydebi before? We have loved her recipe for years! It is so simple and so amazing at the same time. Be sure to give some love to her recipe post over at Cake Central.
In what other ways would you use these recipes? Share your thoughts and ideas below, we would love to hear about them! We also appreciate all the pictures you can upload from your creations!
Karen is a passionate pastry chef who loves to create delicious baked goods. She has been in the culinary arts for over 10 years, honing her skills and perfecting her craft. Karen is known for her creativity and attention to detail, creating unique desserts that bring a smile to everyone’s face. She is always looking for ways to challenge herself and come up with new recipes that are both tasty and visually appealing. Karen loves to experiment with different flavors and textures, and she is committed to providing the highest quality of products to her customers.