Crusting buttercream frosting is light, fluffy and great for piping. It forms a light crust making it good for holding its shape when decorating treats. It travels well and keeps those details sharp.
If you need a frosting with staying power, crusting buttercream is it! As it sets, it forms a light crust on the outside helping it to keep its shape.
It has decent staying power in warmer temperatures and can easily be flavored a million different ways. You can easily adjust its consistency making it perfect for spreading or piping.
It is also great for using with your Russian piping tips. This is a recipe you should definitely have on hand for decorating cakes and cookies.
Why butter and shortening?
We all know by now that I love frosting. Especially super soft and fluffy frosting.
Or really dark and fudgy, but that is a whole different subject altogether! I also love my butter.
I love the taste, texture and idea of butter. I love the way butter works in frosting.
But sometimes you have to do things a little bit different in order to get the results you want. In this case I wanted my buttercream to form a bit of a crust. I know, crazy right?
I love everything about butter based classic buttercream and I love white chocolate buttercream even more! The thing is sometimes you need a frosting that really holds its shape and will also hold up to the elements and have a bit more staying power.
I was making deviled egg cake balls and I wanted the “yolk” to hold it’s shape while I was taking them to their final destination.
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I also was picturing them as being a fun treat for BBQs and picnics during the summer (or for a super fun April Fool’s Day dessert!) So I wanted them to hold up to a little heat and humidity and maybe even a brief ride in a picnic basket.
This frosting is perfect for applications such as this. It is also perfect for summer cakes and cupcakes.
The secret to getting the enhanced staying power is plenty of powdered sugar and some shortening. I like to still use some butter for the flavor, but as you increase the ratio of shortening to butter you increase crusting ability as well as some insurance against warmer temperatures.
To me, this frosting tasted exactly like I remember the icing on the clown cones at Baskin Robins as a kid. YUM!
When to Use Crusting Buttercream
This frosting is great for cupcakes and layer cakes you plan to transport. It pipes great and holds it shape. It also packs well and is very versatile.
We used it on some white cupcakes in the picture above. Then we used some marshmallows to make super cute and simple bunny cupcakes.
It is also fabulous piped on chocolate sour cream cookies. I used an open star tip to pipe on big rosettes and Russian piping tips to do smaller flowers.
If you are serving your desserts outdoors when it is warm out, you want to use this style of buttercream. It is great for intricate decorations or for smoothing over the outside of your cake.
This frosting really is super versatile. There is almost no application it can’t be used for!
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a crusting buttercream?
Crusting buttercream is a frosting that forms a light crust on the outside after it sets up. This makes it sturdy and hold its shape well, you can touch it lightly without leaving a mark. It is perfect for a base on your cakes or for intricate decorations.
How do I get my buttercream to crust faster?
If the cake is properly sealed with frosting, put it in the fridge. The cold dry air that dries cakes out quickly is great for setting your frosting. As long as your cake is fully coated in buttercream, that dry air won’t affect the cake inside.
Crusting Buttercream
Ingredients
- ½ cup butter softened
- 1½ cups shortening
- 2 lbs. powdered sugar
- 1½ Tablespoons vanilla extract or your favorite flavoring/extract
- 5 Tablespoons milk
Instructions
- Cream together butter and shortening until smooth.½ cup butter, 1½ cups shortening
- Add sugar and extract, beating slowly at first. Add 2 tablespoons of milk.2 lbs. powdered sugar, 1½ Tablespoons vanilla extract
- Beat on low to medium speed for at least 5 minutes and continue to add milk until you reach the desired consistency.
Notes
Video
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Carlee.. Hi.. I'm new to cupcake decorating.. How did you get that cute two tone swirl icing and ruffle to it..
Welcome to the world of frosting! 😉 Use a large open star tip, like a Wilton 1M or something similar. When you load your piping bag keep all of one color to one side and the other color to the other side. Then apply a lot of pressure while gently moving the bag up. You should get nice ruffly two tone frosting!
Hi Carlee, I ran across your site as I was searching for a good white cake recipe and white frosting recipe. The crusting buttercream took me back to days with my grandma. Thank you for sharing!
I love food memories like that. Thanks so much for stopping by and sharing!
Hi Carlee, it's been a long time since I used shortening too, but that's mainly because I've never seen it here. I usually use butter for baking. A buttercream that forms a crust does sound good though!
xx
Carlee, I am a frosting freak. There was a span of time that I was decorating cakes at home and I would buy a huge tub of butter cream frosting so I could be economical. But I can't tell you how many times I found myself in front of the fridge with a spoon. Even in the middle of the night it was calling me, that sweet sweet sugar frosting. I love the way you made Ruffles with this crusty frosting it looks really pretty. Pinning so I can pull this back up the next time I make a cake or cupcakes.
I am a frosting freak too! I love the stuff! I love trying new kinds and flavors, I love the old standbyes and I LOOOOOOVE that when I make it I get to like the beaters. I'm like a kid! Unless of course my two year old wants to lick them. He somehow trumps me! I would do the same thing with the fridge and the spoon!
You make these look so beautiful! AND easy! thanks so much for sharing at Merry Monday!
Thank you so much, they really are easy!
After just having a frosting fail because it was too soft and slid off my cupcakes and made me cry, I needed a recipe like this! 🙂
Talk about perfect timing then! Too bad about the cupcakes though, it is always disappointing when things don't work out like you envision them!
cool idea Carlee! Btw, I'm posting the tailgate queso this week 🙂
Great! I can't wait to see your post!
Yum – what an ingenious idea, I never would have thought to go for that texture, of course! Pinning this Carlee, and BTW those deviled egg cake balls are HYSTERICAL – love it!
Thanks Katie! I am sharing the tutorial for the deviled eggs with our post tomorrow! I can't wait!
So much to love about this daughter of mine. So glad you have such a fun (tasty) childhood memory. There are several tastes and smells that I come across that have such pleasant memories for me. I love that you avoid shortening but are willing to bend on the rare occasion that it's necessary. Then there is the almond and vanilla mix- my favorite. And now I understand why the frosting felt different when I was teaching LD the correct way to eat a cupcake.
Love you too, mom!
Those cake balls are SO cute! What a great idea. Sometimes you just need shortening to make the consistency you're looking for. This sounds great!
I can't wait to share the post on them on Monday! Thanks, Michele!