making home made frosting colors

[mafibisha]

I make my own buttercream frosting (can't stand the canned stuff) and love making a variety of colors for sugar cookies at Christmas.

I've always wondered though, how to make a snowy white color for the snowmen? Even with the powdered sugar, its almost a light grey -- probably due to the vanilla.

Any ideas?

TIA!

 

[MAD4EEYORE]

When I'm needing a white I use clear extracts. I like the Wilton brand vs the McCormicks brand. I also use 1/2 butter and 1/2 shortening. You could also use just shortening.

Not sure how you get a grayish color...mine with regular vanilla comes out with a yellowish tint. When using butter it's also a yellowish tint.

 

[JLitfin]

Correct, it's the vanilla. You need a professional brand vanilla that you would purchase in a cake decorating supply store. Michaels crafts might have it in their cake supply department. The vanilla in the food store will give you a off white color and not the snowy white color. Here's what I use and the icing is white color and not off white.

http://www.globalsugarart.com/clear...&gdftrk=gdfV25706_a_7c2149_a_7c8856_a_7c21628


http://www.globalsugarart.com/butte...&gdftrk=gdfV25706_a_7c2149_a_7c8856_a_7c21619

 

[DisGirl819]

Wilton makes a colorless vanilla flavoring that you can use. I would use that.

 

[MSSANDRA]

I use all crisco if I need it to be white. Being while also makes all your other colors more vibrant. I sometimes just leave the vanilla out, and I have also used a peppermint flavor at Christmas that was clear. It was really good too.

 

[dbrn]

Wilton also makes a white icing coloring to make the icing a brighter white. It's sold in a bottle, not like the small gel coloring jars. You can find it at Michaels, and it's also sold online on their site.

 

[eyor44]

I buy clear vanilla at the grocery. Also, make sure you use regular crisco, not the butter crisco. I can vouch for the Wilton white icing, while pricey, it is a very pretty white and taste good. DD was using it last night to outline some cookies and commented on how good it tasted.

 

[Happyjen27]

Warning that using just shortening will leave your frosting tasting like grocery store frosting. I made a vegan shortening frosting once and mine tasted like the grocery store.

I prefer real vanilla and real butter, which means that I get stuck with off white, albeit delicious frosting. Which means my tastebuds are happier than my eyes, and that's okay with me.

 

[crisi]

Sometimes you can find white butter.

Shortening doesn't taste as good but it does provide for the whitest buttercream frosting. That plus a clear vanilla. REAL buttercreams have egg yolks in them (they are a variation on creme anglaise) and are always ivory unless colored.

Royal icing (egg whites and sugar) will be white. Buttercreams have a lot of yellow ingrediants, its hard to get them white unless you aren't cheating a little (skipping the egg yolks and using shortening).

 

[mafibisha]

When I'm needing a white I use clear extracts. I like the Wilton brand vs the McCormicks brand. I also use 1/2 butter and 1/2 shortening. You could also use just shortening.

Not sure how you get a grayish color...mine with regular vanilla comes out with a yellowish tint. When using butter it's also a yellowish tint.

THANK YOU ALL!! LOVE THE DIS.

Yes, my white frosting DOES look yellowish because I use real butter too.

It was late last night with low lighting and it DID seem grayish, but its not LOL

Will get better vanilla for next year.

Thanks alls!!

 

[Robbi]

I never add vanilla to my butter cream. As other's have posted, this is preventing a pure white icing. The butter doesn't prevent white icing for me.??? I use Land o Lakes sweet cream with no salt.

 

[crisi]

I never add vanilla to my butter cream. As other's have posted, this is preventing a pure white icing. The butter doesn't prevent white icing for me.??? I use Land o Lakes sweet cream with no salt.

If you use butter, you get ivory icing, not white or yellow - its ever so slightly buff. Egg yolks will make it even more ivory. I think it would be fine for anything but bridezilla's wedding cake. But if you are getting married and the bakery promises you a white buttercream frosting it either won't be real buttercream or it won't be real white.

 

[tinkgirl1984]

I decorate cakes (not my full time job, just a hobby) so I really do know the answer to this The white Wilton coloring doesn't really work. Plus it has a weird taste. The easiest way to get white (still not snow white, but close) is to add a tiny bit of purple coloring (I use the Wilton gels). It counteracts the yellow. You can get Wilton gels at craft stores. Or Walmart usually. Also, like pp,s mentioned, always use clear vanilla.

 

[Nana2Callie]

Anyone want to share a frosting recipe?

 

[crisi]

Anyone want to share a frosting recipe?

This is mine

http://www.realbakingwithrose.com/2012/03/buttecream_rules.html

I much prefer ganache - which is just equal parts cream and chocolate.

 

[Deb & Bill]

Anyone want to share a frosting recipe?

Powdered sugar, softened butter and a little milk. No vanilla, no eggs.

 

[Egdisney]

I don't use eggs either. I sometimes use vanilla, and I love it with almond extract, especially on chocolate cake, but neither is necessary. I use much less sugar than suggested, but I am usually only going for flavor, not volume.

 

[GusGus77]

Blue can also help whiten things. Many white foods like frosting or marshmallows contain blue 1 dye. (We have dye sensitivities in our family so I a always amazed at what they get put into!)

 

[Happyjen27]

This is an amazing recipe from the Culinary Institute. I thought I had a good buttercream recipe until I made this.

The ingredients are the same as I've always used, but the key to this recipe is to beat the butter very well, and stream in the milk. I don't like heavy cream as the liquid, it makes it too thick to spread evenly.

Buttercream Icing
Recipes adapted from the Baking at Home with The Culinary Institute of America.

Ingredients

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
4 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted, plus extra as needed
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup heavy cream or whole milk, plus extra as needed
Instructions

In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter on medium speed until it is very light in texture, 2 minutes. Add the confectioner’s sugar, vanilla extract, and salt, and mix on a low speed until the sugar and butter are blended, scraping down the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed. Increase the speed to medium and, with the mixer running, add the cream in a thin stream. Increase the speed to high and whip the buttercream until very smooth, light, and a good spreading consistency. Adjust the consistency if necessary by adding a bit more confectioners’ sugar or cream. Use to fill, ice, and decorate a cake.

 

[southlakejr]

I use equal parts butter and shortening, cream in a stand mixer. Add in powdered sugar until it is overly thick and difficult to work with. Then, slowly add heavy cream to achieve desired consistency. You can add vanilla, almond, or any other extracts you like for flavoring, but it is a nice light flavor all on its own. I have found that the shortening/ butter blend keeps it from feeling greasy, gives it a good texture, and produces a fairly white frosting. Most importantly- it's pretty darn tasty.