Favorite Basic Frosting

2 cups  -  Vegetable Shortening
2 pounds - Confectioners Sugar (Powdered)
8 tablespoons- Lukewarm Water*  (Not Hot)
1 - 1/2 teaspoons - Flavoring (Optional)
 
(Extracts: Vanilla, Almond, Lemon, Butter, etc)
 Note: If flavor has color, it will add that color to your frosting.

Place Shortening into mixing bowl, add flavoring and lukewarm water. Add about 1/2 pound of sugar and mix stirring together. Slowly add more sugar and mix, repeat this until all sugar has been added. Mix for 2-3 minutes.

To prevent air from being whipped in, set this batch aside and make another batch. Once the second batch is mixed, add frosting from the first batch to fill the size of your bowl, then mix for 2-3 minutes.

Optional: While adding powdered sugar, add 2 tablespoons of Meringue Powder to help prevent colored frosting from bleeding.

To thin your frosting, add 1 teaspoon of water and mix, repeating until it's the consistency you desire.

* Lukewarm - Moderately warm. Not hot water.  Too hot and it will break down the shortening and start to crystallize the sugar.

4 cups  -  Vegetable Shortening
4 pounds - Confectioners Sugar (Powdered)
1 cup, 2 teaspoons - Cool Water*
1 tablespoon- Flavoring (Optional)
 
(Extracts: Vanilla, Almond, Lemon, Butter, etc)
 Note: If flavor has color, it will add that color to your frosting.

Place Shortening into mixing bowl, add flavoring and cool water. Add about 1 pound of sugar and mix stirring together. Slowly add more sugar and mix, repeat this until all sugar has been added. Mix for 2-3 minutes.

To prevent air from being whipped in, set this batch aside and make another batch. Once the second batch is mixed, add frosting from the first batch to fill the size of your bowl, then mix for 2-3 minutes.

Optional:  While adding powdered sugar, add 4 tablespoons of Meringue Powder to help prevent colored frosting from bleeding.

To thin your frosting, add 1 tablespoon of water and mix, repeating until it's the consistency you desire.

* Cool water is needed because the friction created by a larger mixer will create heat while mixing and will warm up the frosting. If the frosting gets too warm, it will break down the shortening and start to crystallize the sugar.

Double Size Batch
(4 or 5 Quart Large Mixer)

Darci's Tip! 

This is Darci's favorite icing recipe and often she leaves out the flavoring by replacing with water.

Reason, Darci says: "The cake is sweet and has lots of taste, so the frosting without flavoring actually compliments the cake even more. I get so many compliments on my cakes that they don't believe me when I tell them I use box cake mixes and no flavoring in my frosting! - Simple"

Regular Size Batch
(Handheld Mixer)