# What's wrong with cake frosting these days? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 23, 2012, 5:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-wrong-with-cake-frosting-these-days/610371 "2012-01-23T05:04:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Baker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bb73d2/32.png) [@Baker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baker)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2013, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-wrong-with-cake-frosting-these-days/610371/61 "2013-05-08T01:23:12Z")
As a baker I think that pre-made frostings from cans or boxes are an abomination. And like the (zombie) OP it seems that frostings on purchased cakes have gotten “fluffier”, with a whipped cream texture. No body at all. I make frosting from scratch for the cakes at work. It does have shortening, but it’s a firm shortening for baking use. There’s butter as well. I get a lot of compliments on it. You cream together equal amounts of butter and a firm shortening. If you can’t get the latter, don’t, for the love of God, use Crisco, just go with all butter. Beat in an amount of powdered sugar equal to twice the weight of the fats, along with one teaspoon of _ **almond flavoring** _ for every pound of sugar. This could be a little stiff, so if it is, gradually beat in small amounts of light cream until you reach the spreadability you desire. ---
**Author:** ![Reelie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e0b2c6/32.png) [@Reelie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reelie)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2013, 3:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-wrong-with-cake-frosting-these-days/610371/62 "2013-05-08T03:53:10Z")
I’m always confused why frosting is so bad now, too. When I was young I loved cake and sometimes made a box cake because my mother worked and didn’t have the time. She’d explained that icing was simply confectioners sugar, a slight amount of milk to get the right texture, a teaspoon of vanilla extract, and a teaspoon of softened butter so the icing didn’t get hard. Add cocoa for chocolate icing. It’s so simple I’m surprised when other relatives always get frosting from a can. My mother’s way of making it may be unsophisticated but it’s still almost always better than what I’m served by others. And it’s very easy to make. ---
**Author:** ![SCAdian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scadian/32/3292_2.png) [@SCAdian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SCAdian)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2013, 4:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-wrong-with-cake-frosting-these-days/610371/63 "2013-05-08T04:01:07Z")
> [@Dogzilla](#): > > My concern is: Is it properly termed “frosting” or “icing”? What’s the difference and why is the correct answer correct? > > This has been an editorial conundrum for me for years. I eagerly await the Straight Dope on the terminology. When I was a baker, we had two kinds - the fluffy stuff for cakes was called “cake icing,” and the dense stuff for doughnuts and pastries was called “roll icing.” We never used the word _frosting_. ---
**Author:** ![moriah](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b2d939/32.png) [@moriah](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/moriah)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2013, 4:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-wrong-with-cake-frosting-these-days/610371/64 "2013-05-08T04:09:11Z")
Buttercream is the desert topping of the devil. Whipped cream icing is divine. ---
**Author:** ![Aquadementia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aquadementia/32/555_2.png) [@Aquadementia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aquadementia)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2013, 4:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-wrong-with-cake-frosting-these-days/610371/65 "2013-05-08T04:33:23Z")
Ganache! Ganache! Woooo hoooo hooo hooo! It will change you. Like it changed me. GANACHE! ---
**Author:** ![Jragon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e19b73/32.png) [@Jragon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jragon)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2013, 5:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-wrong-with-cake-frosting-these-days/610371/66 "2013-05-08T05:12:49Z")
> [@Baker](#): > > As a baker I think that pre-made frostings from cans or boxes are an abomination. > > And like the (zombie) OP it seems that frostings on purchased cakes have gotten “fluffier”, with a whipped cream texture. No body at all. > > I make frosting from scratch for the cakes at work. It does have shortening, but it’s a firm shortening for baking use. There’s butter as well. I get a lot of compliments on it. > > You cream together equal amounts of butter and a firm shortening. If you can’t get the latter, don’t, for the love of God, use Crisco, just go with all butter. Beat in an amount of powdered sugar equal to twice the weight of the fats, along with one teaspoon of _ **almond flavoring** _ for every pound of sugar. This could be a little stiff, so if it is, gradually beat in small amounts of light cream until you reach the spreadability you desire. Yes, so zombie you said 😃 > [@Baker](#): > > Baking is my job, not just my username, and I’m lucky enough to work in a cafe where, when I make cakes, I make the icing. Icing from cakes in grocery stores is just nasty these days, I’m sure it comes pre-made in big tubs, and the bakers there don’t make it themselves. > > My recipe does have some shortening, but it has real butter too, and the shortening is not the soft, Crisco like stuff. It’s a really firm shortening done especially for bakers. > > I cream together one part by weight of shortening and butter each, to two parts of powdered sugar. So it would be, say, 6 ounces butter, six ounces shortening, and twelve ounces powdered sugar. After this is thoroughly creamed together(I use a mixer and paddle) I usually add a little light cream, as the icing may still be too stiff. But add it gradually, beating some more, until it reaches the spreadability you want. I flavor the icing with a little almond extract, not vanilla, as it gives the icing a distinctive taste, but vanilla is of course good too. The flavoring is added with the light cream. > > If you would like to try this and have any questions, PM me and I’ll do my best to answer. Anyway, this is pretty much the recipe I’ve always used. Except I use room temperature milk instead of light cream. I think I also use less sugar, because I like my frosting less sweet. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-wrong-with-cake-frosting-these-days/610371.md?page=3)