Amazingest Buttercream

Makes enough to generously frost 36 cupcakes!

(recipe adapted from Allrecipes.com)

Ingredients

• 1 cup shortening
• 1 cup butter, softened
• 8 cups confectioners’ sugar (I just threw in one regular bag)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract (reg. brown stuff works fine – even for white!)
• 1 cup heavy whipping cream (aka. heavy cream… see this post)
• food coloring of choice - wif used wilton leaf green paste
• Sprinkles and *Pearls!!* of your fancy

Directions

1. In a mixing bowl, cream shortening and butter until fluffy. Add sugar, and continue creaming until well blended.
2. Add salt, vanilla, and 6 ounces whipping cream. Blend on low speed until moistened. Add additional 2 ounces whipping cream if necessary. Beat at high speed until frosting is fluffy.  Add in food coloring and mix until well blended.  And for Pete’s sake, don’t be shy – go to it with gusto - it’s the key to bold colors and no schmucky pastels!
   
3. Attach the big ol’ 1m star tip to a frosting bag (or ziploc!) and stuff that baby with your beautiful buttercream.
4. Starting in the center of the cupcake, spiral on around, moving towards the outside circle and then back in and up. I’m sure there are better words to describe this process but understand what I’m saying without me saying it.

   

5. Sprinkle lightly with sparkle sugar and these wonderful pearls and voila – it’s Saint Patrick’s day in a cupcake wrapper.

One of the best parts about this frosting (aside from *DELIGHTFUL* and *easy!*) is that it stays beautiful - for days! Next time wif wants to try these with an Irish Cream cupcakes – hold the phone – wif just had an evil-master plan (involving the name Irish crunkcakes and Bailey’s – EEEEEeeEEeee!  (See results of that evil master plan here!)

Hallelu – I have a new bff and it’s name is buttercream!