This Crisco Frosting Recipe tastes like Bakery Icing (2024)

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Here is our classic white Crisco Frosting recipe, which is sometimes referred to as Vanilla Crisco Frosting.

This Crisco Frosting Recipe tastes like Bakery Icing (1)

Did you know you can make frosting with Crisco? It may sound weird, but it is true. Crisco frosting was quite popular in the 1960s and 1970s. It was an easy way to make icing when you didn’t have any butter available.

What may surprise you is how widely Crisco frosting is still used in bakeries. My Grandma called this Wedding Cake Frosting because it is often used on wedding cakes.

Why make frosting with Crisco?

Some people prefer the flavor and texture of Crisco frosting. One of my husband’s cousins requests Crisco frosting on his birthday cake each year.

Shortening is dairy-free, so some people choose to make Crisco frosting because they are allergic to dairy.

Crisco is a firm solid at room temperature, whereas butter is soft at room temperature. Some people use frosting made with Crisco because it is more heat-resistant than buttercream frosting, so it holds up better on warmer days.

Even if you prefer buttercream frosting, Crisco is shelf-stable, so you can make frosting with it instead of running to the store when you run out of butter on your baking day.

Since Crisco and powdered sugar are white, you can get a Classic White Frosting if you also use clear vanilla extract, which is an ideal canvas for decorating cakes and will produce crisp colored icing when you add food coloring.

This Crisco Frosting Recipe tastes like Bakery Icing (2)

In the picture above, I made cupcakes from my Vanilla Depression Cake recipe and topped them with Crisco frosting because we were out of butter and milk.

Does Crisco Frosting taste good?

You have probably eaten Crisco frosting and not even realized it. This frosting recipe is very similar to the frosting that Bakeries use on cakes and sugar cookies. It is fluffy, holds its shape when piped on cookies and cakes, and has a delicious vanilla flavor.

Does Crisco Frosting need to be refrigerated?

Crisco frosting does not need to be refrigerated, so feel free to make your cake the night before your party. If you have leftover frosting, put it in a lidded container and store it in the refrigerator for up to 3 months.

How to Make Crisco Frosting

You make Crisco frosting the same way that you make buttercream frosting, you beat the shortening until it is fluffy. Then mix in the vanilla and salt. Finally, you alternate adding the powdered sugar and the liquid, while continuously beating the mixture.

Crisco Frosting Recipe

You can double the recipe to frost a layer cake if you want to have thick layers of frosting between each layer of cake.

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 cup Crisco
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • 4 cups powdered sugar
  • 1/4 cup water, milk, or dairy-free milk substitute

Directions:

1. Place the Crisco, vanilla, and salt in a medium bowl. Beat with a mixer on high speed until light and fluffy.

2. Switch the mixer to low speed and alternate adding the powdered sugar and the liquid until the ingredients are completely blended.

3. Beat on high speed until the frosting is smooth and fluffy, about 2 minutes.

4. Use it to decorate 18 cupcakes, a 13×9 cake, or a batch of sugar cookies.

Store unused frosting in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 3 months. Allow it to come to room temperature before you use it to frost other baked goods.

This Crisco Frosting Recipe tastes like Bakery Icing (3)

Printable Recipe for Crisco Frosting

Crisco Frosting Recipe

This Crisco frosting tastes like bakery frosting and can be used to decorate cakes and cookies.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword Crisco Frosting

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Total Time 5 minutes minutes

Servings 18

Calories 156kcal

Author Alea Milham

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup Crisco
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • 4 cups powdered sugar
  • 1/4 cup water milk, or dairy-free milk substitute

Instructions

  • Place the Crisco, vanilla, and salt in a medium bowl. Beat with a mixer on high speed until light and fluffy.

  • Switch the mixer to low speed and alternate adding the powdered sugar and the liquid until the ingredients are completely blended.

  • Beat on high speed until the frosting is smooth and fluffy, about 2 minutes.

Nutrition

Calories: 156kcal | Carbohydrates: 27g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 17mg | Sugar: 26g | Iron: 1mg

More Dairy-Free Frosting Recipes

Chocolate Crisco Frosting Recipe

Fluffy Dairy-Free Chocolate Frosting

Fluffy Dairy-Free Vanilla Frosting

How to Make Royal Icing

Dairy-Free “Butter Cream” Frosting

About Alea Milham

Alea Milham is the owner of Premeditated Leftovers and the author of Prep-Ahead Meals from Scatch. She shares her tips for saving money and time while reducing waste in her home. Her favorite hobby, gardening, is a frugal source of organic produce for her recipes. She believes it is possible to live fully and eat well while spending less.

Comments

  1. Carrie says

    Does this frost a double layer 8 inch cake or would
    I need to double the recipe?

    Reply

  2. Si says

    Hi! What happens if I beat Crisco too much? (I made butter by accident once 😅)

    Reply

  3. Kelly H says

    I want to know can I substitute a the powdered sugar for a sugar free substitute in this recipe. If so which one is the best one. I took cake decorating classes and love to make and decorate cakes. We used this same recipe in the classes.But I found out I’m a diabetic . I real miss making cakes and had to stop because I want to stay healthy

    Reply

  4. Raija says

    This Crisco Frosting Recipe tastes like Bakery Icing (5)
    Just like store bought! Delicious!

    Reply

  5. Des says

    Does this or can this be made to dry? I’ve made this before and loved, but don’t remember. I need to make a non-flooding icing for cookies that will dry for cookie stacking

    Reply

    • Danyse says

      This is basically how my mother taught me to “ice the cakes” years ago. There were no measurements involved. Powdered sugar in bowl, oversized tablespoon of Crisco, mix in, then add milk, a little at a time to get proper consistency. Sets up well (on the counter) for stackable cookies. I make it to this day, and I am 70 years old.

      Reply

  6. Teresa says

    Great tasting frosting! This is the only frosting I will use!!

    Reply

  7. Cindy Lu T. says

    This is the only recipe we used growing up in the 60s and 70s when Crisco was so cheap. The era of Loretta Lynn and her crisco commercials – fried chicken and flakey pie crusts 🙂

    Reply

  8. Mae says

    Thank you the best and easy frosting and delicious thanks again

    Reply

  9. Gilly says

    The frosting was delicious, my husband love it. Thank you.

    Reply

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This Crisco Frosting Recipe tastes like Bakery Icing (2024)

FAQs

How to make store frosting taste like bakery? ›

Whip the frosting with half a block of cream cheese and an extra cup of powdered sugar and a few drops of the appropriate flavoring extract. If you're using chocolate, add cocoa powder. If you want a richer buttery flavor add a few tablespoons of butter as well.

What kind of frosting do most bakeries use? ›

American Buttercream

It's the kind of frosting most often found on cupcakes at your neighborhood bakery and at birthday parties. Due to all of the powdered sugar used to stiffen this frosting, it's harder to flavor, especially with other sweet elements like fruit preserves or caramel.

Is frosting better with butter or Crisco? ›

It adds stability

When it comes to frosting, it's best to lean into the topping's richness. That means using full-fat ingredients like shortening to your advantage. Although butter has a creamy, sweet taste, it still contains some moisture, making it susceptible to melting — cue, shortening.

Do bakeries use shortening in frosting? ›

But, this ingredient is now more commonly used in cakeries for cake icing. Why Do Bakers Use Icing Shortening? Icing is typically made by whipping sugar and fat. Unlike common fat sources like butter, shortening is completely white, so it's very useful if you want to achieve a bright white color for your icing.

Why do bakeries use so much frosting? ›

Bakeries do it for the visual appeal — those cupcakes with a huge swirl of frosting piped on sell for big bucks. It also is a time-saving method.

How do you beat store-bought frosting? ›

If the doctored frosting is too thick or stiff to spread, start by beating with a mixer on high speed to incorporate air, and if that isn't sufficient, beat in milk, cream, coffee, or even flavored coffee creamer 1 tablespoon at a time.

What frosting do professionals use for cakes? ›

Swiss meringue buttercream is a favorite among many cake decorators because of its smooth finish on the outside cakes and its ability to hold piping detail.

Why does Bakery buttercream taste different? ›

It will taste different. The taste that butter gives the buttercream is really unique and the flavour of margarine and shortening is a little bit different so if you've ever tasted buttercream made with actual butter I'm sure you will be able to taste the difference when it's made with something else.

What kind of frosting do they use on wedding cakes? ›

Fondant, a firm sugar icing, is perhaps one of the most popular wedding cake coatings. Why? Due to its clean, polished look, Tiffany MacIsaac of Buttercream Bakeshop says it's extremely versatile, meaning you can add on edible illustrations, sugar crystals and flowers, and other decorative elements.

Is Sweetex better than Crisco? ›

Yes, absolutely. The benefit of baking with Sweetex as opposed to Crisco is that the added emulsifiers can hold in more moisture, allowing for tastier and softer baking.

Do professional bakers use shortening? ›

Shortening is ideal for its neutral flavor, many professional bakers use it for icing. Pastry novices might prefer shortening since it has a higher melting point than lard or butter, meaning you won't have to scramble to keep the pastry dough cold.

How do you thicken Crisco icing? ›

Add small amounts of ingredients like powdered sugar, cornstarch, gelatin, heavy whipping cream, or cream cheese to make your frosting less runny. For flavored frostings, ingredients like cocoa powder and peanut butter can also work.

What kind of frosting does Buddy Valastro use? ›

Want to make your own Italian Buttercream Icing right at home? Buddy customized this recipe from one he used at The Culinary Institure of America and was shown to him by a group of students for whom he did a demonstration.

What happens if you put too much shortening in a cake? ›

Shortening does tend to hold more air bubbles when you beat it, so it can give cakes a lot of lift. But if you use too much of it, it has a flatter flavor and can give a cake a heavy or greasy mouth feel.

How is bakery shortening made? ›

Hydrogenated shortenings are made by adding hydrogen gas to heated oil, producing firmness. Margarines are emulsions containing about 80 percent fat, from either animal or vegetable sources, plus water, salt, emulsifiers, and sometimes milk solids.

How to improve the taste of store bought chocolate frosting? ›

Try peppermint, almond, lemon, coconut, maple, rum extract, etc. Add in salt. Store-bought frostings can be incredibly sweet, so adding in salt helps to cut the overly sugary flavor.

How do you make store-bought frosting like a glaze? ›

Making a glaze from canned frosting

The basic process is simple: scoop any flavor of canned frosting into a microwave-safe bowl and heat it on high for 30 to 45 seconds, stirring in between each interval until you achieve your desired consistency. For half a can of frosting, reduce the cooking time by half.

What can I add to store-bought frosting to make it fluffy? ›

You can give store-bought frosting a fluffier texture by mixing in heavy whipping cream. Just add a tablespoon at a time until it's your desired consistency.

How do you make store-bought frosting harden on cookies? ›

Decorate while the frosting is still wet. Let rest for an hour to allow the frosting enough time to firm up. Once the frosting has returned to its original room temperature consistency, you can pipe more details on the cookie!

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