
Oh, but I am a lucky girl.
I have these massive lists of bookmarks on my web browser marked “To Try.” The “To Try” folder is filled with recipes that look irresistible and/or are impossible for me to recreate due to my lack of skill/time/patience. But I still stick the impossible recipes in there to inspire me and to push myself to be better. I was looking through the folders trying to clear out recipes that I had already tried and links that had expired when I came upon this frosting recipe.
It was such an unassuming web page. The design wasn’t super appealing, and the recipe sounded unusual. And the recipe included shortening. That is actually the main reason I decided to try it–I actually had shortening on hand. “What up, Lauren? You had shortening on hand?” Yes. I did. And I’m not sorry.

This frosting is incredible. It pipes beautifully (my piping adventures to be posted soon), has a smooth, firm consistency, and didn’t crust over forEVER. It is like the fries in the Extras on the DVD “Super Size Me.” I’m sure if I would have left these cupcakes under a glass jar, they never would have gone moldy.

I used my go-to one bowl recipe, and used a piping tip to add some chai-spiced cream cheese frosting in the middle. They were fab.
Success!
Lauren
Really Awesome Buttercream
Adapted from Cooksrecipes.com
Makes 3 3/4 cups
1 cup vegetable shortening
4 cups powdered sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 teaspoon clear imitation vanilla extract (or regular extract–it didn’t turn brown or anything)
3 ounces heavy cream
Food coloring as desired
With an electric mixer, beat shortening until fluffy. Add powdered sugar, and continue beating until well blended.
Add salt, vanilla, cream of tartar and heavy cream, beating on low speed until moistened, and adding more heavy cream if you feel the frosting is too dry. Add food coloring if desired. Beat at high speed until frosting is fluffy.