Name: Decorator's Buttercream Icing
Ingredients: 2 cups (1 pound or 454 gram) unsalted butter, room temperature; 1 cup (230 gram) vegetable shortening or hi-ratio shortening; 1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice or 1 1/2 tsp lemon extract, pure vanilla extract, or almond extract; 3 lbs (1.36 kilograms) 10X confectioners' sugar; 1/2 cup + 1 Tbsp (4 1/2 fl ounces or 135 mililiter) water, milk, or clear liqueur; 3 Tbsp meringue powder (see, Epicurious Editors' Notes); 1 tsp salt

This decorator's staple remains an old reliable when all else fails. It even performs well in warm weather.

Epicurious Editors' Notes:

• This recipe yields more than enough for two cakes—if icing only one cake, make a half recipe or freeze the extra.
• If using the icing to write on a cake, soften it with extra liquid. If using it to pipe roses, add extra confectioners' sugar.
• Meringue powder is available at wilton.com.

Recipe notes

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