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A decorated cookie cake with yellow piped buttercream icing and a honey bee design

Great American Cookie Icing

The fluffy butter-and-shortening buttercream used on mall cookie cakes, firm enough to pipe crisp borders, rosettes and writing, and soft to bite.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 0 minutes
Total Time 15 minutes
Servings: 3 cups
Cuisine: American
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • ½ cup 113 g unsalted butter, softened
  • ½ cup 96 g vegetable shortening
  • 4 cups 480 g powdered sugar, sifted
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • ¼ teaspoon fine salt
  • 2–3 tablespoons milk or heavy cream

Method
 

  1. Beat butter and shortening on medium-high for 2–3 minutes until pale and fluffy.
  2. On low speed, add the sifted powdered sugar in two additions, scraping the bowl once.
  3. Add vanilla, salt and 2 tablespoons milk or cream; beat 1 minute, adding the third tablespoon only if needed.
  4. Adjust consistency: stiff for writing, medium for borders and shells, thinned with milk for flooding.
  5. Tint portions with gel food coloring only; liquid coloring thins the icing.
  6. Pipe the border first, then the writing, practicing the message once on parchment.

Notes

Gel food coloring only — liquid coloring weakens piped edges.
Store airtight: 2 days on the counter, 2 weeks in the fridge, 3 months in the freezer; re-whip after chilling.
If the icing turns soft in a warm kitchen, chill the bowl 10 minutes and re-whip.
One batch covers a 12-inch cookie cake; make 1½ batches for a 16-inch cake.