# Long time favorite icing recipe



## Jain Daugh (Nov 28, 2017)

I have been using an icing recipe for over 60 years. Its a family and friend favorite that gets recipe requests from those who taste it for the first time. I've put it on cakes that I took to office birthday celebrations and had it used on a few home made wedding cakes too. I thought I would share it here just to see if its used and liked beyond my immediate circle of folks.

This recipe came out of a (horrors!) early 1950s Crisco (giveaway) cookbook. The page it is one is so very splattered with 'ingredients' that its almost not readable and probably would taste like stale icing! -

CREAMY FRENCH ICING

Boil together for a few minutes -

2 Tablespoons water
4 1/2 Tablespoons granulated sugar

Mix in [stand mixer] bowl -

2 1/3 cups sifted confectioners sugar
1 egg

Blend in sirup [made above] and add -

2/3 cup Crisco
1 teaspoon vanilla

Beat until creamy

That is the original text except for my clarifying [ ] additions. I have over time re written this to include gm weight for the powdered sugar (300 gm.) and I have also used butter and coconut oil in place of (usually part of) the shortening. This recipe will ice a regular small layer cake, but I generally like to be more generous with icing so have developed a one-half-again version that I usually use. It remain 'soft', moist and not crusty for a couple of days, (if cake last that long). I have made it to add to smaller (frozen) cakes as they are eaten, it stays nice in a glass container in a refrigerator for a week+. I have added different flavors (lemon extract) and prefer more vanilla that the recipe calls for. Have fun with this and hope you enjoy it too.


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## Jain Daugh (Nov 28, 2017)

Interesting, almost 100 views but no comments? Anyone try this or perhaps its very near already industry type recipes?


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## harpua (May 4, 2005)

I've been making frosting for a while professionally and I've never made anything like this one. Pouring syrup into confectioner's sugar and an egg? Adding crisco? Sounds weird. I'm willing to try it with butter just to see what it's like. Usually when there is a syrup, a meringue is involved. 

If you say it's amazing, I'll believe you. Thanks for the recipe!


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## Jain Daugh (Nov 28, 2017)

harpua said:


> I've been making frosting for a while professionally and I've never made anything like this one. Pouring syrup into confectioner's sugar and an egg? Adding crisco? Sounds weird. I'm willing to try it with butter just to see what it's like. Usually when there is a syrup, a meringue is involved.
> 
> If you say it's amazing, I'll believe you. Thanks for the recipe!


Hope you find a new recipe. One caution - whenever I have made this with butter, I usually needed additional powdered sugar because the butter tend to be softer at room temps while shortening doesn't change its texture as much. Same with using coconut oil. And yes, while shortening isn't a very healthy choice, icing on a cake isn't health food either . Have fun!


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## seabeecook (Aug 23, 2008)

Jain Daugh said:


> Hope you find a new recipe. One caution - whenever I have made this with butter, I usually needed additional powdered sugar because the butter tend to be softer at room temps while shortening doesn't change its texture as much. Same with using coconut oil. And yes, while shortening isn't a very healthy choice, icing on a cake isn't health food either . Have fun!


The shortening doesn't absorb the sugar, instead it is coated by the sugar. It could be you need more powdered sugar due to the moisture content in the butter. American butter is 80% fat and 20% moisture. In effect, you are adding more moisture to the icing.

Welcome to the forum. I'm also from Northern California, near Placerville.


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## Jain Daugh (Nov 28, 2017)

seabeecook said:


> The shortening doesn't absorb the sugar, instead it is coated by the sugar. It could be you need more powdered sugar due to the moisture content in the butter. American butter is 80% fat and 20% moisture. In effect, you are adding more moisture to the icing.
> 
> Welcome to the forum. I'm also from Northern California, near Placerville.


My thought about needing more powdered sugar if butter is used comes from noticing that butter tends to soften more at room temperature while shortening doesn't. I also noticed an increase in powdered sugar when I have used coconut oil which also softens when it get warmer.

Butter isn't the only thing that contains more water these days. When I stir fry meats they seem to need to dry out before I can get any 'frying' happening. Almost all meats seem to either have water added or more in the tissues than in years past? Just what it seems to me.

I am alllll the way up in northernmost California - just below the Oregon border. Real quiet in this neck of the woods and the only thing I wish was here would be a decent 'mom-n-pop' restaurant! Til' then, I cook and bake onward . . .


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