Best icing for cake decorating

[3blackcats]

I am attempting to make a Winnie the Pooh cake for DD with a shaped pan. I ordered my Wilton tips and bag today.

Does anyone have a good icing recipe that would yield good results? I would prefer not to use shortening - i read the icing/shortening thread from a while ago, and it didn't talk about decorating.

Any advice would be appreciated.

[Smillow]

I decorated DS's Thomas the Tank Engine cake using a (modified) recipe from that thread that called for heavy cream, cream cheese & powdered sugar. It turned out pretty good - the star points weren't as crisp as if it were a decorating icing, but it tasted great & looked like Thomas!

[logan's mom]

Ingredients

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted
2 tablespoons milk
3 drops food coloring, or as needed (optional)

Directions

Cream room temperature butter with a hand mixer, the paddle attachment of a stand mixer, or a wooden spoon until smooth and fluffy. Gradually beat in confectioners' sugar until fully incorporated. Beat in vanilla extract.
Pour in milk and beat for an additional 3-4 minutes. Add food coloring, if using, and beat for thirty seconds until smooth or until desired color is reached.

Makes about 2 cups of frosting.

[Beth24]

This recipe is awesome...it always comes out the same, it is easy to spread and to pipe using pastry bags. Takes color nicely as well.

2 sticks butter.
4 cups powdered sugar.
1 tbl vanilla and 1 tbl milk
Pinch of salt.

Mix all ingredients together with electric mixer until smooth.

[weech]

This recipe is awesome...it always comes out the same, it is easy to spread and to pipe using pastry bags. Takes color nicely as well.

2 sticks butter.
4 cups powdered sugar.
1 tbl vanilla and 1 tbl milk
Pinch of salt.

Mix all ingredients together with electric mixer until smooth.

:yeahthat: That's pretty much what I use, too, though I sometimes add in a bit of almond extract and I use water instead of milk if I want it to be shelf stable.

[3blackcats]

Thanks everyone! Amazon should be delivering my supplies today, so I will test it out :-)