Extra Special Buttercream Icing

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This is the best buttercream icing i have ever tasted. I used it for my daughter's wedding cake. I made a double batch, which was enough to ice, border, and pipe small decorations on the sides of the cake for a 14

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Steps

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Cream butter and shortening until fluffy.

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Add sugar , meringue powder , about half of the cream , and continue creaming until well blended.

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Add salt , flavorings and enough whipping cream to make the consistency you need.

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Beat at medium speed until icing is fluffy.

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You may substitute all shortening for the butter , which will give a pure white icing , but the flavor will not be quite as good.

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I used butter and real vanilla and the icing turned out a very pale ivory , which i personally prefer to a stark-white icing.

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The meringue powder gives the icing a light crust , but it remains soft underneath.

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Ingredients

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butter, vegetable shortening, powdered sugar, salt, meringue powder, vanilla, almond extract, butter flavoring, whipping cream