Buttercream Recipe

We were invited to 2 cookouts this weekend, one Saturday and one Sunday, and I was asked to bring the dessert for both of them.  Sunday was also my husband's birthday so I needed to make him his usual strawberry cheesecake.  For the cookout on Sunday I decided to make chocolate cupcakes with homemade buttercream icing and boy were they ever tasty. 

Buttercream Icing

1/2c shortening

1/2c real butter

4 c powdered sugar-sifted

1T vanilla

few drops of clear butter flavoring (or more depending on your taste)

3oz (6T) heavy whipping cream

cream shortening and butter til fluffy.  add powdered sugar about a cup at a time, mix until smooth and creamy.  add vanilla, mix.  add cream 2T at a time and mix well after each addition.  add butter flavor, mix well.  Add more powdered sugar if you need a more stiff icing.

You can google buttercream recipe and find a million different combos, I combined a few different ones I liked and came up with the recipe above. 

Enjoy!