The Secret To Bakery-Worthy Cake Frosting Is A Shortening Swap

The only thing trickier than baking a cake? Whipping up a frosting that not only tastes good but that's easy to pipe. The long-standing secret to making a sturdy frosting that's creamy and tasty is to use shortening. While a butter-based frosting, like a decadent buttercream, may melt in warm conditions, a frosting made with shortening will hold its shape on your cake. This, in turn, reduces the chance of your piped rosettes sloshing off to the side or drooping off your cake entirely.

While most people will reach for a can of vegetable shortening from a brand like Crisco to whip up a sturdy frosting, the better bet is to use a different type: high-ratio shortening. You may not be able to find it as easily as a solid shortening like Crisco, but once you start baking with it, you won't be able to stop. A frosting made with this type of shortening will not only be more structurally sound, but it will also have a far better flavor than one made with conventional shortening.

The primary difference between high-ratio shortenings and regular vegetable shortenings like Crisco is that the former contains more emulsifiers. It also contains no moisture, which results in a smoother, less greasy mouthfeel than conventional shortening. The lack of water also allows it to better mix with other ingredients. Another benefit to using this product is that it is relatively immune to temperature changes. If you're freezing a cake with a high-ratio shortening-based frosting, for example, it won't crack as much as one made with an all-butter frosting. So not only can you rest assured that your piped frosting designs won't melt off your cake in hot weather, but you can also freeze and thaw a dessert made with a high-ratio shortening-based frosting and not worry about causing major changes to its appearance.

One prominent high-ratio shortening brand that you can purchase is Sweetex, which you can find on Amazon and at bakery supply stores. Since high-ratio shortening is more concentrated than vegetable shortening, you will not need to use as much of it in your recipe as you would other shortenings. Generally, you should be able to swap out a whole cup of vegetable shortening in your frosting recipe for about ⅔ cup of high-ratio shortening.