BUTTERCREAM ICING
By Gloria Pitzer, as seen in… Gloria Pitzer’s Cookbook – Best Of The Recipe Detective (Balboa Press; Jan. 2018, P. 195). [A revised reprint of Gloria Pitzer’s Better Cookery Cookbook (Secret RecipesTM, St. Clair, MI; May 1983, 3rd Edition).]
Use this recipe in assembling the “Exotic Chocolate Cake” recipe [on page 197]. But icing is great with other things also!
INGREDIENTS:
24 large marshmallows
½ cup milk
1-pound butter or margarine, in stick form (I use margarine!)
1 ½ cups powdered sugar
INSTRUCTIONS:
Melt marshmallows in milk on medium-low heat, stirring constantly until smooth – or microwave-melt these on simmer for 4 minutes, stopping it at the halfway-point to stir well. Stir it, again, thoroughly after removing from stove or microwave oven. Let it stand about 20 minutes to cool – or place it in the refrigerator to speed it along. When it has no trace of warmth – but is not overly chilled – place marshmallow mixture in deep, narrow mixing bowl (1 ½ to 2 quarts in size) and beat it with an electric mixer on medium speed, as you pinch off pieces of the margarine and add them a little bit at a time. Beat for 5 minutes, increasing speed to high after last addition. Beat in powdered sugar, in 4 portions. Do not under-beat!
TO ASSEMBLE CAKE:
When cake is completely cold, spread icing ½ inch thick between the layers. When applying the 2nd layer of cake over the buttercream, secure it in place by inserting thin wood skewers at the 4 corners and center, through both layers, to keep the top layer from slipping. Then place cake in the freezer for 15 minutes before applying the remaining buttercream. Keep the remaining icing covered and refrigerated during this time. When you remove the cake from the freezer, apply another half inch thick layer of buttercream and return it to the freezer for another 15 minutes to be sure it is “set”.
See also…
