This high ratio frosting recipe is a great option to have in your recipe file of favorites! It is light, fluffy, and has a wonderful flavor.

If you are unfamiliar with high ratio shortening, it is a popular choice because it contains emulsifiers which allow it to absorb more sugar and liquid than regular shortening.

You'll love the creamy consistency that high ratio shortening lends to this frosting, and there is no greasy aftertaste. There are many different brands of high ratio frosting, but Sweetex is what we use most often.

Table of Contents

Advantages of Shortening Based Frostings

Probably the biggest advantage of shortening based frostings is that they hold up nicely in warmer weather. Although it isn't heat proof (no frosting is), shortening-based frostings hold up much better in warm conditions than butter based frostings.

Another bonus to shortening based frostings is the white color. Butter-based frostings have a slight yellow tint, and if natural vanilla flavoring is used rather than clear vanilla, it is more of an ivory shade. If a stark white frosting is what your design (or customer) calls for, this frosting is a great choice.

More Extracts may be Needed in shortening-Based Frostings...

Due to the absence of butter in this recipe, we have to rely more heavily on extracts to make this frosting flavorful. There is a lot of wiggle room here and so don't hesitate to do a little experimenting! We hope that you enjoy the recipe!

Have Gritty Buttercream? It Could be Your Powdered Sugar...

** We've had great results with Domino's confectioners sugar and US Sugar (we buy ours from Costco). Some brands of confectioners sugar don't work as well with buttercream frosting recipes.

If a package doesn't say pure cane sugar, it contains beet sugar which is more likely to give you a grainy outcome. In addition to that, we've noticed that even some brands that say "Pure Cane Sugar" will give a grainy consistency.

One example is Dixie Crystals (although it used to work great for us a few years ago.) Something has changed...it's a mystery. Anyway, this recipe should not be grainy, and so if it is, experiment with a different brand of confectioners sugar.

High Ratio Frosting

This easy high ratio frosting pipes perfectly and is a good choice for higher temperatures as it is more heat resistant than butter-based frosting.

Ingredients

*This Recipe makes a lot of frosting. It can be halved!
2 cups (386 g) high ratio shortening (We use Sweetex and CK brands)
2 Tablespoons (24 g) clear vanilla extract
½ teaspoon (2 g) butter flavoring
½ teaspoon (2 g) lemon or almond flavoring
4 lbs. (1820 g) confectioners’ sugar
1 cup (238 g) or more if needed - milk or heavy cream (you get a softer crust using heavy cream)
½ to 1 teaspoon (2g to 4g ) salt ( I use popcorn salt because of its fine grain or let your regular salt dissolve in the milk) This will cut the sweetness.

Instructions

Cream the shortening and flavorings .
Add the confectioners’ sugar and cream, mixing slowing and gradually increasing speed .
Mix approx. 8 min. until creamy and smooth, DURING THE LAST 2 TO 3 MINUTES OF MIXING SLOW DOWN THE SPEED TO VERY SLOW THIS WILL ELIMINATE MOST OF THE AIR BUBBLES THAT OCCUR.
If you are still seeing what looks like bubbles that have burst (small holes) in your buttercream, continue to add milk a teaspoon at a time until most of them disappear.
This is still sweet though the salt cuts some of the sweetness.

Makes approximately 11 ½ cups

Notes

***We slightly altered this recipe from our previous version, which had 2 lbs (910g) confectioner’s sugar. We still really like the previous version, but it has a much lighter and softer consistency and while it crusted, it didn’t crust quite as firm. Using the Viva paper towel method of smoothing is easier with the updated version.

191 Comments

Hi, I live in Miami Florida. And I tried this recipe it did not work. The humidity down here is horrible. I used shorting no butter. But the shorting I use is Publix brand shorting. Is that the problem? Please help!

I'm new to the site and just tried the high ratio buttercream only I had to use Crisco and I also used heavy whipping cream. I noticed that my frosting taste "gritty" is this due to the whipping cream? I used regular 2% milk to thin it out.
TIA love the site!

Hi Lisa certain brands of confectioners' sugar (powdered sugar) will cause the gritty problem. Whatever brand you use it should say "Pure Cane Sugar"....if the ingredient list shows sugar and cornstarch, it will be beet sugar and that will give you a gritty texture. Lately a brand that we have always trusted also gave a gritty taste so they must have changed their formulation. To test your bag, just wet your fingers and rub a bit of powdered between them.

I do not have the type of mixer that you have, I need to cut the receipe in half to fit in my bowl - will that be an issue. Also, why do you use so many flavorings can I subsititute the almond with strawberry?

Hi Fran, it will be fine to cut the recipe in half. We use extra flavoring such as butter flavoring because there is no butter in the recipe and we want that flavor. You can definitely substitute the almond flavor with strawberry. It is good to experiment and use flavoring you like.

Another great recipe, thanks ladies! I love how clean and white it is, after using butter for so long I got used to a vague ivory colour being my 'white'...this is beautiful and crisp! Thanks again :)

Great, I'm glad you like it!

This frosting is AAAAMAZING! I love how light and fluffy it is. I cut the recipe in half and it was deeeeeeelicious!
My question is this...I have extra left over how long will this keep in the fridge...and how long in the freezer?
Ansa

can you add cocoa to this??

I have another question.....Can I add a little cream cheese to this frosting to cut the sweetness? I usually make my buttercream with butter and cream it with the cream cheese. Will using cream cheese with this high ratio frosting work?
Thanks,
Ansa

Hi Ansa, you can keep in the refrigerator 2 weeks if your milk is not at its expiration date. We have frozen the buttercream for 3 months.
I think it would be fine to add cream cheese , adjusting the amount of milk.

Hi Nicole, yes you can add unsweetened cocoa to the recipe to make chocolate, I probably add 1 cup (72 g) then adjusting the amount of liquid to get the consistency you like.

Hi, Ive been using this recipe but using crisco, which it says no trans fat. Its humid here in texas and when I put it on my cake this week it seems to run off. is that because it is not with high ratio shortening. Have you had this problem before. It worked fine this past early spring and winter so I wonder is it because of that in combination with the humidityand not high ratio. which of your BC's would you think is best for Texas humid hot summer weather. Thanks.