How to get really white buttercream??

[Karen03]

I've been asked to make a panda giant cupcake. It'll be chocolate sponge with vanilla buttercream on top half & think I'm going to do a black candy melts bottom half around the sponge. How can I get the vanilla buttercream to be really white? I've seen a Wilton white food colouring but does it affect the taste? Thanks!

Use a cream cheese icing?

Use a whiter butter, there is a big difference in the whiteness of butter.

Add A tiny drop of purple colouring to cancel out the yellow.

Thanks. They want vanilla buttercream. I normally use Tesco/Sains unsalted butter or Lurpak. Any recommendations for the whitest butter?!

Lurpack is the best one to get white buttercream, and the addition of a very small drop of blue or lilac does work, but it is a very small amount. Do you have a stand mixer? It takes abotu 15 mins in a stand mixer to get it very white. The Whitener from Wilton doesn't leave a taste, but it is expensive

I agree with slimjim, beat the hell out of the butter and icing sugar for at least 15mins, its makes it lighter and fluffy, but i do add the whitener too, it definitely makes it alot whiter. i always use willow butter too.

If there is a cake supply shop close by get white margarine. I get mine from centre attraction in Liverpool and it gives perfect white buttercream they deliver too...

You can use continental butter, its much paler. There may be a proper name for it, that escapes me right now.
Maybe someone else knows the stuff I mean?

please don't use margarine though, it will be foul. Buttercream, the clue is in the name!

googled: also known as lactic butter, or raw cream butter, its usually in a silver pack as opposed to a gold one in the uk, according to bbc food. (mine comes in a blue pack and is all in polish though!)

I prefer the milder taste of the white margarine. It's actually delicious. Nothing like using ordinary margarine as that is yeuch! I get 500g for £1.35 so extremely reasonably priced too

Willow isn't a butter, its a spread made from buttermilk, so if you're selling you have to call it frosting, not buttercream, sorry. Haven't made frosting from it though so can't comment

Some people use trex with a drop of vanilla added, its cmes and lovely and white but not everyone likes the taste

Whip and whip some more.

Try Lurpak, thats what i use to get very white frosting as the butter itself is whiter iyswim

And whip with an electric mixer