White butter icing anybody?

[MaureenMLove]

Anybody on here that knows me well enough, knows that I'm a reasonably competent baker and decorator of cakes, so I really should know this!

However, this is the first time I've done number cakes and rather than use my usual method of fondant icing, I thought I'd do butter icing all over. Fondant on a 6 and 5, just seems like a bit of a faff.

I want the cakes to be white to start with, before I do the decorations, but I don't know how to make it! I've whipped and whipped the icing, but it's still not lovely white. Recipes are suggesting a bit of milk. Do we agree? Or has anyone got any suggestions?

At the moment, I'm thinking a very pale lilac would be a damn sight easier! . Cakes shop shuts in an hour and I have to do the base icing tonight. I've run out of lilac/purple colouring, so if I have a response/suggestions within about 40 mins, that would help!

Yes, adding milk makes it white

Jolly good! Thank you.

I've never tried this but I have read that if you substitute trex for the butter you can make bright white icing.

If you use real butter it's very hard to get pure white buttercream. American's use vegetable fat or a white butter which is the difference.
You can buy whitener ...like a white colouring, or a minute drop of violet counteracts the yellow of the butter and whitens it up.

Thank you all. Milk certainly made it whiter and it's fine. All the decorations are purples, so a slight yellow is fine. I can't imagine using Trex, which seems to be pure fat to me. Daft, because that's what butter is anyway!

A little late, but I think the type of butter used makes a huge difference. I use Waitrose essential unsalted butter for my buttercream and everyone comments on how white it is, I didn't realise how unusual that is. When I've tried different butter it's definitely more yellow.

I was taught to use Trex at college if you wanted it white

You can use lard [mumsnet needs a puking smiley]