Your best butter icing recipe? And help with piping

[Bumperlicious]

I usually just make butter icing with butter and icing sugar, but recently I saw someone (ok, ok, it was Big Cook) make it adding hot water, would you recommend this? Any other tips? I also want to pipe but have never used a piping bag, does it need to be softer? Any piping expertise you care to share?

I make it with 1 part butter to 2 parts icing sugar and add hot water by the teaspoon to help it mix. normally 4oz butter, 8 icing and 2 teaspoons hot water. You can add a few drops of vanilla essence as well, thats nice!

The hot water makes it softer and a bit more spreadable but don't ask me about piping, I am crap!

I find that piping bags tend to burst around the edge of the nozzle. I have a piping tube which works better. The softer the icing is, the easier it will be to squeeze.

Ha, I was going to start a similar thread earlier today but never got round to it, so thanks bumper!

My question is how do you make your butter icing white? Mine always turns out a creamy/yellowy colour! Would milk help? Or can you buy white colouring?

Mishy: try a paler butter and beat it fist until it goes even paler. Unsalted butter seems to be less yellow IME.

first

don't think you'll ever get it completely white though, unless you use lard

Its getting air into it that makes it go white. So just keep beating!

piping is too much like hard work

if this is for the 1 cake just glace ice it all over and put maltesers / chocolate buttons / dolly mixtures (as you like) round the edges

Really? Air will make it go white? Right, will try that next time.

Sorry for hi-jack bumper!

With regard to piping bags, the only way I can successfully pipe icing is if I pack the icing really tight in the bag and squeeze all the air out and keep making sure it is really full, IYKWIM?

yes air does work

like (er) egg whites are clear, then when you whip them they go white

it's about refraction and bubbles and things

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actually if you are backing, beating the butter until it is nearly white is a good plan all round. Kills your arm, but makes the cakes nice and light

baking

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hence why the lazy amongst us use marg

yuck!

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I grew up in a pennypinching frugal household so cannot help thinking it's shockingly extravagant to use butter in cakes, or indeed in any cooking (or at all, actually).

I actually prefer victoria sponges made with Stork or similar because it was the taste I grew up with .

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Thanks for all the tips guys, I'd better crack on with my baking soon. Maybe a cup of tea first though, while DD is asleep