First published May 18, 2015. Last updated April 21, 2025 for editorial improvements.
Table of Contents
This whipped wedding cake frosting recipe has been in my favorites file for probably 20 years. I've used it on every wedding cake I have made and the results are always delicious. It's light and creamy with a delicate almond flavor and it holds up well for decorating, too. You don't have to use it on wedding cakes, of course! It's sure to become a favorite.
📖 Recipe
Whipped Wedding Cake Frosting Recipe
Print Rate RecipeIngredients
- 1 cup Crisco
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt dissolved in 1 teaspoon warm water.
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla, clear keeps the frosting bright white
- ½ teaspoon clear butter flavor
- ½ teaspoon almond extract
- ½ cup water
- 2 pounds Confectioner's sugar, 8 cups
Instructions
- Beat the Crisco, the salt solution, the vanilla, butter flavor, almond extract, water, and 1 pound of the Confectioner's sugar in a mixer at low speed with the whisk attachment until combined.
- Turn the mixer to highest speed and beat the mixture for a full 10 minutes, stopping occasionally to wipe down the side and mix in to the frosting.
- After 10 minutes turn the mixer off.
- Add the remaining Confectioner's sugar.
- Turn the mixer on to low and mix until the sugar is blended in.
- Add a little water if necessary to achieve the texture you want.
Notes
Nutrition information is estimated as a courtesy. If using for medical purposes, please verify information using your own nutritional calculator. Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
This recipe has been tested several times. If you choose to use other ingredients, or change the technique in some way, the results may not be the same.
This whipped wedding cake frosting is perfect for just about any kind of decorated cake. It's light and creamy, fluffy and has just a touch of almond flavor. It works great for decorating and holds up in transport, warm temperatures, and inquisitive children with grimy fingers.
Not that that has ever happened.
If you have leftover frosting then you can keep it tightly covered in the fridge. You can add food coloring to make it any color you like. You can add other flavorings, lemon instead of almond for example. The only thing difficult about this wedding cake frosting recipe is making sure to whip it a full 10 minutes before adding the remaining powdered sugar. You HAVE to do that... do not cut corners!
Flavorings make all the difference. Use real stuff whenever possible and the highest quality that you can find. Experiment with different brands until you find what you like!
Marie says
Marye I will try to make this and let you know how it goes. And Do NOT let that So called of a person that said all that Nasty stuff to you Bother You at all. She is One Rotten Bitch in my book. Maybe she just isn't that SMART to do anything. And perhaps she is just White TRASH and collets everything for FREE FREE FREE. And maybe She had a MAN and he got Sick of her Hateful ways and LEFT her for a BETTER Person. What ever her Problem is. She is a Nobody. Your doing Great with everything. And I know you have a lot on your Plate. Good Luck with all you do. And Keep Laughing. Much Love. ❤️ Marie from Florida 🌴
Brenda says
Marye, please remove the comment calling you a snide b…h. Nobody wants to see such negativity when all we are here for, is a recipe. They need to kick rocks and go back to their test kitchen and follow the recipe!
I have used this recipe repeatedly for about 3 years now. It turns out perfectly EVERY TIME. It doesn’t seem to change consistency even on the hottest or coldest days. Ms. negativity obviously made a miscalculation when putting the ingredients together and sadly, took their bad day out on you. Just want you to know I, for one, appreciate you and this recipe tons! This frosting whips up wonderfully, goes on a cake smoothly, and holds up to hotter days much better than any other recipe I have tried over the past 40+ years and I have baked cakes and cookies both personally and as a small business. Sounds pretty crazy for some no account to tell a bestselling author and writer of 10 cookbooks, that their recipe failed. SMH. (eyeroll)
Marye says
Thanks Brenda. I approve comments like that because I've been accused of only allowing "good" comments and having my "friends" rate the recipes highly. And I promise you that one is mild compared to a lot of them! Thank you for having my back, though - it's readers like you who comment that keep me loving what I do. Have a great day.
Susan Sehring says
I have used this same recipe for the past 40 plus years as a cake decorater. You cannot beat this recipe for stability and holding up in humidity. The only thing different is , I add hot water to mine after I whip my crisco for the full ten minutes, it gives a lighter and fluffier iciing yet is still firm for decorations.
Marie says
Is it possible to use actual butter instead of the butter extract, and how much butter would that be?
Marye says
I haven't done it that way. The reason we use crisco is so it stays stable in transit and in the heat.
April says
Will this frosting crust?
Marye says
Yes it does.
Brenda says
Thank you Marye,
The icing was great thanks for providing this for us. Seems to me if you read and follow the directions all is good. Mined turned out perfect. Thanks and keep posting.
Sherrie says
I will never understand the entitlement of people who think it’s the author’s problem when a recipe doesn’t work for them. I made this recipe and it was perfect. If yours was runny… for the love of god… add more powdered sugar. I worry about someone’s mental stability who would expect real time responses from post comments. It’s not brain surgery. It’s frosting. There should never be cause for name calling because your frosting recipe didn’t turn out!
Marie Bushor says
This is the worst recipe I have ever tried! It’s soft, watery and sliding off the cake. I will tell everyone not to use this recipe! And when I tried to ask for help, my comment was deleted, as I am sure this one will be too. But what do you care? You are a snide, snotty bitch, from reading some of the responses to people’s questions!
Marye says
I'm sorry the recipe didn't work for you. Comments are held until I can approve them - Usually the same day.Your first comment (which I just answered and approved) was made at 5: 17 pm central time and. this comment was made 2 hours later. As I have a business to run, a family, and a daughter with brain cancer I am afraid I am not always as prompt as I'd like to be. As far as me being a snide, snotty bitch? You would get along really well with my ex husband. Have a wonderful night.
Marie Bushor says
Help! I made this frosting and it is thin, not the consistency of frosting at all! What did I do wrong?
Marye says
Could you give me a few more details? It's hard to know without knowing exactly what you did.
Janice Payne says
I had no idea I was making wedding cake frosting all these years..
Susan says
I used this recipe on a cake I made this week Feb 19, 2022. It was absolutely the best cake icing I’ve ever made. Thank you so much for this recipe. It turned out just perfect, I followed the recipe as directed. I had to travel about 30 minutes to deliver the cake and it held up very well. I will be using this recipe again as my go to cake icing. Loved it ❣️
Jennifer Crowe says
We don't have butter flavor where I live here in Canada. Can I just leave it out?
Thank you.
Marye says
it will change the taste but yes you can.
Sierra McCarty says
This is ALWAYS my go to recipe for all my cakes and cupcakes, thank you SO much!!
Sierra McCarty says
I also never comment on posts, that is how much I love this frosting!! 🙂
Dani says
Does this icing crust slightly..?
Marye says
yes it does.
Nancy says
Have you made this with high ratio shortening before? I’ve used high ratio shortening before (only a couple of times) in other, more traditional recipes (no whipping) and it seemed to help keep the icing stable but I’m curious as to what impact you think it could have on this recipe as I’d like to try making it his weekend.
Marye says
I have not so I really can't say. Sorry.
Annie says
Just curious, crisco is not the same as 20 years ago, I used this recipe till their formula changed and it slides off the cake now. Any thoughts?
Marye says
I haven't had a problem with it so I don't know. Sorry. :/
Christa says
Perfect and thanks for responding. I will use clear vanilla extract.
Christa says
Do I have to use almond extract? If I dont use any extract, will it still taste great?
Marye says
you need some kind of extract - at least vanilla.
Dianne says
Do you think butter could be used to replace the crisco?
Marye says
It doesn't hold up as well.
Amanda says
Why does it recall for water should be using milk that's what I've always used in my wedding cake frosting and it's a number 1 hit for everyone. People want me to make and design cakes for them all the time.
Marye says
I guess because this isn't your recipe? The water helps it develop a thin crust on the exterior.