Icings for cakes and cookies

I searched the Internet high and low for safe frosting recipes.  Typically, I have to adjust mine ever so slightly.  After several failures and a few "okay" batches, I feel I have been able to modify this recipe to it's perfection.

I found the boys birthdays to be one of the most difficult allergy challenges we faced.  I wanted my boys to have beautiful and memorable cakes like I had as a child.  I had never really decorated cakes before... but I was grateful for all of the times my dad and I had decided to try and decorate cakes when I was in high school and for the cake decorating kit my mom had given me.  So, I tried MANY, MANY frostings!!!  The following two are now what I use to decorate all of my cakes.  It is time consuming, but not difficult.

My cakes are truly a labor of love.  I am not able to do it quickly at all (that might be the understatement of the year!)  Every second I am in the kitchen is all about the person I am creating the cake for and luckily for my children, a safe treat for them as well.  My cakes are full of mistakes.  The most important thing is that my children are so very happy with my attempts and my love.  I hope they will look back on their birthdays as adults, with fond memories of beautiful cakes.  My oldest little guy is usually the designer and mommy becomes the creator.

I think this year will end up being Bubble Guppies for "B" and a How to Tame Your Dragon cake for our oldest little wonder... we'll see!





 

This is the frosting that I use to frost the whole cake. It is so sweet, yummy, light & creamy.

Fluffy Buttercream Frosting

• 1/2 cup Spectrum Shortening
• 1/2 cup Earth Balance
• 3 1/2 cups sifted powdered sugar (yes, sift!)
• 1 1/2 tsp gluten free vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup vanilla Hemp milk

1) Beat the shortening & earth Balance until fluffy. Add sugar and beat 3 minutes.
2) Add vanilla & Hemp milk beat another 5 to 7 minutes.
3)  Dye to desired base colorings

*If you have a corn allergy, you can buy confectioners sugar at a health food store or online without corn starch.

Toys were bought at a local grocery store bakery.  This was super easy!  Make a 9x9 inch square cake, frost one diagonal the color of the sand and the other diagonal a teal blue ocean color.  I did grind a few Enjoy Life's Crunchy Sugar cookies in the food processor and add to the sand colored side to look more like dirt. 

This is the frosting that I create to decorate cakes with! Trust me anyone can do this!!!

 

Decorater Icing

• 4 cups confectioner's sugar
• 1 cup Spectrum Shortening
• 2 Tbsp water
• 1 tsp gluten free vanilla extract

In a large bowl, combine sugar, shortening, water, & vanilla. Beat on low speed to combine, then beat on medium a full 5 minutes.

I learned an important lesson on this cake.  Leveling of the cakes is a vital step in cake decorating.