If you’ve never had buttercream icing from Publix Supermarket, you’re missing out. Publix Buttercream Icing is known to be one of the best buttercream icing recipes you can get in a store. And now you can make this famous icing at home!
Why Publix Buttercream Icing is so Unique
Buttercream icing is the perfect icing to use on almost any flavor of the cake. It doesn’t matter if you like chocolate cake, white cake, yellow cake, or even a red velvet cake—this is an icing that tastes good with any of those. And when you want to make your own buttercream icing, you want to make this Publix copycat recipe.
Publix Buttercream Icing uses both vegetable shortening and butter. This gives the icing a wonderful flavor and it will hold up in a warm room without losing shape.
How to Make Publix Buttercream Icing
This recipe has several ingredients in it that aren’t always included in most buttercream icings. Powdered egg whites or meringue powder gives this recipe a nice sturdy structure that makes the icing hold its structure longer than most. Clear vanilla can keep the frosting nice and white. The imitation butter flavor puts back in the butter flavor that we all love.
Here’s what else you need:
- Butter
- Vegetable Shortening
- Almond Extract
- Confectioners Sugar
- Milk
These ingredients will go into a mixer a few ingredients at a time until you have the consistency you want in your icing. Scroll down to watch the video with all the instructions.
Notes
- Meringue powder and butter flavoring can be found where cake decorating supplies are sold.
- The recipe can be made without Meringue powder and butter flavoring, but the icing tastes better if you use the butter flavoring. And the icing will hold its shape better with the meringue powder.
- I highly recommend sifting your confectioners’ sugar before using it. Sifting eliminates those clumps that sometimes form in the confectioners’ sugar. Once you have sifted the confectioners’ sugar it blends together better than unsifted confectioners’ sugar. If you don’t have a sifter you can use a regular sieve.
- You can make the icing ahead of time before using it. Store it in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 3-4 days. Bring it to room temp and whisk or use an electric mixer to make it soft for spreading.
Check out these cake recipes
- Cake Mix Pound Cake Recipe
- Red Velvet Cake
- Hershey Bar Chocolate Cake
- Simple Pistachio Cake Recipe
- How to Make a Mountain Dew Cake
- Best Almond Cake Recipe
- Chocolate Cake with Caramel Icing
- Pineapple Angelfood Cake
- Duncan Hines Sock It To Me Cake
- Pound Cake Sara Lee
Popular Dessert Recipes
Love to make sweet treats? Take a look at more of my easy homemade desserts and restaurant cake recipes.
Are you ready to make the best ever buttercream icing? Let me know how you did in the comments below. And don’t forget to follow me on Facebook or Instagram or subscribe to my mailing list for the latest CopyKat recipes!
Publix Buttercream Icing
Ingredients
- 8 ounces butter
- 2 cups vegetable shortening (preferably Crisco)
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon butter flavoring
- 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
- 1 tablespoon meringue powder
- 2 pounds confectioners’ sugar r, sifted
- 1 tablespoon milk (optional)
Instructions
- Combine the butter, Crisco, and salt in a large bowl and beat on low speed for 5 minutes. Add the vanilla, butter flavor, and almond extract and beat until well blended. Turn off the mixer and add the meringue powder and half of the confectioners’ sugar. Mix on the slowest speed the mixer has. Mix in the remaining sugar 1/2 cup at a time, until all the sugar is mixed in.works well.
- Turn the mixer up to medium and beat until smooth and creamy. This should take about 5 minutes. If the icing seems too thick to spread, beat in up to 1 tablespoon milk to loosen it.
Video
Recipe Tips for the Cook
- Meringue powder and butter flavoring can be found where cake decorating supplies are sold.
- The recipe can be made without Meringue powder and butter flavoring, but the icing tastes better if you use the butter flavoring. And the icing will hold its shape better with the meringue powder.
- I highly recommend sifting your confectioners’ sugar before using. Sifting eliminates those clumps that sometimes form in the confectioners’ sugar. Once you have sifted the confectioners’ sugar it blends together better than unsifted confectioners’ sugar. If you don’t have a sifter you can use a regular sieve.
- You can make the icing ahead of time before using. Store it in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 3-4 days. Bring it to room temp and whisk or use an electric mixer to make it soft for spreading.
Stephanie
Hello, Can I use Butter crisco or will I need to use the regular crisco?
thanks, Stephanie
Stephanie
I would use regular Crisco, the butter flavored may not be so tasty if it not cooked.
Dylan
Hi Stephanie,
How much strawberry extract should I add to make this recipe strawberry and should I remove any of the other extracts when doing this? I’ve made the original recipe once before and it was fantastic! It’s definitely my go to frosting now!
Thank you!
Stephanie
So I haven’t tried this before, I would start with about a teaspoon of extract and a little food coloring and see how that goes. So glad you enjoy the icing.
Nora
This was very good. Tastes very much like Publix, however, there is a slight salty after taste. I used table salt. Should I have used sea salt or Kosher?
Thank you, Nora
Stephanie
I don’t think it matters, I would just add a little less.
Lisa
Do you use margarine or real butter?
Thanks
Stephanie
I use real butter.
Kelani
Is the butter salted or unsalted? If your using both then how much of each?
Stephanie
Unsalted would be best, but you can make this with salted butter.
Kay waller
I am trying to find a whipped cream frosting like a local bakery uses. I called to ask about it and they would only say it’s whipped cream but it’s sturdier than regular whipped cream and it’s also used to fill the cake. I want to make a 3 layer coconut cake for Xmas and I don’t want cream cheese, 7 minute or too sweet buttercream. Brill, a commercial icing, was recommended to me but then I heard it tasted like a chemical. I’m beginning to feel like a cat chasing its tail! Do you have any suggestions for me? Thank you
Michelle
I haven’t tried the recipe yet but it sounds like the whipped cream the bakery is using is “stabilized whip cream” you can stabilize whipped cream using powdered gelatin. It’s easy to do, google will show you.
Chris
I have made this several times and it is great!! I would like to make chocolate buttercream, do you have any suggestions on making chocolate following the Publix copycat recipe?
Keri
Publix adds bucket fudge to there buttercream to make chocolate buttercream
chrysis
I tried to google “bucket fudge” and I didn’t come up with anything that looks like an appropriate ingredient to add to this frosting recipe. Can you give some more info?
Stephanie
I am sure that is a commercial bakery product. I would check with a bakery supply company near you.
Renee
The recipe states 1/2 tsp Almond Extract, but Stephanie says 1 tsp., which is correct
Stephanie
1/2 teaspoon, thank you for letting me know. I will make the text match.
Tabatha
Does the butter need to be softened?
Kelani
It depends on how you want your buttercream to be. If you want it really sturdy then I suggest keeping it cold and just popping it in the mixer as is, but if you want it softer then you can let the butter soften. If you soften the butter you have to let it sit for hours (3-4) in room temperature. A sturdier buttercream is easier to use when frosting because it has a less chance of it toppling over or looking ragedy.
Jennifer
About how many cupcakes do you think this would frost?
Stephanie
Depending upon how much frosting you pile on it could be 24 to 36.
Diane Tompkins
I love your copykat recipes. Do you have one for the Publix Danish Strip? I love this cake, and would love the recipe. Thank You so much.
Stephanie
I am sorry I don’t have this recipe, it sounds delicious!