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!
Table of Contents
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.
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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
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. 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.
Kerry
I currently work as a decorator at Publix and I love the buttercream. Whenever there is an event in my family, I make the cakes at home. I can make my own buttercream, but I prefer to buy some from Publix. Since it has gotten so expensive, I’ve reverted to making my own. The texture is horrible….too sugary and crunchy. Is this recipe nice and smooth and decorating-worthy? I’m planning on giving it a whirl regardless, I just want to hear it from you.
Fran
Lose the irritating background music.
Stephanie Manley
I did lose the music in videos created after this one.
shadow44
Fattening.
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Mary Kastor
Publix does not use homemade icing! I worked there for 2 months and saw what they were doing. It is premade Brill Vanilla icing they get delivered in 25 pound blocks. They put those blocks in their mixers, add water and corn syrup and beat for 10 minutes. Their cakes are prefrozen and come in cardboard boxes. As decorators, we were instructed NEVER to allow the public to see the boxes or the frosting blocks. We were told to take the cakes out of the boxes, put each cake on a cookie sheet on a rack and wheel it out front so it appeared to be fresh.
Fran
Haha that’s hysterical.
Lisa
Delicious! This was the best buttercream I have ever made! I’m attaching a picture of the cake I made just to give you an idea of how much cake you can ice dThe bottom is a 9 in round with 3 layers. I mixed a lot of colors and tossed a ton of frosting out afterwards. It piped very well and held up in the Florida heat at an outdoor birthday party at a park. We were in a covered Pavillion, but that doesn’t do much for Florida heat in July! I used the Dream cake recipe on the side of the dream whip box with this frosting and there was seriously not a bite left on anyone’s plate. I don’t think I’ve ever seen that, even when I purchase a real Publix cake. Thank you so much for this recipe. I will use it from now on! It’s perfect!
stephaniemanley
Thank you for letting me know how this worked out well for you. I wished I would have seen your photo. It is also good to hear how this holds up in warm humid heat, I know how the icing holds is very important. Thank you for giving the recipe a try. I bet your cake was lovely!
LuLu
Thanks for the Publix Buttercream recipe tastes delish xo
stephaniemanley
I am glad you enjoyed the Publix Buttercream icing. What are you going to make with it?
gmilor
I want to use this recipe to decorate some cupcakes. How many cupcakes would I get out of this recipe?
stephaniemanley
It would make a lot, a whole lot, maybe 50 to 75.
Georgia
I just made this. It’s superb! Thank you!!!! Is there any way to make this chocolate?
stephaniemanley
I haven’t done this in a chocolate form, but I believe if you add about 1/2 cup cocoa it should work well.
Nicole
will this recipe still work well if you only have a hand mixer?
stephaniemanley
Yes, it works.
Chrissi O'Callaghan
Little confused… It is supposed to be 2 pounds or 2 sticks (which comes to 1 cup) of butter?
stephaniemanley
It was 1/2 pound, therefore 2 sticks of butter.
Fyre
2 sticks of butter is 1 cup, that equals 2 pounds???
Dani305
The best ever!!!!!!
Guest
How many cups of icinf with this recipe?
Mickeebabe
Hi. Thanks for the recipe. Just one question; does this buttercream crust?
stephaniemanley
This doesn’t not get a crust within the first 24 – 36 hours.
Karen Vaughn-Davis
no….so I chill mine to stiffen it up a bit.
Stephanie Manley
Great idea!
Tiffany Adkins Smith
I also purchased their icing for comparison. This recipe is very good.
Stephanie
Thanks Tiffany. I am glad to hear you thought the recipe was very good.
stephaniemanley
Wonderful, I am so glad that you enjoyed the taste.
Tiffany Adkins Smith
this is perfect! I left out the meringue powder only because I couldn’t find it, but I followed the directions, and this is the closest to publix bc I’ve found! Delicious!
Stephanie
Thank you for your response. You can find the meringue powder at many craft stores.
stephaniemanley
You can find this at many craft stores as well as stores that carry cake decorating supplies.
Steven Lee
Wal Mart carry it….go to cake decorating and party supply in WalMart
Tracy Henry Crews
Just made this recipe for the first time. I’ve read several comments saying this isn’t at all like the Publix recipe. I disagree. Although not 100% the actual recipee a little stronger buttery taste than Publix, it does seem to be pretty darn close. I am very impressed. I will def be using this going forward. Thanks for shawring!
Cindy Hardy
Do you know if there’s a difference in adding all butter instead of Crisco and butter. I can’t get my mouth watering mind around eating the Crisco:/
Stephanie Manley
If you need it to take some heat the Crisco should be added.
Amanda
Can you please add the Publix Chocolate Sheet Cake Recipe as well? My Gawwwd it is so good and I am miles from a Publix, like 60 miles from a Publix!
Stephanie
I appreciate the suggestion. I will see what I can do.
Faw
I used to decorate at Publix. From what I remember there was a lot of butter, but we added a giant block of white stuff, it was half shortening with a bunch of other crap in it. Also the layers for the birthday cakes come in frozen. If you want a yummy icing leave out the nasty shortening and make a classic buttercream or Italian meringue buttercream! Also, bake your own cake from scratch, fresh, no preservatives or artificial crap. 🙂