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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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.
Timothy Brown
Hi I’m tim I would like to try to make public’s butter cream icing did you put all that large in there
Tracy
Does this buttercream need to be refrigerated? It is sold at Publix under refrigeration. Thanks
L. Pierson
Tracy, since this is made with butter you would need to refrigerate any icing that you’re not using. If it’s on a cake, it should be ok at a cool room temp since you will be eating it soon.
Christin Woods
We use this recipe for all of our kids (4) birthday cakes. My husband makes cake magic. This recipe is great everyone raves about how great and yummy it is. Can you do it in Chocolate? How?
Stephanie Manley
I am sorry I do not know how to make this for chocolate. I don’t live near a Publix so I don’t know when I can get around to developing the recipe.
Zoe A Canavan
They mix some of the fudge icing into the buttercream to make she chocolate one.
Dianne
Publix doesn’t use chocolate buttercream. A chocolate fudge icing is used. Much richer than buttercream an not light and airy like nuttercream.
Dianne
However, simply add 1/2 to 3/4 cup coco powder to make this buttercream
Vicki Relyea
When my aunt (head decorator), my sister (lead processor) and myself all worked in the same Publix bakery together, we did use a fudge frosting on items but that same fudge frosting mixed with the buttercream frosting was used for the chocolate buttercream frosting.V
Antjuan Dover
I made chocolate by just adding in sifted cocoa powder. Use as little or as much cocoa powder to get the taste you want. I did add a tad of milk.
CindyB
When I was in cake decorating school the icing was all Crisco and powdered sugar and flavoring of choice, because it would pipe and hold the shape. We decorated Styrofoam blocks with it if we didn’t want another cake to eat. We made big batches of it and colored as needed. Honestly it tasted darn good.
Lita Waston
Most of bloggers doesn’t say about using meringue powder in their buttercream icing recipe. Thank for giving some useful tips about meringue powder! I have to try at once.
Stephanie
I think it really helps to hold the icing.
School Baker
It’s my understanding that you should beat the butter and crisco for 20 minutes before adding other ingredients….. haven’t tried this but will one day soon as I really like Publix Whipped Cresm Frosting..
Bethany
Fantastic taste. This is the third or so recipe for buttercream that I have tried and is by far the best. My only issue is that it’s a bit gritty. Any suggestions?
Stephanie
I don’t know how to get the grit out and not make it super creamy. You may want to omit the egg white powder, this may help, but it won’t set up as nicely.
School Baker
I didn’t see egg white powder in recipe… meringue powder I saw??
School Baker
It’s probably same thing right?
Stephanie
Yes, its the same thing. Wilton markets egg whites as Meringue powder.
Caila
If you tried removing powder can u tell me if it works?
Candace Pfau
I have just now eaten a Publix buttercream birthday cake. Says so right on the sticker. It’s like eating pure crisco. i’ll make my own icing from now on. I understand that cakes in a store must hold up and not be fragile. I’ll make my own or find a private bakery that advertises all organic. Or all real butter.
Mark
I worked for Publix as a cake decorator for over 2.5 years. While there is most likely crisco in the icing (the recipe is a secret even from those who use it everyday) there is more REAL butter in it and tastes better than any supermarket cake I’ve ever tasted. Plus we mix it in-store. Most other places come from buckets (thats mainly crisco icing). They are also the freshest. I’m not sure if you have Kroger where you live but next time look at the the dates on the refrigerated cakes…. they have 1 FULL MONTH shelf life. Publix has cakes in the freezer for 10 days before pulling. If there icing was primarily Crisco based it would last MUCH longer than what they date things for. Also most private bakerys and the ones I have worked for use Crisco based icing as it keeps cost and waste down.
Ollie
I love Publix cake!
Dianne
I work for Publix, although I do not know the ratios, nor would I want to, I’ve seen the ingredients list an it contains NO shortening. It is only BUTTER. Mind you, I have made this copycat recipe and prefer it. Also, no milk as it would require to be in the cooler and not shelf stable. I think Publix buttercream is bland. A few customers have voiced that as well, but most love it. Including my co-workers, and they think im nuts! I do like their cakes. Very moist. This buttercream is more like the buttercream i learned to pipe with. Im a baker, decorator at home. Anyone wanting straighht butterrcream, use a pound of butter, meringue powder, flavoring of your choice and powdered sugar. Tablespoon cream or water.
Tammy
It is not only butter. I’ve been a Publix cake decorator for 13 years and compaired to the amount of shortening/buttercream base they use, its about 1/6 butter. I do want to try this recipe though and see how it turns out.
Luwani
I just made this recipe and it cam out great. Thank you Stephanie!
Esther barnes
This looks great but it’s like eating Crisco! Try running it under water it turned to pure Crisco! This is discusting,a real heart attack! 2 cups do Crisco and a stick of butter,gross
Stephanie
I am sorry you don’t like this type of frosting. This is the style of frosting.
Kenneth Dob
Thank you for sharing. This is an amazing frosting and this is what my customers like.
brandon
the question is have you ever had publixs buttercream?
Tawnya
I’m a California native that lived in Florida for a year where I discovered Publix buttercream. I am so glad I found this recipe! It is so good! I do have a question, do you have any suggestions as to converting this recipe into chocolate?
Stephanie
I would consider putting some grated chocolate in it. Ghiradelli sells this, it is chocolate grated very finely. I am not sure how much cocoa you would need to put in here to try this. The grated chocolate would be very easy to add.
Chrysta
This is NOT like publix buttercream at all. I was a Publix cale decorator for years until i moved cross country. So i know my publix BC. Very disappointed.
Chrysta
This is NOT like publix buttercream at all. I was a Publix cake decorator for years until i moved cross country. So i know my Publix BC. (Unfortunately the secret recipe is under wraps even to us)Very disappointed.
Paris b
Give us your secret Chrystal!!!???
Kate
Heather , u can substitute coconut oil for the crisco and it tastes great 🙂 but if I remember correctly it changes the recipe a little , just Google coconut butter cream frosting
Olivia
How much icing does this make in cups
Ginny
I have some meringue powder that I have never opened – about 5 years old. Do you think it’s still good?
Heather Hunteman
I followed the recipe but I found that the crisco shortening flavor was overwhelming the other ingredients, and recommendations?
Kelly Dimick
Can I use butter flavored shortening inplace of regular shortening and butter flavoring?
Stephanie Manley
I would not, I think that requires cooking to release the flavor. If you give it a try, be sure to let us know.
Jo Slankard
I just made the icing. I used real butter sticks as the recipe calls for and used the recommended amount of butter flavoring and there’s just TOO much butter flavor. It’s gross. What do I do ? It’s overpowered everything please help!
Stephanie Manley
I am sorry you think this is gross. I would add more sugar, and a little more shortening to try to stretch it out.
Mandi Nelson
I made this for the first time tonight- I am not familiar with Publix icing but my buttercream came out almost more of a whipped icing rather than a stiffer buttercream. Is this accurate to the store or did I possibly do something incorrectly? It tastes fine it just isn’t as stiff as I was hoping for in a new buttercream recipe. Thank you!
Stephanie Manley
I am not sure what happened. You might want to add more meringue powder to make it more stiff. Also is your kitchen warm.
Joanne
Hello. I made this last night. There is no publix where I live. But we have wegmans. And this is just like theirs. Soooooo yummy. Thank you.
Stephanie Manley
So happy to hear you enjoyed this recipe.
Laura Wilfert
Great recipe, worked at Publix as a decorator for many years. I added simple syrup after I made the icing. Made it using a paddle in my mixer then after it was made changed to a whip and added simple syrup until it was light and fluffy. That’s how we did it at Publix. Simple syrup recipe is 1 cup water to 1 cup sugar. Heat to boiling and then let cool. Add small amounts at a time until you get the consistency you desire. Icing is delicious and works great for decorating.
pam cater
laura, do you know the recipe for the whipped chocolate they put in the middle of the ganache cake squares? I used to get the bakery manager to make me some but she quit. the new manager won’t do it.
thank you,pam
M. Caron
Pam, the ganache cake uses a simple chocolate whipped in the middle. It is made with a mix that is brought into Publix.
Paris b
Hello so you added the simple syrup after you made the full icing recipe ?
karla
Do you happen to have the strawberry filling recipe for Publix’s cakes? I love it