Tuesday, May 18, 2010

You CAN have your cake and eat it too!!!

Ok, so here is my dilemma.....

I love to make birthday cakes for my kids. Store-bought cakes are much too expensive (and many times disgusting). Plus it is kind of fun to do it yourself--makes it more meaningful!

But I reeeeeeally cannot stand the taste of store-bought frosting. It tastes like sweetened chemicals, hidden in fluffy goo to me. :-) Kind of like when my mom would give me a nasty, bitter pill but shove it into a spoonful of ice cream. (That helped Mom, thanks!) Not a fan......

I have tried a few home-made frosting recipes but they were all too sweet. I am a cream cheese frosting/cool whipp-y texture kinda girl. And they all were way too heavy for me, especially when you are trying to decorate with them!

So here is where YOU all come in.......do you make homemade frosting? If so, is it yummy and non-sickening-sweet? ;-) You need to share your recipe with me, so I can continue make frugal birthday cakes......and now they can be ones that I myself would actually eat.
Help a girl out, won't ya?!

5 comments:

  1. Sarah,

    My mom used to make the most PERFECTLY light whipped cream frosting. I am planning to make it for Susie's first birthday cake. However, I'm waiting for my sister in law to send me the recipe (she has it). I will happily post! Now, it's pretty whippy, so if you want to decorate shapes and things, you wouldn't be able to do an Ace of Cakes type cake with this.

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  2. I would be very interested in getting your results. I have always hated frosting. I used to beg my mom not to put frosting on my birthday cakes as a kid. She would laugh and refuse because everyone else likes frosting. I made something about a year ago but like Gretchen it was very whippy and would not be a decorator type of frosting. I cannot find the recipe to post though.
    Holly Cary

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  3. I make frosting too, but it's the basic butter, powdered sugar, milk type that's probably too sweet that my grandma taught me!

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  4. Sarah -- ok, here it is. I recall my mom making this for almost every childhood birthday. In fact, this is what I thought frosting was, and was disappointed as I went through life discovering that most of the world makes overly sicky sweet frosting. :) So, despite the list of ingredients, believe me, this frosting is LIGHT and WHIPPY. Not thick, heavy, over sugary. I am making it this week for Susie's birthday cake (holding back tears!!! Can't believe it already!!!), so I'll let you know how it turns out.

    4 T. Flour, 1 c. milk, 1 c. sugar, 1 c. margarine or butter, 1 t. vanilla

    Note: I'm not sure of this first word. It looks like Shake, but it doesn't really make sense...

    "Shake" flour and milk and cook together until very thick. Cool in fridge till chilled. Whip sugar and butter together for 15 minutes scraping sides of bowl often. (Sugar mixture will be nearly white) Add flour mixture and vanilla to sugar mixture and mix well.

    Note that is written in my book from "Mom B"
    ~I got this recipe when I was in Jr. High at Woodward High School in Cincinnati. It became the traditional birthday frosting at our house. For Nate's first birthday I used this frosting tinted yellow to frost a little bear cake. He licked the beaters for the first time!!

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  5. Thanks Gret! I will have to try it.

    Holly, I was the same way. I NEVER ate frosting as a child!

    Heather, I think I have the same recipe. My mom always used it. lol. I have never tried cutting out some of the sugar....maybe that would help?

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