Mary Hardman's Frosting and Filling Recipes

Mary Hardman's Frosting and Filling Recipes

Basic
1 cup butter
4 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp flavoring
4 T milk or cream
(can be used as filling)

Decorator's Basic
1/2 cup butter
8 cups powdered sugar
2 tsp. butter flavor
2/3 cups water
2 cups Crisco (do not substitute)

Chocolate
Use basic recipe, substitute 3 1/2 cups powdered sugar, 1/2 cup cocoa powder, 5-6 T milk or cream.

Cream Cheese Icing
Use 4 oz. cream cheese and 1/2 cup butter

All recipes - soften butter to room temperature

Filling variations to basic recipe- Add shredded coconut; zest of lemons, oranges, or limes; add caramel topping; cool whip; add raspberry or strawberry filling mixture.

Raspberry or Strawberry Filling
1 box raspberry or strawberry junket
1 cup water

Place in small pot on medium heat, stir until it boils, take off heat and add 6 ounces of frozen strawberries or raspberries; stir until raspberries dissolve - mixture should be the consistency of jam.  Add Ice cubes if it is too thick- stir, remove any partially dissolved cubes.

Mary Hardman's Cake Decorating 101

Baking Tips

• Decrease the temperature listed on the box or cookbook cake recipes by 25 degrees
• Cook cupcakes at the recommended temperature
• Slightly cool cakes in the freezer before cutting
• Trim cakes before assembling layers together
• Cut any "tops off" of the cake - cake surfaces should be completely flat
• Place "to be decorated cake" on separate board than the final serving platter - trim board to fit the cake exactly.
• Make and icing "well" between icing cake layers before adding filling to avoid seepage
• Crumb-coat the cake if possible, thin layer of icing.

Frosting the Cake Tips

• Beginning on the top of the cake; spoon ample portion of butter cream frosting.  
• Begin spreading frosting with a metal spatula, avoid touching raw cake with the spatula.
• Spread ample portions of frosting onto the sides of the cake - using a turn table will help.
• Smooth iced cake with a metal spatula, removing any excess frosting.
• Use metal spatula dipped in hot water to smooth the sides
• Move iced cake to stand or display plate to decorate.

Decorating Tips

• Star tube 13-22: Borders, shells, rosettes, stars
• Round tube 1-12: writing, dots, hearts, scrolls, cornell lace, pearls, figure piping
• Leaf Tube 65-67, 349-352: leaves, stand up ruffles
• Rose tube 101-104: Roses, ruffles, sweet peas