Podcast-Inspired
Tuesday Buttercream
The frosting that never waited for birthdays. Some recipes are saved for celebrations. This one was saved for Tuesdays. It’s the buttercream that found its way onto cupcakes after school, “just because” cakes, and spoons sneaked from the mixing bowl when no one was looking. It’s rich without being overly sweet, fluffy without feeling heavy, and has just enough almond to make people stop after the first bite and ask, “What is that?” If you’ve only ever had grocery store frosting, this is about to ruin you—in the very best way.
Prep time
15
Cook time
0
Serves
24
the story behind it
Maybe it’s my sweet tooth talking, but if I died right now, I’d want this buttercream waiting on the other side.
Frankly, it’s on my last meal list for when I eventually lose all my marbles.
This isn’t the frosting you scrape off the cake because it’s “too sweet.” This is the frosting people politely cut around until no one’s looking… and then they go back with a spoon. It’s light, buttery, unapologetically almond-forward, and just sweet enough to remind you that life has its moments.
I’ve made this recipe more times than I could ever count. Birthday cakes, baby showers, holidays, random Tuesdays when someone needed cheering up—it has shown up for all of them. Somewhere along the way, it became less of a frosting and more of a family tradition.
The secret has never been fancy ingredients. It’s butter-flavored Crisco for stability, real unsalted butter for richness, homemade vanilla because the bottled stuff just isn’t the same, and enough almond extract that you’ll catch yourself closing your eyes after the first bite. It doesn’t scream almond. It whispers it in the best way.
If you know me, you know I’ll happily eat a spoonful straight from the mixing bowl before a single cupcake gets frosted. No shame. In fact, I highly recommend it.
So if you’re making a cake for someone you love—or for yourself because surviving another week deserves celebrating—this is the buttercream I hope you choose.
Some people have comfort foods.
I have comfort frosting. 🤍
Ingredients
- * 1 cup butter-flavored Crisco * 1 cup unsalted butter
- softened * 2 pounds (about 8 cups) powdered sugar
- sifted * 2–3 tablespoons heavy whipping cream * 2 teaspoons homemade vanilla extract * 1½ teaspoons almond extract (don’t be shy—this is the star) * 1 teaspoon butter flavoring * Pinch of fine sea salt
Instructions
- 1
1. In a large mixing bowl
- 2
beat the softened butter and butter-flavored Crisco together until light
- 3
creamy
- 4
and completely smooth (about 3–5 minutes). 2. Add the homemade vanilla
- 5
almond extract
- 6
butter flavoring
- 7
and salt. Mix until combined. 3. Gradually add the powdered sugar
- 8
about one cup at a time
- 9
mixing on low until incorporated before adding more. 4. Pour in the heavy whipping cream one tablespoon at a time until the frosting reaches a silky
- 10
spreadable consistency. 5. Beat on medium-high speed for another 4–5 minutes until the buttercream becomes light
- 11
fluffy
- 12
and almost whipped. 6. Taste. If you’re like us
- 13
add another tiny splash of almond extract. We always leaned a little heavy on the almond.
from the Pretty & Painful kitchen — prettyandpainfulpodcast.com
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