Crisco is a popular ingredient used in icing and frosting recipes. It is a vegetable shortening made from soybean and palm oils. When included in icing or frosting, Crisco serves several purposes:
- It helps create a smooth, creamy texture
- It enhances the flavor
- It improves the consistency and stability of the icing
- It contributes to a bright white color
- It helps the icing hold its shape and not melt quickly
Understanding what role Crisco plays in icing and frosting can help bakers get the best results when decorating cakes and other baked goods. Below is more detail on how Crisco affects icing properties and performance.
Provides a Smooth, Creamy Texture
One of the main reasons to use Crisco in icing and frosting is for its ability to create a smooth, creamy texture. Crisco is 100% fat, giving it a soft and spreadable consistency. When creamed with sugar and other icing ingredients, Crisco develops a light, airy texture that is easy to pipe or spread.
The creamy nature of Crisco allows the icing to coat cakes and cupcakes evenly in a thin layer. It also enables the icing to hold swirled or peaked shapes for decorating. Icing made with Crisco is described as smooth, velvety, and melt-in-your-mouth. The fat content gives a rich mouthfeel without being overly greasy or oily.
Comparison to Butter
Butter is sometimes used in icing as an alternative to Crisco. However, butter contains milk solids and water, giving it a firmer consistency. Icing made with butter alone can turn out heavy, stiff, and greasy. The texture is not as smooth and fluffy as icing made with Crisco.
For the lightest, creamiest icing texture, Crisco is the better choice over butter. However, some bakers prefer to use a combination, creaming Crisco and butter together. This provides the airy texture from the Crisco along with the rich flavor of butter.
Enhances the Flavor
In addition to impacting texture, Crisco also enhances the flavor of icing and frosting. On its own, Crisco has a neutral taste that blends well with sugars and extracts. It provides a blank canvas, allowing the other icing ingredients to shine.
Crisco has a clean, light taste compared to more distinct fats like butter or lard. This prevents it from competing with vanilla, almond, lemon, or other flavorings. Crisco also aerates the icing as it creams, allowing the sweetness of the sugar to come through.
Without strong competing flavors, Crisco gives icing a well-rounded sweetness. There is nothing to detract from the pure sugary taste, which is heightened by the creamy mouthfeel. Crisco also lets other ingredients like chocolate or fruit purees contribute their signature flavors.
Masks Egg Flavors
Some icing recipes call for egg whites or yolks to add structure. However, eggs can sometimes give icing an overly eggy flavor. Crisco is able to mask unpleasant egg tastes because of its neutral properties. It provides the right backdrop for eggs to provide stability without overpowering the overall flavor.
Improves Consistency and Stability
In addition to texture and taste, Crisco also improves the consistency and stability of icing. Icing needs to hold its shape well without becoming runny. Crisco has unique properties to prevent icing from becoming too thin or melting rapidly.
Prevents Thinning
One advantage of Crisco is that it does not liquefy at room temperature like butter does. Butter contains a percentage of water and milk proteins that soften as they warm. This can cause butter-based icing to loosen up, drip, and become thin.
On the other hand, Crisco maintains a thick, stable consistency at normal temperatures. This allows the icing to better cling to the cake without becoming runny. Crisco’s stability makes it less prone to thinning compared to other fats.
Controls Moisture Absorption
Crisco also minimizes how much moisture the icing absorbs, which can lead to softening and melting. Icings based on sugar and water will readily take in ambient moisture from the air. But Crisco’s hydrophobic fat structure acts as a barrier against moisture.
This moisture control allows the icing to retain its spreadable texture without becoming watery. Crisco slows down the dissolution of sugar crystals and prevents weeping. This gives the icing a longer shelf life and lets it set up into a drier, firmer consistency.
Withstands Heat
The high melting point of Crisco also prevents icing from melting when exposed to heat. Butter or milk-based icings can get soft and loose shape in warm environments. But Crisco-based icing is more heat-stable and will hold up better on cakes displayed outdoors or under hot lighting conditions.
The stability of Crisco gives icing the right consistency for decorating cakes or piping designs. It adheres well to cake surfaces without running off and maintains its structure for clean lines and sharp edges.
Contributes to Bright White Color
In addition to texture and consistency, Crisco also impacts the appearance of icing. It can produce an icing with a bright white color when creamed with confectioner’s sugar. This whiteness makes it ideal as a blank canvas for decorating with colored icings.
The lack of milk solids in Crisco prevents the slightly yellow hue found in butter-based icings. Confectioner’s sugar also contains cornstarch which helps whitens the icing. The air bubbles whipped into the Crisco also contribute to a white appearance by scattering and reflecting light.
This bright white color gives icing visual appeal when used as borders or decorative accents. It provides contrast against cakes in vibrant colors or decadent chocolate. Crisco gives icing a clean, fresh look reminiscent of snow or whipped cream.
Complementary Colors
The white background provided by Crisco icing allows other colors to stand out more. Extracts, juices, or food gels are often added to tint icing pale pink, yellow, green, or other pastel shades. These colors pop against Crisco’s whiteness.
Darker hues like black, navy, or crimson also look striking piped onto pure white Crisco icing. The colors appear richer and more saturated against the white background. Crisco allows the dyes or natural colors to shine at their maximum intensity.
Holds Shape Without Melting
One challenge when decorating cakes is preventing delicate icing accents from melting, running, or losing shape in warm conditions. The heat stability and moisture control of Crisco prevents icing from becoming too soft or fluid.
Crisco allows piped icing decorations, borders, and letters to retain their shape better compared to icings made with alternative fats. Details like flowers, leaves, and scrollwork are less likely to flatten out or bleed together.
Stiff peaks of icing swirled using a piping bag also hold up longer when Crisco is used. The icing keeps its sharp points rather than drooping into blunt mounds. Crisco gives icing the structure to maintain these three-dimensional shapes.
Stays Firm On Cakes
Crisco icing also adheres well to cake surfaces without sliding off in warm temperatures. Buttercreams or ganache can start to liquefy on cake tops and drip down the sides. But Crisco icing stays firmer and does not readily separate from cakes.
This allows cakes to remain attractively iced and decorated for outdoor weddings, markets, and summer events. The icing retains its smooth appearance rather than taking on a melted look. Crisco’s stability keeps cakes looking pristine on display.
Common Types of Crisco Icing
There are several common icing varieties that typically include Crisco as a key ingredient:
Buttercream Icing
Buttercream is one of the most popular icings for decorating cakes and cupcakes. It whips Crisco and butter together with confectioner’s sugar and milk or cream. Buttercream is light, creamy, and spreadable for frosting or piping.
Royal Icing
Royal icing relies solely on Crisco for its fat content. It is made by beating Crisco with egg whites and confectioner’s sugar. Royal icing dries very hard, allowing intricate piping details that hold their shape.
Fluffy White Icing
Also called seven minute icing, this is made by whisking hot sugar syrup into stiffly beaten Crisco and egg whites. It makes a light, billowy icing perfect for decorating or filling layer cakes.
Cream Cheese Icing
Cream cheese gives this icing tangy flavor to complement sweet cake layers. It is made by beating cream cheese with Crisco, milk, and confectioner’s sugar.
| Icing Type | Main Ingredients | Texture | Uses |
|---|---|---|---|
| Buttercream | Crisco, butter, confectioner’s sugar, milk/cream | Smooth, creamy | Frosting cakes, piping decorations |
| Royal Icing | Crisco, egg whites, confectioner’s sugar | Stiff, hardens fully | Outlining, piping, accents |
| Fluffy White | Crisco, egg whites, hot sugar syrup | Light, billowy | Filling and frosting cakes |
| Cream Cheese | Cream cheese, Crisco, milk, sugar | Creamy, tangy | Filling for cupcakes and cakes |
Tips for Using Crisco in Icing
Here are some helpful tips for baking and decorating with Crisco-based icing:
- Allow icing to reach room temperature before use so it spreads smoothly.
- Cream the Crisco well with other ingredients for a light and fluffy texture.
- Add milk, juice, or extracts slowly to reach the ideal spreading or piping consistency.
- Use powdered colors for the most vivid, eye-catching hues.
- Pipe thicker borders and decorations so they hold their shape better.
- Refrigerate iced cakes until serving to help icing set up firmer.
- Keep leftover icing covered tightly to prevent drying out or absorbing odors.
- Consider adding meringue powder for extra-stable royal icing that dries hard.
Following these guidelines will help you get the most out of Crisco for decorating beautiful, creative cakes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is Crisco better than butter in icing?
Crisco provides a lighter, fluffier texture than all-butter icing. It also whitens the icing, improves stability, prevents thinning, and holds shape better than icing made with just butter.
Does Crisco need to be refrigerated?
No, Crisco has a long shelf life at room temperature. Unlike butter, it does not require refrigeration. Storing it at room temp makes it easier to use.
What is the difference between Crisco and shortening?
Crisco is a brand name for a vegetable shortening product made from soybean and palm oils. So Crisco is a type of vegetable shortening.
Can you use oil instead of Crisco in icing?
Oil does not provide the same stability as Crisco, and the icing may turn out thin. For best results, stick with using solid Crisco as the fat source.
Is Crisco healthy to use in icing?
While Crisco is not the healthiest choice, it can be used in moderation in icing recipes. Limiting portion sizes and frequencies of treats with Crisco icing is recommended.
Conclusion
Crisco is a staple ingredient in icing and frosting recipes. It contributes to a light and creamy texture, balanced sweet flavor, bright white color, and excellent consistency for decorating cakes. Crisco prevents icing from becoming runny and allows piped designs hold their shape better. While high in saturated fat, it can be used moderately to create decadent icing. Understanding Crisco’s effects helps bakers get the most out of their icing.