Grocery Store Frosting

by Sabrina Snyder

Last Update:

2 Comments

24 Servings
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 0 minutes
Total Time 15 minutes
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Grocery Store Frosting is the perfect way to bring some nostalgia to your kitchen. Easy to make with only a few ingredients.

Buttercream Frosting and Cream Cheese Frosting are delicious in their own right, but sometimes you want the nostalgic taste of Grocery Store Frosting to finish your favorite Dessert Recipes. Check out all of my delicious Frosting Recipes here.

Sabrina’s Grocery Store Frosting Recipe

If you’ve ever bought a cake from your local grocery store’s bakery, then you know that their frosting has a distinct taste and texture. Ultra-sweet with a light, smooth, silky texture that you don’t get from standard buttercream. It’s richness adds a wonderful touch whether frosting White Cupcakes, Chocolate Sandwich Cookies, or cakes like Yellow Sheet Cake. Basically any cake recipe that you want an easy and rich frosting for, this is a great option. There’s variations, as well as tips to make your frosting perfect listed below.

Recipe Card

Dinner, then Dessert

Grocery Store Frosting Recipe

Grocery Store Frosting is the perfect way to bring some nostalgia to your kitchen. Easy to make with only a few ingredients.
Yield 24 Servings
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 0 minutes
Total Time 15 minutes
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Author Sabrina Snyder
Frosted and sprinkled cupcake.
PrintRate

Ingredients
 

  • 1 cup unsalted butter , softened
  • 1/2 cup vegetable shortening
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 6 cups powdered sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon blue food coloring

Instructions

  • To your stand mixer add the butter and shortening on medium speed for 2 minutes.
  • Add vanilla extract and water on the lowest speed setting until combined.
  • Add in ½ cup of powdered sugar at a time until all the powdered sugar is combined.
  • Add in blue food coloring until well mixed in.
  • Raise speed to high and beat for a full 12 minutes (do not stop early).

Nutrition

Calories: 223kcal | Carbohydrates: 30g | Protein: 0.1g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 20mg | Sodium: 2mg | Potassium: 3mg | Sugar: 29g | Vitamin A: 236IU | Calcium: 3mg | Iron: 0.02mg

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Chef’s Note

There are a couple of secrets to the ultimate creamy texture in this recipe. First, it’s essential to use softened butter. Take the unsalted butter out from the fridge 30-40 minutes before starting the recipe to let sit on the counter until fully softened. After combining all ingredients, turn the mixer to high speed and continue to beat for a full 12 minutes, and do not skimp on the timing. This adds air to the mixture for a fluffy, creamy frosting. 

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Can this be made ahead of time?

If you’re planning to make cupcakes or a cake for an event, you can make things easy by preparing the cake and frosting in advance and then decorating on the day of. This can keep well in the fridge for up to 3 weeks. After blending the ingredients, cover the mixing bowl in plastic wrap or transfer the frosting to a sealed piping bag to keep it fresh until you’re ready to frost your dessert. 

How to Store

  • Store: How long it lasts depends on whether you’ve already added it to the cake or not. Stored in an airtight container on its own, the frosting can stay good for 2-3 weeks. If you’re storing a frosted cake, it’s best to only keep it covered in the fridge for about 3 days.
  • Serve: If your leftover frosting seems less fluffy, add it back to your stand mixer and beat at high speed for a few minutes before frosting. 
  • Freeze: Before adding it to a cake, you can seal the frosting and store it in the freezer for up to 6 months. Let the frosting thaw, then beat the ingredients to help fluff up the consistency again before using. 

Variations

  • Extra creamy: Make a richer version of the frosting by using whole milk or heavy cream as the liquid ingredient. Keep in mind that adding milk or cream will give the recipe a shorter shelf life. 
  • Chocolate: For a chocolate version of the Grocery Store Frosting, add 2 tablespoons of cocoa powder for each cup of powdered sugar. Taste test, and mix in additional cocoa powder as desired for a richer chocolate flavor. 
  • Flavoring ingredients: Instead of vanilla flavoring, you can try out different kinds of flavors, like raspberry extract, almond extract, lemon juice, pumpkin spice. Select your ingredient based on the dessert that you plan to use the frosting for, and add food coloring to match your choice, like my green Easy Mint Frosting. 
Collage of homemade blue frosting in a piping bag and on cupcakes

About the Author: Sabrina Snyder

Sabrina is a professionally trained Private Chef of over 10 years with ServSafe Manager certification in food safety. She creates all the recipes here on Dinner, then Dessert, fueled in no small part by her love for bacon.

Sabrina Snyder is a professionally trained personal and private chef of over 10 years who is the creator and developer of all the recipes on Dinner, then Dessert.

She is also the author of the cookbook Dinner, then Dessert – Satisfying Meals Using Only 3, 5 or 7 Ingredients, published by Harper Collins.

She started Dinner, then Dessert as a business in her office as a lunch service for her coworkers who admired her lunches before going to culinary school and becoming a full time personal chef and private chef.

As a personal chef Sabrina would cook for families one day a week and cook their entire week of dinners. All grocery shopping, cooking and cleaning was done along with instructions on reheating. As a private chef she cooked for private parties and cooked in family homes in the evenings for families on a nightly basis after working as a personal chef during the day.

Sabrina has been certified as a ServSafe Manager since 2007 and was a longstanding member of the USPCA Personal Chef Association including being on the board of the Washington DC Chapter of Chefs in the US Personal Chef Association when they won Chapter of the year.

As a member of the community of food website creators Sabrina Snyder has spoken at many conferences regarding her experiences as a food writer including the Indulge Food Conference, Everything Food Conference, Haven Food Conference and IACP Annual Food Professionals Conference.

Sabrina lives with her family in sunny California.

See more posts by Sabrina

Dinner, then Dessert, Inc. owns the copyright on all images and text and does not allow for its original recipes and pictures to be reproduced anywhere other than at this site unless authorization is given. Read my disclosure and copyright policy. This post may contain affiliate links.

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Comments

  1. I have a question. How do I keep the original frosting from from becoming hard ?
    Does the bakery frosting stay soft or does it get hard also. If you have any info on how to keep the frosting soft, Please share..Thank you for any advice ..

    Reply

    1. To keep it from becoming hard for storing, you want to have as little air touching the frosting as possible. Use an air-tight container and if there’s a gap between the frosting and the top of the container, place a layer of clear plastic or saran wrap over the frosting first. Make sure it’s right on top, touching the frosting. Then place the air-tight lid on the container and that should help keep it soft.

      Reply