The Quest

Did you ever taste a dish at a restaurant or bakery and decide that you wanted to recreate that dish at home?


As many of my blog readers know, my family moved from NY to MN in the summer of 2006. There were many NY foods that cannot be found here in MN: Drakes products (Yodels, Drakes Cakes, Devil Dogs), fabulous pizza, hard rolls. One of the items we miss the most is our birthday cakes. You see, there was a FABULOUS bakery in Poughkeepsie called The Pastry Garden. They had the most delicious buttercream frosting!!! So, since I've moved and they won't ship cakes (yes, I called), my quest has been to recreate Pastry Garden's Buttercream Frosting.


I am proud to say that after almost 2 years of trying, I have found a most delicious Pastry Garden-like frosting. I am going to share this awesome recipe with all my blog readers.


Best Buttercream Frosting EVER

1 stick Crisco
2 sticks unsalted butter, left at room temperature overnight
5 cups confectioner's sugar
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 tsp pure lemon extract
6 oz. whipping cream


Using your mixer (I have a Kitchen Aid stand mixer), whip the Crisco and unsalted butter at high speed for 5 minutes.


Slowly add the confectioner's sugar one cup at a time.


Add the salt, vanilla extract and lemon extract


Add the whipping cream.


Mix on high for at least 5 minutes until very fluffy.




I used this frosting on white cupcakes filled with lemon pie filling. I found that the icing tastes better when made the day before serving.


Since there is butter and whipping cream in the recipe, please refrigerate your leftover frosting and cakes.


I hope you give it a try......it really is delicious!!!!