Wilton Buttercream Icing

adapted from: Wilton

4 cups (1 pound) powdered sugar
1 cup shortening
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 - 4 tablespoons water

Cream shortening and vanilla until smooth.
Add powdered sugar one cup at a time and water until desired consistency is reached.
Beat well.

Hershey's Perfectly Chocolate Frosting

Source: Hershey's

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
2/3 cup HERSHEY'S Cocoa
3 cups powdered sugar
1/3 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Melt butter.
Stir in cocoa.
Alternately add powdered sugar and milk, beating to spreading consistency.
Add small amount of additional milk, if needed.
Stir in vanilla.

Coconut Buttercream Icing

4 cups (1 pound) powdered sugar
1 stick of butter (room temperature)
2 - 4 tablespoons milk (or any other liquid of choice)
2 teaspoons coconut extract

Beat butter and coconut extract until smooth.
Add powdered sugar one cup at a time and milk until desired consistency is reached.
Beat well.
Frost cupcakes.
Dip frosted tops in flaked coconut.

Vanilla Buttercream Icing

2–4 cups powdered sugar
2 sticks of butter (room temperature)
4 - 6 tablespoons water (or any other liquid of choice)
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract 

Cream butter and vanilla in the bowl of a stand mixer on medium speed for about 3 to 5 minutes until smooth and whipped. With the mixer on low, add powdered sugar one cup at a time and water (or any other liquid) one tablespoon at a time until desired consistency is reached. Beat well until combined.

Marshmallow Icing

1 stick butter (room temperature)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups powdered sugar
7 oz. container of marshmallow fluff

Cream together butter and vanilla until fluffy.
Add powdered sugar and beat well.
Add marshmallow fluff and beat until combined.

Cream Cheese Icing

1 8oz. block cream cheese (room temperature)
1 stick butter (room temperature)
5 - 6 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Cream together cream cheese, butter, and vanilla.
Add powdered sugar one cup at a time.
Beat well.
Store in refrigerator.

Whoopie Pies

I was recruited to make something for the church bake sale by my mother-in-law. She told me to make something easy, but as everyone knows, I don't do easy. I wanted to do a trial run before the actual bake sale since I have never made whoopie pies. I had been eying a bunch of whoopie pie recipes and I came across this one when I was flipping through the Good Housekeeping: The Great Bake Sale Cookbook while I was at Barnes & Noble one night last week. This recipe looked pretty easy and it was. I followed the recipe exactly. These were delicious and will hopefully "WOW" my mother-in-law and sell out at the bake sale next weekend.

Recipe from: Good Housekeeping