Icing help!

[Phteven]

I've replied in the other thread but....... something not too sweet which is why I like the cream cheese recipe.

Or...... how about Nextix' French Cream Icing. It's fluffy so it will give good coverage whilst not being overwhelming.

French Cream Icing

5 tblsp plain flour
1 cup milk (not sure if you can use skim milk?)
225g butter, soft
1 cup castor sugar
1 tsp vanilla essence

Whisk flour and milk together in small non-stick saucepan over low heat. Stir with whisk continually until thick and starting to boil. (mine never boil, they just seemed too thick, but I do cook them for a few minutes). Remove from heat, spread over a cold dinner plate to cool faster, stirring and turning over with a rubber spatula to speed things up a bit. Give the odd stir and turn while whipping the butter. It must be completely cool before adding to the rest of the ingredients.
Whip butter until fluffy.
Add sugar and vanilla, beat until mixture is smooth and sugar is dissolved.
Add the cooled flour mixture to the butter mixture, beat until smooth and stands in peaks.
Spread over cupcakes (makes more than enough for 24 cupcakes, maybe even 36), or use to fill and spread over the two round cakes.

Delicious! Don't be put off by the 'cooked' aspect of this icing. I think this is MUCH better than cream cheese icing. One of our friends said it tasted like ice cream, and seemed to be wondering how this ice cream icing wasn't melting at room temperature.

Both recipes found on the internet, but can't remember where!

Wilton has a snow white icing recipe. It uses vegetable shortening (cophra) not butter.
They also sell a white icing colour to whiten buttercreams.