Cake Decorator'S Frosting - cooking recipe

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups shortening (I use Crisco)
1/2 cup hot water
2 boxes confectioner powdered sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon butter flavoring (colorless perferred)
2 teaspoons colorless vanilla flavoring (regular will work but icing won't be bright white)

Preparation

Using electric mixer (prefereably not handheld), cream shortening until very soft.
Add salt, a little powdered sugar and flavorings.
Alternately add water and powdered sugar, beating on medium speed until frosting is smooth after each addition.
***Do not mix on high speed as it will cause bubbles in the finished frosting.
***NOTE: This frosting makes enough to frost a 2-layer cake with enough left to make decorative roses, etc.
for the top of the cake.
DECORATIONS: Roses, leaves and other decorations can be made by adding tasteless food coloring paste (Wilton is one brand) to the frosting.
Make decorations, place on plastic wrap on cookie sheet and cover gently with plastic wrap.
Freeze for up to 1 month.
***If you decide to freeze your frosted cake, DO NOT put the decorations on it until after you have thawed both the cake and decorations, as the colored decorations will bleed into the cake frosting when they thaw.
***Defrost cake and decorations separately and then place decorations on the cake.
VARIATIONS: For chocolate frosting, add 3 tbs powdered cocoa to the sugar mixture.
For lemon, omit butter and vanilla flavorings and add 3 tsp.
lemon extract.
COLORED FROSTINGS: Frosting can be made any color you want with tasteless food coloring, but be sure to mix well after adding the coloring.
WEDDING CAKES: Five recipes of this frosting will decorate wedding cakes as follows: top layer 6-inch cake, middle layer 14-inch cake and bottom layer 18-inch cake.
This will serve 50-60 people.