• unsalted butter
• shortening
• vanilla extract
• half & half
• powdered sugar

1. In a stand mixer, cream equal parts of butter and shortening.
2. Add vanilla.
3. Alternate adding a splash of half & half and a cup of powdered sugar.
4. The consistency to achieve for decorating cakes is a "stiff" frosting.
5. If you can invert your batter bowl with a spatula or spoon suspended in the frosting without it falling out, you've hit the stiff consistency.

Tonight, in preparation for a cupcake party my friend and I are hosting on Friday, I make a few batches of buttercream frosting and festively colored them. The buttercream frosting recipe I made doesnt really have exact measurements... I just go by the texture or stiffness to determine if its done. Here is what I used: