I am definitely more about the cake or cookie than the icing. Less is more for me. But, my frosting of choice is buttercream.
While working with Mike Holt, Town Historian, on a new project...a Greenwood Recipe Book, as a start, I have been going through my mother's recipe box, unearthing all those yummy recipes shared with her from others in Greenwood. What I noticed was she has a lot of buttercream recipes. But, the one card that looks the most "loved" was Mary Mullins. I know that is the one she always handed me when I was making a cake or cupcakes.
I also know that many others in my family, in Greenwood and out, used Mary's recipe for American Buttercream. My sister Joan is famous here in our Virginia community for baking Mary's sour cream cookies topped with this icing. She makes 100s and 100s every year for all kinds of events. And, I admit, I still use this recipe when I bake Mary's sour cream cookies, too.
I learned to decorate cakes from my mother and Aunt Anna Marie as well as from a Girl Scout mom in Andover. Our troop chose cake decorating for our troop only badge when I was about 10 years old, I think. I still have my bag, the tips and a rose wheel she gave me. I used those and other tips from my mom's box to make cakes and special cookies for many while I was in high school. I even made my friend, Arlene's, wedding cake in my early twenties...all using Mary's American Buttercream recipe.
However, over time, I have found that some of the other options offered throughout the world and used by many professional and at home bakers are wonderful too. As I continued to make cakes, cookies, etc. for my family and friends, I started drifting toward meringue based frostings.
Who can pass up a Swiss or Italian meringue buttercream. They use egg whites and are really smooth and not quite as sweet as our American version. Stop short of adding the butter to the recipe and you have meringue. They do however take a bit more time and effort to make.
The French use egg yolks. While it is still great for cakes and piping, it is never pure white. This is perfect for filling macarons. Yum, I love me a great macaron! Let us not forget the German Buttercream. It begins as a pastry cream before adding the butter to transform it into frosting.
Here is a LINK to my Buttercream Guide https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Y_3Is0lAJ7Xj1oD1sLlVYnr8GJF_W8BT/view?usp=drive_link
I grew up on Mary's American Buttercream and have to say, most of the time, it is the recipe I fall back on and use. How about you?