Rolled Buttercream Makes Icing Cutout Sugar Cookies A Breeze

Social media can act as a well of inspiration, inciting people to cook new dishes, go to new places, and even decorate more baked goods. Unfortunately, decorating cutout sugar cookies with precision is one of those activities that always seems easier for strangers on the internet. Perhaps you've had your fair share of baking fails trying to recreate the intricately iced sugar cookies you saw on TikTok, but that's probably just because you haven't heard about rolled buttercream.

While most of us recognize buttercream as a light and fluffy frosting that can be quite difficult to manipulate, rolled buttercream has a different texture entirely. Made without the addition of liquids, it's a thick, almost doughy type of buttercream that can be rolled out smooth and shaped using cookie cutters or molds, much like fondant.

Depending on the mixture's thickness, some recipes may require the rolled buttercream to set in the fridge or freezer before being dusted with cornstarch (to prevent sticking) and rolled out. This is similar to another baking practice, in which traditional buttercream is spread between two pieces of parchment paper, rolled out to the desired thickness, and frozen until solid and malleable. Because this method produces a stickier icing, however, it doesn't lend to the same polished look as traditional rolled buttercream.

Once the cookies are baked and the buttercream has been rolled flat, icing cutout sugar cookies quite literally couldn't be easier. You need only press the same cookie cutter shape you used to make the cookies into the buttercream. This will produce perfect cutouts of icing that can be laid directly on top of your cookies. If you want to take your cookie decorating up yet another notch, you can even roll two differently colored buttercreams together to create a marbling effect or otherwise mold, stencil upon, or layer the rolled buttercream to create any look you desire.

The versatility and polished appearance rolled buttercream brings to the cookie decorating game has made it a favorite among influencers and home bakers. Some have even pointed out that with rolled buttercream, you don't have to forfeit the delicious frosting flavor as you do with fondant. "Rolled buttercream is the best!" one home baker wrote in a Reddit comment on r/cookiedecorating. "You get the flavor of buttercream with the moldability of fondant."