Brrrrr! It's cold outside. Christmas is over. I am ready for spring. I have never liked cold weather. Growing up, Mother would send my brothers and me outside to get us out of her hair. Each of them had on a jacket, toboggan, boots and gloves. I was shrouded in a sweater, “ski pants,” heavy coat, toboggan, big scarf, boots and mittens. That made me the last one out the door.

My brothers delighted in all the winter sports. I shivered my way through some of them. With weak ankles, I couldn't ice skate. Riding a sled downhill, scared the bejebbers out of me. “Can I come back in?” would be my tearful refrain. “I'm cold.”

So what does that have to with frosting on a cake? Absolutely nothing! But it is cold outside. Frost- frostings. Do you get it? Maybe not.

Most cake icings require confectioner's sugar, powdered sugar to me. Some require cream cheese or are cooked up like fudge. I have about a dozen frosting recipes.

I remember the first time I tasted frosting made with granulated sugar and margarine. I was amazed that there was no powdered sugar in it. It was back about 1950. Visiting my Aunt Vera, she served up a cake frosted with that marvelous dreamy stuff! It tasted like whipped cream, but it wasn't. I haven't made it in a few years. It's time I did, so here we go!

MOCK WHIPPED CREAM FROSTING

2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 cup water
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup margarine or butter
1 teaspoon vanilla or almond flavoring

Combine cornstarch and water in a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook until thickened, stirring constantly. Cool to room temperature, but not cold. Using a stand mixer, cream margarine, sugar and flavoring until well mixed. Add cooled cornstarch mixture. Beat until it becomes thickened and smooth like whipped cream. It will take awhile, five minutes or more. This makes enough frosting to fill and cover a three layer cake. Refrigerate any leftover cake.