I’ve tested a ton of buttercream recipes in my day, but my go-to is a super simple American buttercream recipe that I’ve tweaked to my liking. I’ve used this recipe for frosting countless cakes and cupcakes and I’m a big believer that a good vanilla buttercream is something every baker should have in their recipe box. There’s nothing fancy about the way this recipe is made, but it will certainly taste like you whipped up something special!
Making sure you use a good quality vanilla extract or paste is one of the secrets to success. You can use any kind of vanilla extract or paste, but I always use bourbon vanilla (I get mine from Trader Joe’s!) to give it a rich vanilla flavor. The other secret to success? Room temperature everything. That means taking the milk and butter out and letting them come to room temperature for about a half hour to an hour before you start any mixing.
Here’s a quick video I whipped up to show you my method for making this buttercream recipe and all my tips for success:
I’ve got more recipe videos like this one + some fun cake decorating tutorials on my YouTube channel if you want to see some more! I’m always rolling out new videos, so click the subscribe button while you’re there to ensure you never miss a new one.
Vanilla Buttercream
5 from 38 votes
A rich, flavorful vanilla buttercream that is so easy to whip up, but tastes like you made something special.
2Tbspwhole milk or heavy whipping cream, room temperature
1/4tspsalt, or to taste
Instructions
With a hand mixer or paddle attachment on your stand mixer, cream the butter on medium-high until it’s creamy and light (almost white) in color. About 7 minutes.
With the mixer on low, add the sifted powdered sugar one cup at a time, scraping down after each addition and making sure each cup is fully incorporated before adding the next one.
Add vanilla, milk, and salt and mix on low for another minute until fully incorporated.
Notes
Make Ahead Tips: This buttercream can be made ahead and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to two weeks. When you’re ready to use it, bring it back to room temperature and re-whip in your stand mixer to bring back to smooth buttercream consistency.
To Make It Vegan: substitute an equal amount of vegan butter (I love Earth Balance Sticks) for the unsalted butter, use 1 Tbsp dairy-free milk instead of 2 Tbsp whole milk (my favorite is unsweetened coconut milk), and omit the salt.
To Make It Extra White: After all ingredients have been incorporated, add 1-2 tsp of Americolor Bright White or icing whitener of your choice.
Yield:This buttercream makes enough to:
Frost 12-15 cupcakes with a piping bag
Fill and crumb coat a three-layer 6-inch cake or two-layer 8-inch cake. To have enough for frosting and decorating as well, double the recipe.
There are three types of consistency for buttercream that you need to know, and each one plays a different role in cake decorating.
Medium Consistency
This is the most versatile of all consistencies. It works perfectly as a filling between layers, crumb coating, frosting a cake (especially if you want a smooth buttercream finish), and even decorating cupcakes with simple piping tips. This buttercream recipe is medium consistency as-is, so it’s super easy to spread smoothly onto cakes. To test and make sure you’ve got a medium consistency going, you should be able to dip your rubber spatula into the buttercream and it will come out with soft peaks and spread easily when you move your finger over it.
Thin Consistency
This is the perfect consistency for painting with buttercream or writing a message on your cake. To achieve it, just add 1-2 additional teaspoons of room temperature milk to thin out the buttercream.
Stiff Consistency
If you’re piping buttercream flowers, especially ones with petals that need to stand upright, you’ll need a stiff consistency. Add an extra 1/2 cup of powdered sugar per batch of the above recipe to achieve this. When you dip your rubber spatula into the frosting, it should come out with stiff peaks, but when you pipe with it, make sure it’s not so thick that you have to put a ton of extra pressure on the bag or clog the piping tip. If you’re running into these problems, fear not! You can tone it down by adding room temperature whole milk, 1 tsp at a time, until it’s just right.
The best way to distinguish frosting from buttercream is through the ingredients. While both contain powdered sugar, fat, flavouring and sometimes milk or water, frosting does not contain any butter whatsoever.
If you try whipping your butter and your frosting still has a yellowish tint, try adding a tiny bit of purple gel food coloring to frosting once it's made. It sounds crazy, but purple and yellow are opposites on the color wheel, so they cancel each other out.
Most recipes have you add a bit of milk or cream at the end. This is done to make the buttercream smooth and silky, and sometimes because the buttercream is too thick. Start with one tablespoon at a time and beat it in to see what effect it has.
This is considered one of the very difficult methods for making buttercream because the sugar syrup must be cooked to a specific temperature and then, while piping hot, poured into the whipped egg whites.
Also known as simple buttercream, American buttercream is the sweetest and easiest type of buttercream to whip up. All you have to do is beat butter until it's light and fluffy, then mix in powdered sugar (a 1:2 ratio is a safe bet), maybe some vanilla, and a splash of milk or cream.
Italian buttercream is the most stable of all the buttercreams. While American buttercream uses mostly powdered sugar and butter, both Italian and Swiss buttercreams are meringue-based and use egg whites, granulated sugar, and butter. This creates a much silkier, lighter, and not overly sweet buttercream.
If your buttercream recipe is made with all butter, it will need to be refrigerated. An all-butter recipe may melt off your cake once it's reached room temperature. If you're making a pure white buttercream with no butter and just shortening, it can stay out at room temperature for up to 2 days.
Too much sugar or not enough liquid can cause the buttercream to break or become too gritty. Using room temperature or softened butter, can also help create a smoother texture.
If you are in the UK, the consensus amongst most of the bakers I have spoken to is that Lurpac and Lidl/Aldi's own-brand equivalent are the best butter for white buttercream. They are already quite pale and whip up very white.
So, whether your buttercream is a veritable soup or just a touch runny, the answer is to cool it down. If the buttercream is thin enough to run off a spoon, refrigerate the whole bowl for 20 minutes, just until the frosting begins to harden around the edges.
Try not to overbeat the buttercream after all the ingredients have been added or you might add bubbles, which will ruin the texture of the icing. ... For the best results chill your cake and bring the icing to room temperature. You can also beat the buttercream for a few minutes to create great fluffy texture.
Introducing hot water delicately adjusts the mixture's temperature, yielding a Goldilocks consistency that's neither too stiff nor too fluid -- it's just right. So, next time you whip up a batch of buttercream, remember this nifty food hack. A few drops of boiling water can make all the difference in your buttercream.
Chill your cake first, apply the crumb coat, chill again and then frost it. If you are then piping design work, chill it again before adding the details. Keep the icing in the refrigerator when not using it, and only add cold icing to your piping bag.
Buttercream frosting can be made up to two weeks ahead and stored in the refrigerator. Just make sure you bring it to room temperature before frosting your cake.
Not only does cold, hard butter prove much tougher to work with, but it also could be the reason your buttercream frosting doesn't come together — no matter how long you keep mixing. Cold ingredients can also leave buttercream with a curdled or chunky consistency.
Address: Suite 447 3463 Marybelle Circles, New Marlin, AL 20765
Phone: +5816749283868
Job: Sales Executive
Hobby: Air sports, Sand art, Electronics, LARPing, Baseball, Book restoration, Puzzles
Introduction: My name is Jerrold Considine, I am a combative, cheerful, encouraging, happy, enthusiastic, funny, kind person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
We notice you're using an ad blocker
Without advertising income, we can't keep making this site awesome for you.
