When I used to bake and decorate wedding and birthday cakes, I would use different types of frosting depending on who was eating the cake. Most wedding cakes were frosted in egg based recipes such as Italian or French meringue but for children’s cakes or cupcakes I usually frost cakes in American buttercream frosting. Made with powdered sugar, butter, vanilla, and milk, this is a basic, easy recipe for classic vanilla buttercream frosting. This frosting works great for spreading on cakes, cupcakes, and/or for decorating. Some frosting recipes will call for shortening. Although you could easily substitute some of the butter for shortening, your frosting will taste greasy. But if you must have a true bright white frosting or need to stabilize it, shortening and clear vanilla extract flavoring would work fine. I prefer using all butter and occasionally substituting the vanilla extract for other flavors such as almond, coconut, milk, or lemon. The color of the buttercream is slightly off white but the taste of whipped buttery frosting makes it entirely worth it. Also, the frosting can be easily tinted with food paste gel or food coloring.
It’s important to note that when preparing a batch of frosting you adjust the consistency of the buttercream for what you plan on using it for. The easiest way to do this is by adjusting the amount of milk you use. The less milk you pour in, the more stiff your frosting will be. And if you pour in too much milk, you can always add more sifted powdered sugar to stiffen it right back up. I for one prefer a medium (somewhat soft but slightly stiff) consistency when spreading on a cake. But for piping and decorative work, I prefer a stiffer consistency so the different edges of my piping tips will show clearly. The tip I used in the picture above is a #32. As you can see, I piped it in 3 different styles using the same tip.
This recipe is very forgiving. The amounts of milk and powdered sugar you use can be adjusted for what you need. The only important suggestion I would recommend is to make sure you sift your powdered sugar before adding it to the butter. This will insure your frosting is smooth and without small sugar clumps.
If you’re looking for a classic vanilla buttercream recipe, look no further. Enjoy!
**I am also soliciting cake tutorial requests – just leave them in the comment section below**
* Many of you have asked about how much frosting you need to make for cakes and cupcakes. Here’s an informative link from Baking 911 with a useful chart giving approximate frosting amounts depending the cake size. Also, as far as cupcakes are concerned there is no standard answer. Some people like to decorate with very little frosting on the cupcakes and others like to pipe them skyscraper high which would require way more frosting per cupcake. For decorating cupcakes, the amount of frosting you need is according to how much frosting you would like to use.
**Someone emailed me wanting to know what tool I use to sift the powdered sugar. I just buy a round metal mesh strainer available at any grocery store and use a spoon to stir the sugar against the metal mesh. Hope this helps.**
*** Tips for success: Use unsalted butter. Different brands of butter have varied levels of salt content in salted butter. Some people have commented that their buttercream was too salty. This is due to the brand of butter you use. Some brands will be vary salty and others not so much. Therefore I have changed the recipe to reflect unsalted butter.
The texture of the butter makes a BIG difference. If your buttercream is runny or thin, this is due to the texture of the butter which I’m assuming some of you may have microwaved to get it softened. When you microwave butter like this, you run the risk of melting the butter which will make your frosting runny and grainy. Ideally you want your butter to be soft enough to whip with a mixer or beater but not so soft it will melt. The texture should be similar to ice cream, soft enough to scoop but firm enough to hold it’s shape.
Related post: How to Frost a Cake
| Classic Vanilla Buttercream Frosting |
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- 1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks or 1/2 pound), softened (but not melted!) Ideal texture should be like ice cream.
- 3-4 cups confectioners (powdered) sugar, SIFTED
- 1/4 teaspoon table salt
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- up to 4 tablespoons milk or heavy cream
- Beat butter for a few minutes with a mixer with the paddle attachment on medium speed. Add 3 cups of powdered sugar and turn your mixer on the lowest speed (so the sugar doesn’t blow everywhere) until the sugar has been incorporated with the butter. Increase mixer speed to medium and add vanilla extract, salt, and 2 tablespoons of milk/cream and beat for 3 minutes. If your frosting needs a more stiff consistency, add remaining sugar. If your frosting needs to be thinned out, add remaining milk 1 tablespoons at a time.
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Hmmm, looks delish. Question: I’ve seen a lot of these buttercream frosting recipes and they all call for a mixer with paddle attachment. What could you use instead of a paddle if you are in the unfortunate position of not owning one (or knowing anyone who owns one)?
Caitlan:
If you don’t have a stand mixer, a hand mixer will do. If you don’t have a hand mixer it will be hard to cream the butter nice and fluffy. Although mixing by hand is harder, it can be done. Just mix the butter until creamy and add a little powdered sugar at a time. When I was a kid, I used to make frosting by hand, delicious.
Delicious! Wow – I only have ever added milk and never thought about adding heavy cream. That just sounds wonderful!
I tried this frosting…I love it! While the frosting only has three components it’s significant to prepare certain and use the best butter and vanilla. I also like to add caramelized bananas (let them cool before adding), orange zest or chocolate to mine to provide it a new twist.
Best Regards,
You’ve made making frosting look like some sort of ethereal experience. Love the pictures. Now trying to come up with excuse for making it.
I love buttercream frosting. Your photos of it are beautiful, and now I’m drooling here….
Considering all the chocolate recipes I develop and blog about, vanilla really is my true calling. Give me a golden cake with vanilla buttercream and I can call it a day. Lovely piping there too Alice!
I’ll have to try this one. I’ve been experimenting with vanilla buttercreams and haven’t found my favorite. Magnolia Bakeries Chocolate buttercream is my hands down favorite frosting… and I don’t love chocolate.
I think I’ll just eat the whole bowl with a spoon!
YUM! I’ve been making a lot of frostings recently and this classic recipe is my favorite. I’m going to try a new sugar cookie recipe this weekend, but stick with this for the frosting.
Great timing — I’m baking a lemon layer cake for some newly engaged friends this weekend. This frosting will be perfect with a bit of lemon zest!
Happy Friday Alice!
A great way to start the weekend…with frosting! I’d love to hear about all your cake experiences if you’d like to share! From frosting to fondant to favorite cake go-to recipes and fillings, and I’d love to hear about your favorite cake EVER. This frosting looks delish!
Hi Aileen,
I’m going to be doing more tutorials on cake decorating using buttercream and fondant. Stay tuned!
This is pretty much the recipe I use! When I have to have white frosting, I use all shortening and add a tablespoon of meringue powder to the recipe, which takes away the greasy mouth-feel that shortening usually gives. Have you ever tried creme bouquet for the flavoring? I buy an emusion from a local cake shop but here’s a link for something similar http://www.amazon.com/CK-Products-Artificial-Bouquet-Enhancer/dp/B002GJJR34/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=home-garden&qid=1268438792&sr=8-1 It’s my favorite flavoring for white frosting. I call it “wedding cake flavoring” b/c that’s what it makes frosting taste like–wedding cake!
Love the new spring look!
Buttercream frosting….i can die for this one. Never made it at home though. Fabulous pics!
Thanks for the recipe, I have tried several but have never found one that “clicks.” Can’t wait to try this one!
How great to get a real recipe from a cake pro – I always wing it with frosting, and probably shouldn’t! thanks for the buttercream primer!
love this recipe. I usually add instant coffee diluted in a tsp of water in this for that scrumptious coffee flavor. Hey how about sharing a mousse cake recipe, you the ones with layers of cake and mousse,that you make in a push up pan..have been dying to make one!!
Nicely done. Great photos!
Hi,
I LOVE this recipe – it’s the recipe I’ve used for years – and I use the heavy cream if I have it on hand, it makes it much creamier. I’m just so not a fan of the meringue style buttercream frostings. Every time I make it people just rave and rave about how good it is, if they only knew how amazingly simple it is!
Love it! Lately I have been experimenting with different ways to jazz up my butter cream frostings. Trying different tips to make different styles on cakes and cupcakes. So far, everything is going well.
Great post alice!
I am making a 5 tier wedding cake for a friend> I am doing the buttercream frosting because I want something that tastes good and that is on the cheaper side. I have a recipe for buttercream frosting but I am looking at different ones.How many cups will this recipe make? Thanks so much
Hi Alaina,
I get about 3 cups of frosting per batch. Hope this helps.
This looks amazing! A lot better than the buttercream icing that I attempted … five sticks of butter later. Holy cow (pun intended), that is a lot of butter!
Can’t wait to try your recipe.
Yum… Your buttercream looks wonderful! Love your piping skills, too… Beautiful!
I am not a frosting fan, but maybe your recipe will change my mind:)
I’m happy to read that you’ll be doing more cake decorating tutorials. I would bake and frost birthday cakes for my family and then do not know how to decorate it save for writing the name in the middle! ;-p
Wow your piping is gorgeous! I just made and posted about simple buttercream but with vanilla seeds added in. Can’t wait for your frosting/cake tutorials.
I made this for my brother’s birthday cake today (and tinted it green, obviously ;D). It was absolutely perfect Alice!
Hi! this is just an awesome tutorials! i cant wait for more tutorials!
Alice,
I just made the icing because I am practicing for my daughter’s first birthday cake. The icing is crazy salty. Have you ever experienced this? I added the salt last because I forgot to put it in, could that have made it so salty?
Thanks,
Joey
Hi Joey,
Are you sure you added only a 1/2 teaspoon of salt and not 1/2 tablespoon? The frosting should NOT be salty.. and definitely not crazy salty. I only use salted butter in our house and even then, the frosting should not be salty. If you plan on making another batch, maybe just omit the salt all together. Hope this helps.
Alice
Was I supposed to use unsalted butter?
I like the heavy cream idea – when it comes to sweets, there is no such word as diet in my vocab. I just wish my piping came out as perfect as yours.
I’ve been looking for a good buttercream recipe! I may be using this vanilla flavor on some cupcakes soon.
How would you make this vanilla buttercream frosting into chocolate? Do you just add cocoa powder? My Mother likes chocolate frosting more than vanilla, so I’ll have to make some of the cupcakes with chocolate frosting.
try mixing it with a whole bunch of raspberries! my friends and i were making a mini wedding cake for fun and we had to stop ourselves from eating out of the bowl! incredible stuff!
If I wanted to make this a chocolate frosting, how would I do that. Or maybe there is no way to do that. These are going to be perfect for my daughters birthday! Thank you. I hope I can do them justice.
Hi Cindy,
My favorite chocolate frosting is ganache. I have a ganache recipe here. However, if you prefer to make chocolate buttercream, all you need to do is add 3/4 cup of SIFTED cocoa. Hope this helps.
If you were to use this for a wedding cake, and made the frosting stiff enough, could you get the effect of a meringue frosting (the look of ocean waves when they’re choppy)?
Just wondering because that’s what I’d like to do with mine.
Thanks!
Hi Alice,
I made your vanilla buttercream frosting this weekend and it was delicious! Easy directions, smooth creamy texture and the flavor was dynamite! Thanks for sharing! This is definitely going in my favorite recipe binder.
Hope you are having a great weekend!
-Rachel from A Cupcake for Moose
Rachel,
Thanks for including me in your blog post. I really adore your site!
I make a similar version of this icing, but I use egg whites instead of milk – fluffs it up beautifully.
4 ounces of butter (actually marjarine works a treat too – the firmer the better)
4 ounces of powdered sugar
vanilla
1 egg white
cream the butter first, then sugar, vanilla and finally the egg white and give it a good whip until it smooths out and fluffs up!
Love the blog!
I’ve been searching left and right for a simple buttercream recipe, and this looks like it’ll be the one! Thanks so much!
Now this is more like it! I’ve been confused by all the buttercream frosting recipes calling for cooking…and eggs…(just threw one I tried with an egg white out- awful/fake/greasy… This looks more classic and familiar. Thanks for the refreshing simple tips.
Why is it necessary to put salt in a frosting recipe?
Also, would the recipe be too bland using unsalted butter? (that’s all I use at home)
I made this for my dad on Father’s Day, over a spice cake, and it was delicious! The key really is to have your butter very soft (not microwaved), beat it good before adding the sugar, and sift the sugar. I used 3 1/2 cups sugar, since it tasted a little too buttery/greasy at just 3 cups (I added the half cup after having added and mixed the other ingredients). I cut the salt in half, and I used unsalted butter. Very nice flavor – creamy and not overly sweet. Everyone commented on how light it was.
Thank you for this recipe! I am making a 50th birthday cake this weekend and really am tired of the vegetable shortening recipe. Look forward to trying this out and having a new favorite recipe!
This is the BEST buttercream frosting I’ve ever tasted! Just finished putting a two layer cake together and this was the easiest, smoothest frosting I’ve ever used. I will finish decorating tomorrow, and feel confident all will turn out fabulous. My only concern is this Texas summer heat. I will be transporting in the evening to the party, will keep in the refrigerator until leaving. I can’t tell you how pleased I am to not use the shortening recipe… this recipe is simple, and delicious! Hope it will be the only one I use in the future. Thank you!!!
Your recipe looks to die for! How much does it yield?
ANSWER: Hi Miranda,
The frosting will make about 2.5-3 cups. It’s hard to give you an exact measure because the volume will be slightly different depending on how much the frosting is whipped and how much liquid was added.
What a beautiful photo and enticing words to keep us coming back. I used to eat cake as a frosting delivery vehicle. Over the years I’ve found myself switching to loving the cake and avoiding the frosting. However, this recipe has me questioning myself all over again.
I love your site and the way you engage us, the reader. Can’t wait to read more.
hi….can’t wait to try this recipe!!! quik ? please……if covering a cake with fondant, do you still use the buttercream underneath the fondant to help it stick, or is another frosting used? thx!
Hi Patty,
When using fondant, you’ll want to spread a very thin layer of buttercream or other frosting on the cake before the fondant. Not only does the frosting help the buttercream to stick, it also smooths out any lumps in the cake so the fondant will look as smooth as possible.
Alice,
I have a question about cream cheese icing, it’s basically the same, except no milk add one box of cream cheese, as I’m sure you know. My question is how different are they when it comes to decorating with buttercream and cream cheese icing?
I see that most people use buttercream and was wondering if it is better. I just love the cream cheese icing!
Please let me know!!! Thanks
I’ve made this a few times now, and I love it. It’s so versatile too! I added cocoa powder the last time for a chocolate version and it was great! I’ve this recipe and your chocolate ganache a few times and listed you as the source on my blog, so I’d love for you to check it out and give me any feedback you have–I’m a new food blogger and a novice baker, so I need all the help i can get! Thanks so much! Your site is a great resource!!!
Do you have a good white or chocolate cake recipe, also to go along with this frosting? My father’s 63rd birthday is coming up and wanted to make something for him from my heart.
Thanks so much! I love your site!
Can I add powdered chocolate to this ? If so do you have any Idea how much it would take to make it a dark rich chocolate flavor?, Or can I just keep adding some until I get it the way I want it
Hi Gail, yes you can add chocolate powder to this. Start with 2 tablespoons and add more until you get it to where you like it.
Thank You for this wonderful recipe! It tastes fantastic and is easy to decorate with. One note, I used clear vanilla to try to keep it white instead of tan-nish looking. Do you have a chocolate buttercream recipe too?
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