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
- 1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks or ½ pound), softened (but not melted!) Ideal texture should be like ice cream.
- 3-4 cups confectioners (powdered) sugar, SIFTED
- ¼ 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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Just finished making this frosting and I made it a chocolate BC. Have to say this has got to be the best frosting I have ever made. Just the right amount of sweetness, creamy texture. This will most definately be my go to BC frosting for now on. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe. I am making an 8 layer chocolate on chocolate cake for my son who will be coming home from a tour in Afghanistan. He is going to LOVE it!!!
This is my first time making home made BC, how did you make it chocolate? Thank you, I’m dying to try it
http://savorysweetlife.com/2011/04/chocolate-buttercream-frosting/
This is the chocolate variation of this recipe, and it is posted by the same baker/cook.
That is so awesome and sweet of you! I have a son that is only nine and I can’t imagine having him away like that. I’m sure he makes you the proudest mom in the world! I hope he absolutely LOVED the cake!!! -Danielle
I followed recipe step by step and it came out like grits, tasted absolutely gross and had no frosting texture whatsoever, sorry! But this recipe was a fail for me
You obviously can’t cook to goof up a simple recipe like this!
Seagal, that was rude.
Did you use regular sugar or powdered? That would explain it. :>)
1/4 tsp salt is WAY too much. I wish I had added it a little at a time. This was so salty I had to add an extra stick of butter and it was still too salty. I used unsalted butter, too.
1/4 tsp is WAY to much?.. Do you have some kind of super human taste buds?
I use basically the same recipe but mine doesn’t call for salt, and you can put you sugar in a bowl and gently wisk it to remove lumps if you don’t have a sifter
I’ve been using your buttercream recipe for a little while now and just used it in a Candyland Birthday Cake I did for my nephew and blogged about. I’m sending people your way to get the recipe. I use 3 cups instead of 4 then add a little if I think it’s needed. I think the key to your recipe is the salt. Thanks for all the great recipes!!!
Here’s the blog if you’d like: http://stitchnsift.wordpress.com/2012/06/06/candyland-cake-dont-count-the-calories-count-the-candy/
Your Candyland cake is absolutely gorgeous!!! I bet your nephew loved it
As far as this frosting recipe, it is great and very simple. This will be my new buttercream icing. Thank you 
Ok, this is by far the greatest buttercream frosting recipe I have ever made.
I now have used this recipe for every single cake I make for the past 3 years. This recipe never fails me – is easy to make, is delicious to eat and ALWAYS comes out perfectly no matter what you do!
mine got lumpy :c
what did i dooo wrong?
Did you sift out the icing sugar?
I love this icing! I piped it on a cookie ,and it was amazing! It’s an easy recipe to follow , so I do really love it. I recomend it to anyone looking for a yummy and quick buttercream
when i make this to make roses,my roses can’t stand….
Add more powdered sugar or use half butter and half butter flavored Crisco. That’s what I do when I am using this recipe for decorating.
hey there!
i would like to test your recipe ,but i have a question.
Can i make roses and others flowers with it?
Would it be like a normal icing or stiffen like royal icing?
I sure dont want to use royal icing.
If not what should i do to make a buttercream icing stiff enough to make flowers?
pls mail me .
thanks
anoymous
P.S theresa said she couldnt make her flowers, and i want to make flowers for my cake,
to suprise my dad on his luckey day and i dont want a failed recipe.
Alice, my daughters (11 and 9) just made this frosting, and it came out very nicely.
I have to mention, though, that you hit on a couple of my grammatical pet peeves. In the last sentence you mention the frosting “holding it’s shape”. The ONLY time there’s an apostrophe in “it’s” is when it’s a contraction of the words “it” and “is”. When it’s possessive, as in “hold its shape”, there is no apostrophe.
Also, in the first paragraph you mention some substitutions: “Although you could easily substitute some of the butter for shortening, your frosting will taste greasy. I prefer using all butter and occasionally substituting the vanilla extract for other flavors such as almond, coconut, milk, or lemon.” You CANNOT substitute butter FOR shortening, since the recipe CALLS for butter. You could substitute some of the butter WITH shortening, or substitute shortening FOR some of the butter. (Either of these means that you put in shortening FOR some of the butter that was actually called for in the recipe.)
I know, I’m a grammar Nazi, but it’s really annoying that about half of the time Americans (often even those whose livelihood is writing) use these incorrectly.
Really? You are critiquing her grammer? You must not have enough to do.
BTW you can critque my mis-spelled word now. I did not want you to have nothing else to do.
wht r u alking aboot, i c no grametical oars. Mehaps u r a Nazeee for eel. ust enoooyy tha ecing.
You CAN substitute whatever you wish for in this recipe. Just because it doesn’t CALL for it, doesn’t mean you can’t substitute something else. My mom strictly does a I guess you would call it “mock buttercream” with shortening and artificial butter flavoring and it is amazing! I honestly prefer it. Also, it holds up quite well for making roses and other flowers for decor purposes. I will try to use this recipe though and see how I like it. I’m always willing to try new recipes out. Thanks for posting this Alice
Oh Jen, a pet peeve of mine is when someone comments on a post and doesn’t read it. The author clearly says that some recipes call for shortening, she did not say that this one did. So she was right to say what she said. Reread the post and you will see your mistake.
Seriously? Go critique a restaurant or a politician.
LAME. oh sorry, ” You are lame”. Incomplete sentences? YAY!
Are you really critiquing grammar on a website dedicated to baking? You have way too much time on your hands…go bake something and relax.
Are you for real? I suggest you keep your anal grammatical issues to yourself in future as you’ve made yourself look a right pratt!
This is an article on bloody buttercream frosting!
Seriously, this is a website for baking, not grammar… And if I made any mistakes go ahead and criticize them too
good grief what are you the grammer monitor.
Jen,
You are sooooo obnoxious! Keep your stupid comments to yourself. Nobody likes people like you – you big fussy know-it-all.
Ooops……. did I make any mistakes in this writing????? Boo hoo for me if I did.
Jen, you are awesome! It does get annoying with all the grammatical mistakes I see so often, so I am glad you said something. I am not sure why people get upset about this; it seems as though they wish to remain ignorant. I welcome people to point out my grammar so that the next time I write I don’t look foolish. I like to learn from my mistakes so as not to repeat them in the future.
Anyway, this looks like a great recipe, I look forward to giving it a try. I hope it goes well with the cupcakes I plan to make! Thanks for sharing!
It may not that people wish to “remain ignorant” as maybe they don’t wish to have their defects pointed out publicly. There might be a reason that a person isn’t strong with their grammar or spelling skills, which is why it’s better to look past something like that when you don’t know the person other than online.
Pamela- I think the reason people are upset with Jen is because she really has no business hopping on someone’s free blog, where they posted a well thought out article, complete with recipe and pictures, and then was exceedingly rude. There was no place on this site for her comments. She could just go somewhere else if the little misplaced apostrophe bothered her that much. If she really wanted to point out the mistake in a polite way, she would have tried to contact the author personally, instead of writing a scathing review of her grammar. Plus, her other comments about not being able to substitute weren’t accurate. She obviously doesn’t know what she is talking about. My mother has been a professional baker for 30 years making cakes and she substitutes all the time, doing exactly what Jen says was impossible. Maybe someone just shouldn’t comment until she knows what she’s talking about.
Oh, and feel free to correct my grammar, if it bothers you that much.
Jen,
Wow. I know I’m an etiquette Nazi, but kind people gloss over small, unintended mistakes. A misplaced apostrophe isn’t worth an unkind comment, especially when someone is sharing their thoughts + recipes at no cost to you.
Feel free to correct others after you’ve taken the time to create recipes, write lengthy blog posts and snap gorgeous photos to share with perfect strangers. Once you’ve done so, flawlessly, for a few years…then feel free point out the mistakes of others.
Until then, just enjoy good content, even if it contains (GASP!) an unneeded apostrophe.
Heyy, i did this recipe for cupcakes, i did everything you said And it looked grate And tasted fantastic, all thick and fluffy but I put in the fridge for about an hour, when I took it out it looked lumpy and weird. And you didn’t say what kind of milk to use (i used low fat), this was my first time doing this recipe and my first time even making butter cream, SO my question in am I supposed to use a pacific kind of milk? And also are you not supposed to put this in the fridge? and is this lumpy consistansy fixable! Please help this needs to be done tonight
I’ve always been told (and read) that if you put your buttercream in the fridge for a while, all you need to do is throw it in your mixed (or use your hand beaters) to fluff if back up again. I’m assuming it went lumpy because things start to relax and separate. It wouldn’t be ruined though: just re-whip it! =)
Just whip it! Whip it good! When lumpy frosting comes along, you must whip it!
I still haven’t gotten an answer on how to make this cherry vanilla butter cream using cherry pie filling…do I just kinda chop up some cherries to add? Add the goop the cherries come in? I’m just not sure. Also, unrelated cupcake question…what do you do with the second tray while you’re baking the first? I have a small over. Should it go in the fridge, or is room temp okay? Thanks!
This was perfectly wonderful, ty. Just the right texture, sweetness and body. Thank you so much for sharing.
My boyfriend and I made this frosting for a brain cake for his zombie 30th birthday party yesterday, and it was FANTASTIC! We used 8 cups of sugar to help the frosting hold it’s shape, and a little less vanilla, and it was a total hit! Thanks!!!
I loved it! It is to die for! I’m making a surprise birthday cake and I know my dad is going to love the taste! Rock on! So 5 stars!
I enjoy buttercream icing, however, my family does not. I used your recipe minus the salt (didn’t see your recipe until after I made mine, but it was the same recipe sans the salt)… my husband’s comment to my son.. “it looks better than it tastes”… I guess I have used the store bought icing for so many years they have grown accustom to that. Any suggestions to help my family like home made?
Thanks,
Heather
Heather, no help here but I can sympothize with you. I was told that my family would eat my buttercream if it weren’t so fluffy. Yeah really! I bake for many people and get raves every time. My son considers an Oreo a treat. My cupcakes at home sit on the counter for days without being touched
If you figure it out let me know.
I am also nervous , I cook for a living, but Am not a baker, I couldn’t bake a pre-made cookie mix to save my life, I am really involved when I cook and like they say A chef’s kids often hit the drive thru, very true they would prefer a nasty meal from taco bell or Wendy’s versus something that I prepped for hours.. I just go with it ..so I am clueless how this event will turn out because I don’t like overly sweet And this cake has to be a hit 120 cup cakes, I can’t wait to review it…100 degrees today I am sure this should be fun.
Her alternative to milk is heavy cream so based on that, I would have used either 1/2 & 1/2 or whole milk. Low-fat separates strangely sometimes when cold. I used the heavy cream and it held perfectly in the refrigerator overnight. Give it another try sometime. It’s a great easy recipe.
Jen, im not an american .
i had no time and i was in a hurry.
i know d mistakes i made.
I AM AN INDIAN, so then.
and im too lazy to type big words, so i frequently use short forms.
You are awesome, don’t worry. Real people with real things going on don’t give a damn about proper grammar. They care about good food and good times.
Thanks for the great recipes!
there is always a hater out there. there are more important things to worry about than grammer….like your attitude!
How long can you store this frosting in the refrigerator? Can it be frozen and if yes how long?
I just made this with a quarter teaspoon of rose water and and a quarter teaspoon of vanilla. Lovely, subtle balance for lemon curd filled cupcakes! Gorgeous texture and super easy
I tried this recipe for a dessert i am making for Fathers Day and it is amazing! I only had salted butter so i omitted the salt called for and added an extra cup of sugar. I am so happy with the result! Thank you so much for sharing, this will definitely be the recipe i use from now on, no more store bought icing for me! I have officially become an icing snob!
And anyone, feel free to critique my grammar…I’m sure you’ll find plenty of mistakes. Lol!
This is a great recipe. I followed the ingredients exactly but wound up beating it for upwards of ten plus minutes because I was distracted by the party I was hosting, anyway people who don’t eat Buttercream frosting said it was the best they’d ever had! So I am back for the recipe again.
This is the best Buttercream Frosting I have ever made! I put it on cupcakes for our grandson’s birthday tomorrow! My husband kept swiping ‘tastes’ and frosting is usually too sweet for him to do that! Your recipe is just perfect!
I should love to know how to make it chocolate!
THIS WAS SO GOOD. thanks
Hi Alice!
Thanks for sharing this recipe; I can’t wait to try it! Would it be possible for you to tell us how to turn this classic buttercream into a chocolate buttercream? Is that a different recipe or can you just fold in a ganache (or something for a lovely, deep, rich flavor)? My last buttercream recipe was made with flour and milk and honestly it always came out waxy and you could never make it into chocolate or it separated. Thank you!
My mixer seems to beat too fast even on the slowest. kitchen aid. any suggestions to get less air in my buttercream?
I have used this recipe for cupcakes and it’s just lovely.
But, Can I use fondant to cover my cake?
Will it be runny?
This was HORRIBLE!!! It’s WAY to sweet and came out too soupy I added the rest of the sugar,it was grainy! I do not recamend this recipie at ALL
Meagan…are you sure you used the correct sugar. The only way I can see a frosting becoming “grainy” is if someone used regular granulated sugar instead of Confectioners powdered sugar….or possibly used too much salt!? I would def suggest trying again if this was the case.
oh no…another spelling mistake….where is the crazy person who makes it her mission to edit the blog??? I think I just lost precious minutes of my life I will never see again!!! I came searching for a buttercream recipe thinking this was a recipe site!!!
I am a novice baker and do is at a hobby. I used this recipe exactly how it states to do it. For my taste it was TOO SWEET
Then I decided to ass food coloring (hot pink) it was ok at first but after a while the frosting became sour. I do not know what I did wrong. Please Help
Vanessa-
Coloring can change the flavor of icing. Especially reds or any coloring that you have to add a lot of to achieve the color.
Looking forward to trying this recipe for cupcakes this weekend! Thanks!
I made this last weekend. It was a little different to make for me and second guessed myself as I normally make mine with shortening. These turned out beautiful. It was a little sweeter then usual at first but once everything “melted” together is was wonderful light and non greasy!
Can you use this with fondant???
I wouldn’t suggest this recipe for use with fondant. While it is a great recipe and tastes great, I would use a stiffer icing if you are using it under the fondant. The fondant may not stick well if you use a soft fondant. This is however just my opinion. I haven’t actually used this frosting with fondant. If you are just going to add fondant flowers or shapes to it, it shouldn’t be a problem.
Hi there: I just googled a butter cream recipe because I’m in between moves and didn’t have my recipes. In a whim (and cuz I didn’t have soft butter) I used coconut oil.
OH.MY.GOSH! I’m trying to stop myself from spoon feeding myself this frosting! Just added more sugar until I was happy with the consistency. Now I need to search for a pineapple cake and top it with toasted coconut. I’ll check around your website.
Thanks!
Hi there — I am baking cupcakes for an outdoor graduation party. This buttercream recipe sounds fabulous, but will the milk in it spoil outside? It’s supposed to be about 90 degrees the day of the party, and I don’t want to make people sick! Thanks for your help!
I would suggest a buttercream frosting that doesn’t have milk. You will also want to use a stiffer consistency as being in the heat will cause the frosting to sweat and melt. If you are going to do flowers or decorations on top of the cupcakes I would suggest making them from royal icing, as it will dry hard and will not melt in the heat. You could also make them out of fondant and make sure they are set.
Used this icing on Ina Garten’s “Beatty’s Chocolate Cake” for my husband’s birthday last week. It was PERFECT! Always is!
I have made this a few times and it came out super yummy.. then I made it a few more in the last month or so I and feel there is grittiness. I use powdered sugar not from beets but from sugar cane which I was told makes a difference but I had some buttercream today a friend made and it was an american buttercream with no grittiness? It was sweet and super smooth…. could heat or humidity affect frosting??
Sometimes it is the sugar. Butter is smooth, milk and cream are smooth. It could be a weird batch of sugar that feels fine to the touch but when creamed in is actually a bit gritty.
Is it ok if I add red food coloring to it? If yes, how much?
If you use red coloring, it should be red gel paste coloring which can be purchased at a cake store. There is no exact amount. You start off with a little and keep adding more until you get the red you want.
I just made this recipe for the first time and it all went to hell when I added the vanilla and milk. I don’t know which one did it but it completely separated. I tossed a couple of tablespoons of meringue in to see if it will fix it – what do you think happened? Thanks for your help, I am trying to make a car cake for my son’s 4th birthday and this my frosting test, I have to color it.
Hi, did you by chance use partially melted butter? Perhaps butter melted in the microwave? If so, this would cause it to separate.
hi i live in the uk id like to try this recipie but not sure how much a cup is ,is it possible for anyone to convert the recipie into grams for me it would be much appreciated ,thanks
Try this website. You can do the conversions yourself.
http://www.dianasdesserts.com/index.cfm/fuseaction/tools.measures/Measures.cfm
Hi, I have used this type of Buttercream frosting recipe for 25 years with lots of success. I am taking a Wilton cake decorating class in which the instructor stated that if butter is used (and even more so if milk is used) the product MUST be refrigerated within an hour or people can get sick. I have left frosted items out at room temperature for days and have never had any food-born illness problems. I’d love to hear your opinion about this!
Hi guys I just finished another recipe for buttercream frosting and
It did not taste how it should’ve it just tasted like normal
Icing . Then I read this page and found that this
Would’ve been the best frosting So THANK YOU SOOOOOOOO
much for this recipe
I want to make a cherry vanilla buttercream….if I just add the juice from some cherry pie filling to this recipe will that work? Will I have to reduce anything? Thanks!
I’ve alaways made my icing using Crisco, but wanted to try real buttercream for my son’s birthday, and it turned out fine. I used vanilla, but I believe it would tasted a little bit better used with almond flavoring.
I made this for the first time over the weekend for a quick frosting for some spice cupcakes. I made it exactly as the direction call for….except instead of the milk, I used some fat-free vanilla creamer I use in my coffee every morning!! It was delicious!!
I tried to make this for the first time today – my son’s 17 birthday. It was amazing. We had a hard time putting the spoon of frosting down. Thank you so much!!!!!!
I made buttercream icing for the first time yesterday using this recipie. The flavor is wonderful, but mine ended up with a lot of little air bubbles almost like a whipped icing, so my cake has lots of “pock marks” from the bubbles. I tried to follow the timing & speed instructions exactly, but I’m wondering if “medium” on a Kitchen Aid stand mixer might be too fast? If I mix it more slowly, will that fix it? Anyone have any experience with this?
What is the diference using milk versus using heavy cream?
Im 13 and ive been cooking since i was like 9 i think and when i read this i hurrried and made a cake then i couldnt find my decorator so instead i put the frosting in a zip lock bag and snipped off a small piece and it worked like magiv the cake came out beautiful …… anyone who can read should try this recipe it is totally delishh…
This recipe is PERFECT! I’ve been trying to find a plain buttercreme recipe that I think tastes good for ages. I had grown quite discouraged until I found this recipe. Thanks so much for sharing!
I have been baking for years and buttercream frosting has never been a favorite. Most often I use the old Red Velvet Cake frosting— the one where you cook the flour and milk and beat in butter and sugar after the flour mixture has cooled. I learned the hard way that whole milk must be used or the whole batch separates and takes on a nasty curdled appearance. I admit the problem was not figured out immediately and I had a hard time determining why one batch would be perfect, the next nasty. Duh! When I read this recipe called for “milk or cream” I immediately knew that low fat milk would not allow the ingredients to bind. Sadly, the fat content must be kept high to get it all to hold together. I learned that lesson, thank you! I also realized the emphasis was on sifting the powdered sugar and I had routinely skipped that step in previous attempts at BC. Another “duh” moment! I sifted and re- sifted the sugar and the frosting was marvelous. Light and fluffy and perfectly smooth. I had baked a white coconut cake and when I saw how well the frosting was blending together I risked it and added a bit of Espresso Coconut Syrup— no problem! HINT: when wanting a particular flavored dessert I routinely rely on coffee flavorings, sometimes substituting them for the entire water requirement in the recipe. They are much more economical than the pure flavorings in the tiny bottles and work well in mousse, cake, cookie, icing and dozens of other pastry recipes. Delicate but flavorful results every time.
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