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 37 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.
Frosting is usually made with shortening (Trex, Flora White & Cookeen) or cream cheese. That's why frosting is a good option if you want a bright white cake than buttercream which often has a yellowish tint. However, shortening-based frostings can have a slight chemical taste.
Add Food Coloring (Really!) If you're wondering how to make buttercream white, like really vibrant white, the secret is actually to add color. To counteract that bit of yellow from the butter, add the slightest smidge of purple food coloring.
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.
As for frosting, choose your own adventure: If you're more of a beginner, consider using Easy Vanilla Buttercream Frosting (American-style buttercream), Super-Simple Chocolate Frosting, or Cream Cheese Frosting (which is super forgiving).
It sounds crazy, but purple and yellow are opposites on the color wheel, so they cancel each other out. The purple gel food coloring will color-correct the yellow tint, leaving you with white frosting. Use a toothpick to add a tiny bit of gel food coloring to the frosting, then mix it in and see how it looks.
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.
Yes, this is absolutely correct. The longer you beat, the more air you incorporate in your buttercream, thus, it will have lots of holes or air-pockets, it will also make the colour lighter. If you will use your buttercream primarily for filling or maybe as simple swirls, then this is ok.
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.
I normally use Stork for this - it is the one that comes in the foil wrapper rather than in a tub. I believe the one in the tub contains dairy, but the block is 100% vegetable fat. The following quantity should be enough to fill the middle of a standard size cake.
Butter and a bit of salt is important if you want to make your buttercream less sweet. One trick is to know that you can make fluffy buttercream with both salted and unsalted Lurpak® – it's your choice. Put your mark on it, cook.
Buttercream gets a lot of its flavour from butter which I feel tastes far better than margarine. I also prefer to use butter because it is a more natural product and not so heavily processed.
Marshmallow Frosting – This is perhaps your best bet. It is still sugary, but it's lighter and it can still be piped. Cream Cheese Icing – Another classic frosting. Whipped Cream with Cream Cheese – For a rich but lighter-tasting topping, you can bulk up whipped cream with cream cheese to help it hold its form.
You'll be glad to know there is a distinction between the two. In broad terms, frosting is thick and fluffy, and is used to coat the outside (and often the inner layers) of a cake. Icing is thinner and glossier than frosting, and can be used as a glaze or for detailed decorating.
Ganache, cream cheese frosting, whipped cream frosting, fondant, and meringue frosting are all excellent options that are easy to make and delicious to taste. With the right recipe and techniques, you can achieve a beautifully iced cake without using buttercream.
Introduction: My name is Msgr. Refugio Daniel, I am a fine, precious, encouraging, calm, glamorous, vivacious, friendly person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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