Our favorite Vanilla Buttercream Frosting! This American buttercream recipe is creamy, fluffy, and has just the right amount of sweetness. It pipes beautifully on Vanilla Cake, our favorite Cupcakes, and even Sugar Cookies.
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Watch Buttercream Frosting Video Recipe:
This classic buttercream frosting is one of the easiest and most stable frostings you will make. Vanilla buttercream is perfect as is, but also works great for adding different colors and flavorings (see instructions below). Watch the video tutorial and you will realize just how easy it is.
What is American Buttercream?
American buttercream is essentially a combination of butter, confectioners sugar (or powdered sugar), adding a little milk or cream to lighten the texture with vanilla and salt for flavor. Most American buttercreams are overly sweet, but after testing this recipe over the years, we came up with the perfect proportion of butter to powdered sugar along with our tips for achieving the best buttercream texture.
The consistency is similar to our famous Swiss Meringue Buttercream, but there is no heating or cooking required because American Buttercream frosting doesn’t contain eggs.
Ingredients for Buttercream Frosting:
Butter: keep about 2 hours at room temperature or until butter is 65˚F to 67˚F on an instant-read thermometer, or until you can indent the butter with your finger. Choose a lighter-colored butter which is typically the cheaper butter. Avoid yellow-colored butter.
Vanilla Extract: Use the best quality vanilla extract.
Heavy Cream or milk: add it to desired consistency. Without it, the frosting will look dry and won’t pipe as smoothly. If it’s too thick, it can also get stuck in the piping tip. Start with adding 1 Tbsp of cream or milk at a time and add it to your desired consistency, mixing between each addition.
Powdered Sugar: sift to eliminate lumps so they don’t get stuck in your piping tips.
Can I add less sugar? You can add powdered sugar to taste but using more will make the frosting thicker and using less with make the frosting looser and taste more buttery. If using less sugar, you will likely need to add less cream or milk at the end.
How to Add Different Flavors to Buttercream:
To make flavored buttercream, just stir in your desired flavorings at the very end of mixing. Try these mix-ins:
- Chocolate Buttercream: Add 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, or add to taste.
- Coffee Buttercream: Dissolve 1 1/2 Tbsp instant espresso powder in 2 Tbsp warm water.
- Raspberry or Strawberry Buttercream: Add 1/2 cup seedless preserves and red fool coloring for a deeper color.
How to Add Color to Buttercream Frosting:
A white vanilla buttercream base is perfect for adding color because it doesn’t compete with other colors. If you plan to color the buttercream, start with a thicker frosting (add little or no cream at the end since the color can thin the frosting slightly).
- Set aside the amount of frosting you want to color in a separate dish.
- Add 1-2 drops at a time depending on frosting quantity then stir and add more as needed. Wilton has a great guide to achieving the right color.
Gel Color is best because it is thicker and more concentrated than liquid food coloring. You can add more color before your frosting gets too thin. We recommend the Wilton Color Right 8-piece (a great starter kit), or the Americolor 12-piece set (if you want more unique shades). Both sets work well for adding color to frostings.
Can I Make Buttercream Ahead?
If you aren’t using it right away, you can refrigerate buttercream frosting in an airtight container for up to 4 weeks or freeze up to 3 months. When ready to use the frosting, follow these steps:
- Thaw if frozen – Allow the buttercream frosting to thaw in the refrigerator overnight.
- Room Temperature – let the chilled frosting to come to room temperature, or until no longer firm.
- Stir – use a spatula to fold and soften the frosting before using it.
More Frosting Recipes:
These are our best-loved frosting recipes and the ones we make most often to frost cakes and cupcakes. I hope they all become new favorites for you!
- Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting – the same one we used for our popular Chocolate Cake
- Swiss Meringue Buttercream Frosting – a stable cream often used on wedding cakes
- Cupcake Frosting – so simple and lightened up with cream cheese
- Chocolate Ganache – can be used as a glaze or whipped into a frosting
- White Chocolate Frosting – sturdy and pipes beautifully
- Cream Cheese Frosting – our go-to for Red Velvet
Vanilla Buttercream Frosting Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups Unsalted Butter, room temperature
- 4 1/2 to 5 cups powdered sugar, or added to taste
- 1/4 tsp fine salt, or to taste
- 4 tsp vanilla extract
- 3-4 Tbsp heavy cream or whole milk, added to desired consistency
Instructions
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment (or handheld electric mixer), beat butter on high speed for 5 minutes or until lightened in color and whipped, scraping down the bowl as needed.
- Meanwhile, sift 4 1/2 to 5 cups of powdered sugar. Reduce mixer to medium-low speed and add powdered sugar one heaping Tablespoon at a time, letting it incorporate with each addition. Add powdered sugar to taste and beat until it is fully incorporated, scraping the sides of the bowl as needed.
- Add 1/4 tsp fine salt (or to taste), then add 4 tsp Vanilla Extract, beating until incorporated.
- Add 3 Tbsp heavy cream or milk, 1 Tbsp at a time, and adding it to the desired consistency. Beat another minute until whipped and well combined.
Nutrition Per Serving
If you make this recipe, I’d love to see pics of your creations on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter! Hashtag them #natashaskitchen
Easy to make and to frost a cake even for this novice baker!! Will definitely make again.. thank you for sharing it!!
I have another recipe for buttercream frosting. It includes shortening. I’ve made it and like it. Have you used shortening?
Hi Debbie! No, I have not used shortening in my buttercream.
Natasha, I was making it for the first time, usually buying frosting at the grocery store. Followed the recipe and it came out ideal! It was rich, creamy and so delicious! Not buying frosting anywhere else anymore, but make it myself:)
Thank you so much, Natasha
Hi Natalia! That’s wonderful to hear. Thank you for sharing that with us.
I’m sorry, but this was way too buttery and way too much sugar in it.
Hi Kathy! This is like a classic American buttercream frosting so it will be sweet and buttery. You can use less sugar but it can and will affect the texture and consistency of the frosting. If you are looking for a less sweet frosting, I would recommend swiss meringue buttercream or a frosting that is whipped like my cupcake frosting recipe. Also- if the buttercream tasted too much like butter, it could be that it needed to be whipped longer.
I hope that helps.
I made this buttercream icing today, and used Irish Cream Liquer instead of heavy cream for added flavour. Turned out great, although piping it was a bit difficult. Will add more “cream” next time to make piping cupcakes easier. Creamy texture, not greasy or buttery in flavour. Will make again
I’m so happy you enjoyed that. Thank you for sharing that with us, Heidi!
How come whenever I make buttercream the powdered sugar doesn’t absorb into the butter yes, the butter is room temperature. Yes, the powdered sugar is sifted and it’s beat for 7-8minutes On high-speed and it’s still gritty.
HI Sharon, are you using powdered sugar or granulated sugar? Changed the proportions maybe? Are you using an electric mixer? Hand whisking would not be very effective for making buttercream.
Hi Natasha can i substitute the whole milk for 2 percent milk ?
Hi Rimna. If that is all you have on hand, it would be fine.
Hi question if I omit the salt can salted butter be used instead?
Hi Adriana, yes that will work!
Hi Natasha. Absolutely amateur baker here. Just wondering why do you use a whisk attachment instead of a paddle attachment? Thank you!
Hi Talia! Both will work fine. The whisk attachment tends to incorporate more air when whipping. If you want a smoother frosting (without too many air bubbles for decorating a cake), then you can use a paddle attachment. Or you can add the paddle attachment on at the end and let it beat on low speed for 5mins or so to push out some of the air bubbles. I hope that helps.
So happy I found this recipe, I am making sugar cookies for my Christmas treat boxes that I do each year, but this year for those families that have kids I am going to put the frosting in containers as well as sprinkles and let the kids decorate there own cookies
That sounds wonderful! I’m sure the kids will love it.
Hello! I was making this recipe today, but when I was adding the milk to the mixed sugar and butter, it became very very runny. I covered it with plastic wrap and placed it in the fridge. Also, tasted very buttery . Hopefully by tomorrow, the frosting will be much more stable. I would love to hear your thoughs and opinions on this! beforehand, thank you!
Hi Katherine. If it tastes “buttery” then likely it needed to be whipped for a longer period of time. Depending on the temperature of your butter and the temperature in your house, the buttercream can get soft if it’s too warm so adding milk may not be necessary if the consistency is already soft.
I would let it soften when you remove it from the refrigerator and rewhip it.
I used your recipe that calls for 1 1/2 C. butter. However, in the video and also the picture it shows a stick and a half which is 3/4 C. I thought it tasted too greasy, now I know why. Please confirm that 1 1/2 C. is an error.
Hi Debra. 1 and 1/2 cups is correct. In the image above, there are 3 sticks (each 1/2 cup). Also, at the beginning of the video you’ll see 3 sticks on the counter.
If this was too buttery and greasy, it’s very likely it wasn’t mixed long enough. You want to whip it enough until it’s light and fluffy in texture. Also, let the butter soften to room temperature and use a good quality vanilla extract because that will aid in the flavor.
Hi there
Is there a way too substitute the milk? No cream, milk or cheese for one of us
Thank you
Hi Jen! It’s used to thin out the buttercream to the perfect consistency. I haven’t tested an alternative but depending on the temperature of your butter, you can eliminate the cream/milk altogether and beat it a bit longer to give it a light and fluffy texture, making it easier to pipe. I hope that helps.
Can you reserve any if you have any leftover and if so for how long?
Hi Penny, yes you can. Please check this part in the recipe “Can I Make Buttercream Ahead?” for tips.
I made this and it tastes great but I feel like it has to be super cold to keep its structure. Once I started frosting my cake it looked like it was almost melting. I may try it again
Hi Melissa! This recipe has enough sugar that it helps stabilize the buttercream. It’s also stable enough to leave at room temperature for 1-2 days. It shouldn’t be too soft or too runny. Some things that can help- the butter should be soft enough to press on with your finger and leave an indentation. but not overly soft. The temperature in your kitchen can also affect this, if it’s too warm, the buttercream will melt. Also, be sure to let your cake layers fully cool down or chill them in the refrigerator. You can use less heavy cream if needed, this is just to thin out the frosting and make it a good consistency to spread or pipe. I hope that helps.
Hi there,
This sounds amazing and I can’t wait to try it. I am making banana cupcakes and was wondering if this would hold up well on those.
Thanks so much.
Hi Jen! This buttercream frosting is very versatile and stable. I hope you love the recipe!
Natasha, I have been using your recipes for quite a while now and they are the best. I have told all my friends about you. Using your buttercream frosting now . I love how easy you make things
Aaaw, thank you. I appreciate it a lot!
Made frosting yesterday and is wonderful!! I used 4 1/2 cups of sugar and was perfect. I kept tasting it along the way!! Couldn’t help myself.
Thank you for your recipe – will use it always.
Hi Kathy! Thank you for the feedback. I’m glad you love the recipe! 🙂
This is absolutely the best buttercream frosting I have ever made. It is now my go to for all Cakes and cupcakes. Thank you!
That’s wonderful, JoAnne! So glad you loved the recipe. Thank you for the feedback.