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July 30, 2020

Vanilla Buttercream Frosting Recipe (VIDEO)

Name: Vanilla Buttercream Frosting Recipe
Prep time: 15 min
Total time: 15 min
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)

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.

Whipped buttercream frosting in mixing bowl with spatula

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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.

American buttercream made from butter, sugar, vanilla, salt and cream on a whisk

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.

Ingredients for making vanilla buttercream frosting

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.

sifting powdered sugar

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.

Swirls of vanilla flavored buttercream frosting

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.

Vanilla buttercream ready for adding coloring

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

4.97 from 60 votes

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 15 minutes

This American buttercream frosting recipe has just the right amount of sweetness and pipes beautifully and will cover a 9-inch layer cake, 24 cupcakes, and many sugar cookies!

Author: Natasha Kravchuk

Skill Level: Easy

Cost to Make: $5-$7

Keyword: American buttercream, buttercream frosting, vanilla buttercream

Cuisine: American

Course: Dessert

Calories: 198

Servings: 24 cupcakes (makes 5 cups frosting)

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

US Customary - Metric

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 Facts

Vanilla Buttercream Frosting Recipe

Amount Per Serving

Calories 198 Calories from Fat 108

% Daily Value*

Fat 12g18%

Saturated Fat 8g50%

Cholesterol 33mg11%

Sodium 27mg1%

Potassium 3mg0%

Carbohydrates 23g8%

Sugar 22g24%

Protein 1g2%

Vitamin A 382IU8%

Calcium 5mg1%

Iron 1mg6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Nutrition Disclosure

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Natasha Kravchuk

Welcome to my kitchen! I am Natasha, the blogger behind Natasha's Kitchen (since 2009). My husband and I run this blog together and share only our best, family approved and tested recipes with YOU. Thanks for stopping by! We are so happy you're here.