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.
This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy.
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
Filed Under
If you make this recipe, I’d love to see pics of your creations on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter! Hashtag them #natashaskitchen
Can I add fresh strawberries? My daughter loves strawberries. BTW this vanilla frosting is my go to! You are so lifted!
Hi Joanna! I’m not sure how that would hold up. I worry it would make it runny.
Thank you!!! It’s the best! Not overly sweet but definitely sweet enough. So smooth.
You’re very welcome! I’m glad you loved the frosting.
Oh my gosh! SO GOOD !! Thick and yummy. Thank you for sharing
Does not thicken up. Very runny & doesn’t stay on the cake
Hi Beverly. I’m sorry you’re having trouble with the frosting. That is not normal. This is a very standard and basic buttercream frosting and it has always turned out. Did you make any changes to the recipe or use any substitutions?
If your frosting was runny, it makes me wonder if your butter was too warm or if the room temperature was too warm that it caused the buttercream to be too soft and melt.
Also, did you let your cake layers fully cool before you started frosting your cake? If you do not fully cool your cake layers, they will melt the frosting when you try to put together your cake and it will be a messy disaster.
We made the Vanilla cake with butter cream frosting and it was delicious 😋. Would the butter cream go well with you chocolate cake?
Hello! It should be great for my chocolate cake recipe! Hope you enjoy it!
Am I able to use another milk besides whole or heavy cream?
Yes, you can add whole milk too.
What can you use instead of powdered sugar? Can you also note the measurements
Hi Ananya, I have only tried it with powdered sugar. One of my readers wrote: “Not too sweet, really creamy and thick”
BEST buttercream because it isn’t overly sweet. Made this for my granddaughter’s 1st birthday cake. Highly recommend!
Thank you, Sheryl! I’m glad you loved it.
Can you add gel or regular food color or will it break down?
Hi Jerrica! Yes, that would be fine. Just add a little at a time. Gel food color would work best so that you are not adding additional liquid in this frosting.
I just made this recipe with the addition of seedless strawberry …absolutely delicious! And looks great.
I’m making pina colada cupcakes next. Can you tell me how to use this recipe for a pineapple buttercream? I appreciate your advice, these are for Xmas! Thanks!
Hello theere! I’m so glad you loved it! I have not tried or tested making that version to advise. Sorry about that but feel free to experiment!
Hi can I use a hand mixer for this butter cream icing?
Hi Lena! You can, it will just take longer to mix. Also- depending on the mixer, sometimes it can overheat so you may need to take breaks.