Best Vanilla Buttercream Frosting Recipe

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Hi Bold Bakers!

WHY YOU WILL LOVE THIS RECIPE: Get ready to fall in love with the Best Buttercream Frosting Recipe! This frosting is creamy, flavorful, and effortlessly stunning, perfect for elevating any dessert to bakery-quality:

• Silky Smooth Texture: It spreads beautifully and feels luxurious with every bite.
• Perfectly Balanced Flavor: Sweet, buttery, and just right for cakes, cupcakes, and cookies.
• Foolproof & Fun: Easy to make with simple ingredients for professional-level results every time.

Bold Bakers Loved This!

“I made this today and used the whisk attachment and what a difference! It is smooth and light. Best recipe I have ever found. It is my new go to. Thank you!” — Sarah

“It is now my go-to frosting! I’ve never had any failures in making it. Thanks for the easy-to-follow directions.” –Jean

“This buttercream is beautifully fluffy and delicious, and pipes dreamily!” -Jules

I’ve probably made this buttercream frosting recipe a hundred times, and each time has taught me something new. While my early attempts weren’t always perfect, the updates I’ve made to this post and recipe ensure you’ll create the best buttercream frosting ever. The post takes about 8 minutes to read, and I highly recommend going through it from start to finish so you don’t miss any foolproof tips for achieving outstanding results.

Table of Contents

• What is Buttercream Frosting?
• Tools You Need for Vanilla Buttercream Frosting Recipe
• Key Ingredients of Buttercream Recipe
• How to Make American Vanilla Buttercream Frosting
• Gemma’s Pro Chef Tips
• Make Ahead and Storage Instructions
• Why is my Buttercream Frosting Runny?
• Why is my Buttercream Frosting Grainy?
• Can I Cut Back on Sugar in the Best Buttercream Frosting? How to Make Fluffy Buttercream Frosting Less Sweet?
• Ways to Use Vanilla Buttercream Frosting & More Flavors
• FAQs
• Try More Homemade Frosting Recipes!

IMPORTANT NOTE: This recipe was updated and improved on 11/16/2024 to include additional detailed tips on ingredients and process, make-ahead and storage instructions, answers to the most frequently asked questions (why runny/grainy, less sweet, etc) and Pro-Chef Tips. 

What is Buttercream Frosting?

Buttercream frosting, also known as American buttercream, is a smooth and creamy icing made by whipping butter and powdered sugar together. It’s one of the easiest and most versatile frostings to make.

• Creamy: Whipped butter and powdered sugar create a rich, fluffy texture.
• Adaptable: Simple to customize with different flavors and colors.
• Versatile: Popular for cakes, cupcakes, and decorative piping.

This buttercream frosting recipe has been tested by professional chefs and trusted by millions of Bold Bakers around the world. It’s been well-loved and perfected over the years, thanks to valuable feedback from the community. With proven results, this frosting consistently delivers that perfect creamy texture and rich flavor!

Tools You Need for Easy Buttercream Frosting Recipe

• Measuring cups and spoons
• Mixing bowl
• Stand mixer (use the whip attachment) or hand mixer
• Jug/liquid measuring cup
• Spatula

Best-Ever Buttercream Frosting Ingredients

Butter:

• Butter is the base of perfect buttercream frosting. I always use salted butter because salt enhances flavors. You can use either salted or unsalted butter per your preference.
• Butter has to be softened correctly to get the silky-smooth consistency for frosting. You know your butter is at the right temperature when you push the butter and it makes an indent, but your finger doesn’t easily squish right through.

Icing sugar:

• Icing sugar, aka powdered or confectioners sugar, is simply finely ground sugar with cornstarch added to absorb moisture to prevent clumping. The good news is if you run out of icing sugar, you can make your own using my How to Make Powdered Sugarrecipe.
• Icing sugar not only perfectly sweetens frosting but also contributes to a smoother consistency compared to granulated sugar which is coarser.
• Icing sugar rubs against fat from softened butter during creaming, creating air pockets to incorporate air. In the meanwhile, icing sugar also coats air pockets to prevent them from drying out, retaining air to stabilize frosting.

Vanilla:

• I believe that using good quality ingredients is essential to making any great baked goods. Pure natural vanilla extract instead of artificial vanilla essence, is a must to deliver the signature flavor to your buttercream.
• You can make vanilla extract (and other flavor extracts) with amazing results at a fraction of the store price using my Homemade Extracts recipe.
• Vanilla bean paste will be more concentrated in flavor and yield a speckled effect.

Milk:

• Along with the vanilla, milk thins and lightens the consistency.
• Half and half, heavy cream, or heavy whipping cream will also work.

Food coloring (OPTIONAL)

• Gel food coloring can be used because it will not dilute the frosting consistency like liquid coloring does.
• Dip a toothpick in the paste and add it to the frosting in very small amounts each time.

How to Make American Buttercream Frosting

Whipping up the butter gently first to build the structure

Sift to remove lumps

Stream in sugar

Use or store

Gemma’s Pro Chef Tips

• If you find your frosting is too loose, and not thick enough for spreading or piping decorations.
  • The first thing I’d suggest is to chill the buttercream frosting. By bringing down the temperature, the frosting should tighten up immediately. This is a great trick for buttercream frosting that may have been overmixed or made at too warm a temperature.
  • If this doesn’t seem to do the trick, try adding more sifted powdered sugar, 3 tablespoons at a time.
• If your frosting feels too thick, there is no reason to start over from scratch on a new batch.
  • Simply add milk 1 tablespoon at a time until you reach the desired consistency. From there, simply pipe or frost as normal.
  • Don’t worry, adding the milk will not affect the flavor of your frosting.
• This recipe amount will generously cover at least 24 cupcakes and cover and fill an 8-inch sponge cake. It is easy to adjust this recipe as it is proportional, at a ratio of 2:1. That is two measures of sugar to one of butter. I.E.

Make Ahead and Storage Instructions

This Vanilla Buttercream Frosting can be prepared in advance, making it an excellent time-saver for busy bakers. Here are the best ways to store it:

• Refrigerator: Store in an airtight container for up to 4 weeks. Before using, bring it to room temperature and re-whip if necessary to restore its creamy texture.
• Freezer: You can freeze the buttercream for up to 8 weeks. Again, make sure to thaw it in the fridge overnight before letting it come to room temperature. Re-whip until smooth.

Why is my Buttercream Frosting Runny?

• You might have overbeaten the butter which separated fat to cause the issue or your butter was too soft to retain air. You know your butter is at the right temperature when you push the butter and it makes an indent, but your finger doesn’t easily squish right through.
• Sugar was added too early which weighed down the mixture. Whip butter until light and fluffy to build a structure to hold the sugar. Otherwise, it would be runny.
• Sugar was added all at once which collapsed the mixture. Add sugar gradually to fully incorporate it. When sugar is beaten into the light and fluffy butter, it dissolves in the film on the surface of the air bubbles. This sugary syrup film prevents the bubbles from drying out and tightening up too fast.
• If it melted due to a hot weather, you can try my Stabilized Whipped Creamrecipe or Ermine Frosting Recipe.

Why is my Buttercream Frosting Grainy?

• Butter was too cold which caused lumps. Make sure when you push the butter, it makes an indent, but your finger doesn’t easily squish right through.
• Granulated sugar was used. You need powdered / icing sugar which is fine enough to achieve a smooth result. Make it if needed using my How to Make Powdered Sugarrecipe.
• Sugar was added all at once which clumped up. Add sugar gradually by spoonful to fully incorporate it.
• European style Butter is high in fat and can yield a thick or potentially lumpy result. Add milk 1 tablespoon at a time to your Buttercream Frosting until you reach your desired consistency.

Can I Cut Back on Sugar in Buttercream? How to Make Buttercream Frosting Less Sweet?

• Sugar is vital in incorporating air into and stabilizing the structure of buttercream frosting. When sugar is beaten into the light and fluffy butter, it dissolves in the film on the surface of the air bubbles. This sugary syrup film prevents the bubbles from drying out and tightening up too fast.
• ¼ less is the farthest you can go without affecting the consistency.
• Another trick is to add 1-1 ½ teaspoons of lemon juice or 1 teaspoon of salt to reduce the sweetness.

FAQs

Why must you whip up the butter until light and creamy first?

The secret of my recipe is whipping the butter until pale before adding sugar is key to making fluffy buttercream frosting:

• Incorporating Air: Whipping the butter adds air, making the frosting light and fluffy. The more air you beat in, the softer the frosting becomes.
• Smoother Texture: Whipping the butter first helps it blend smoothly with the sugar, preventing a grainy texture and ensuring a creamy, even consistency.

This step is what gives buttercream its perfect airy texture!

How do I get air bubbles out of the buttercream frosting?

To remove air bubbles from your buttercream frosting, try these simple steps:

• Lower the speed: Near the end of mixing, run your mixer at a low speed for a minute or two. This helps to smooth out the frosting and reduce big air bubbles.
• Use a spatula: After mixing, use a spatula to gently press and smooth the frosting against the sides of the bowl, releasing any remaining air pockets.
• Crumb coat: When frosting a cake, applying a crumb coat first helps create a smooth base, reducing the appearance of air bubbles in the final layer. Check out my guide on How to Do a Crumb Coat, especially for layer cakes.

Can I double this recipe?

Yes, you can.

It is easy to adjust this recipe as it is proportional: it’s 4:1 in cups (two measures of sugar to one of butter) and 2:1 in weight (grams).

After adding vanilla, my frosting separated. Can it be fixed or do I start again?

It may be salvageable.

Your butter might have been over-softened so when you whipped it, it couldn’t retain much air and got over-whipped separating the fat. You can try to gently mix in more softened butter.

How to frost small batch/single-serve recipes?

For about 3 mug cakes or 6 cupcakes, it would be 3 oz/85g of butter, 170g sugar, 1/2 tsp vanilla extract, 1 1/2 tsp- 2 1/4 tsp of milk and cream.

How much buttercream frosting do I need for a cake?

• For a two-layer 8-inch cake, you will need about 4-5 cups of frosting.

Can I add flavorings to the buttercream frosting?

• Yes! You can add extracts, cocoa powder, or even a small amount of fruit purees. Be sure to adjust the consistency with powdered sugar or liquid if needed.

Ways to Use Vanilla Buttercream Frosting & More Flavors

• Gemma’s Best Vanilla Birthday Cake recipe or Gemma’s Best-Ever Vanilla Mug Cake This festive sprinkle-covered cake is the perfect choice for any Bold Baker. Make it in a mug for a quick dessert!
• Gemma’s Best Cake Recipes, Crazy Cupcakes, all your favorite mug cake recipes, and even sugar cookies!
• Lemon Cake With Lemon Buttercream Frosting
• White Velvet Cake with Strawberry Buttercream Frosting
• Best-Ever Chocolate Buttercream Frosting, Peanut Butter Buttercream Frosting, Fluffy Nutella Buttercream Frosting, Salted Caramel Swiss Meringue Buttercream and more possibilities!

Even More Frosting Recipes!

• Best-Ever Cream Cheese Frosting
• The Perfect Ermine Frosting
• Swiss Meringue Buttercream Frosting
• Vegan Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
• Dairy-Free Vanilla Buttercream Frosting

IMPORTANT NOTE: This recipe was updated and improved on 11/16/2024 to include additional detailed tips on ingredients and process, make-ahead and storage instructions, answers to the most frequently asked questions (why runny/grainy, less sweet, etc) and Pro-Chef Tips. 

Full (and printable) recipe below!

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How To Make Powdered Sugar (With Video!)