Vanilla Buttercream Frosting Recipe

November 19, 2018

dessert· recipes

You can’t go wrong with this easy vanilla buttercream frosting recipe! It is perfectly creamy, not too sweet, and stiff enough to hold its shape when piped.

Vanilla Buttercream Frosting

I’ll admit, just a year ago I was quite intimidated by the idea of making homemade buttercream frosting. Before I had a stand mixer, whenever I’d try to make buttercream frosting using a hand mixer, it would end up gritty. I figured I was probably doing something wrong so when I got my stand mixer, I did my research, tried different combinations of basic ingredients, learned aboutsifting,and landed on the perfect recipe. Guys, I am NOT a natural baker. I mean, sifting seems like such an obvious concept, but I had no idea what the point of it was. Turns out, it’s a game changer! (read more about it here.)

This combination of powdered sugar, milk, vanilla extract, and stick butter makes for a perfectly smooth and creamy vanilla buttercream frosting. It is just sweet enough to compliment the cake without overpowering it. I prefer to use clear vanilla extract because it gives it that whiter color, but regular vanilla extract works just as well! Also, I prefer to use salted butter. If you use unsalted stick butter, throw a little pinch of salt in there. I love these Country Crock baking sticks – they are ready to bake as soon as you take them out of the refrigerator – no need to let them soften!

This recipe is enough for 18-24 cupcakes. When piping as shown in these photos, it will only cover about 18. If you are spreading the buttercream, or not piping such high peaks, it will of course go further.

Be sure to pin this vanilla buttercream frosting recipe so you can easily find it next time you bake a cake/cupcakes and want to skip the canned frosting!

4.6 from 14 reviews

Vanilla Buttercream Recipe

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Prep time

5 mins

Total time

5 mins

Author: Heather Tenneson

Yield: 18-24 cupcakes

Ingredients

1 cup butter, softened (2 sticks)
3.5 cups powdered sugar
2-3 tbsp milk
2 tsp clear vanilla extract

Instructions

Beat softened butter in large bowl of stand mixer (or mix with hand mixer if stand mixer is not available.)
Sift powdered sugar into bowl and begin mixing on low-medium speed
Add milk and vanilla and mix on medium-high speed for 2-3 minutes until creamy
If too thick, add more milk, about a tsp at a time. If too thin, add more powdered sugar until desired consistency is reached.

If you enjoyed this recipe, you may also enjoy:

Strawberry Lemonade Cupcakes
Strawberry Icebox Cake
Pumpkin Spice Bread Recipe

Strawberry Lemonade Cupcake RecipeChicken Bacon Ranch Casserole RecipeChocolate Peanut Butter Ritz Reindeer

Meet Heather

I am a proud wife, a child of God, and a mother to three sweet little girls, navigating my way through this thing called life and sharing my journey with you along the way. I enjoy sharing little bits of parenting, travel, food, parties, organization, and a lot of family. Welcome, y’all! I hope you’ll grab a cup of coffee and stay a while!

Reader Interactions

Comments

Marlies Vater says
August 27, 2019 at 1:38 am
Das Buttercreme-Rezept ist gut. Hab ich so noch nicht gekannt. Ein Problem gibt es bei den Mengen Angaben .
Wir arbeiten mit Grammangaben. Wie kriege ich Butter in eine Tasse und wie groß ist die Tasse?
Reply
Angel says
October 8, 2019 at 5:59 pm
I followed this recipe word for word & it turned out awful 🙁 the taste, texture, everything!!
Reply
- Heather Tenneson says
  October 8, 2019 at 8:00 pm
  Oh no! I’ve had recipes that I’ve made time and time again not turn out right for some reason that I couldn’t put my finger on. Just a couple things that can effect the recipe – if the sticks of butter is not completely soft, not creaming the butter first before adding anything else, using a hand mixer instead of a stand mixer, not sifting the sugar. It took a lot of playing around for me to get it right. I hope it comes out better next time!
  Reply
Jill says
December 14, 2019 at 2:30 pm
We just made this frosting for our Christmas cookies. It turned out perfectly! It is creamy, flavorful and not too sweet. Thanks for the great recipe!
Reply
- Heather Tenneson says
  December 15, 2019 at 10:42 am
  Thank you, Jill! I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe!!
  Reply
these paper says
January 4, 2020 at 1:59 pm
The cream is so gentle. I am sure that you will get a lot of pleasure while eating these cupcakes. I will definitely try to cook them.
Reply
Rosie says
January 16, 2020 at 7:40 pm
See Also
Easy Dinner Rolls Recipe 5 Ingredient Australian Damper Recipe Smoky Red Pepper & Lentil Soup | Rebel Recipes Puto Bumbong Recipe | Panlasang Pinoy Recipes™
I want to make a batch but use in a few days. What’s the best way to store the frosting? Do I whip it again before I used it?
Reply
- Heather Tenneson says
  January 24, 2020 at 5:41 pm
  I’ve actually never made it ahead of time. I’ve always gone ahead and piped it onto the cupcakes and it’s good at room temp for about a week. I would think it would be fine to keep covered at room temp
  Reply
Renee says
February 6, 2020 at 11:55 pm
Loved this icing! Turned out great! I have recently started making buttercream icing and this has been the best recipe.
Reply
- Heather Tenneson says
  February 7, 2020 at 8:18 am
  I’m so happy to hear that!! So glad you liked it!
  Reply
Rubi Kaur says
March 16, 2020 at 12:41 am
I have stuffed chicken breast before, with feta cheese and arugula or something like this. And my Family was indeed impressed ? The Caprese combo sounds pretty amazing!
Reply
Hannah Flack says
June 3, 2020 at 1:44 am
YUMMY!!!!! Thanks for sharing your recipe! I’ve heard about your blog a couple of times and will now spend my afternoon reading 🙂
Reply
- Heather Tenneson says
  June 4, 2020 at 10:58 am
  I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe, Hannah! Thanks for reading!!
  Reply
Sandra Robinson says
June 11, 2020 at 1:39 pm
Can you make this into chocolate
Reply
Kathleen Arata says
August 14, 2020 at 4:16 pm
Love this vanilla buttercream My husband is more of a cake guy He only likes a small amount of frosting,, well he loves this frosting Now I can make a cake with the right cake to frosting ratio ( and add a little more frosting if I want)
It’s delicious and I consider myself a frosting expert! Lol. Thank you for sharing this recipe
Reply
- Heather Tenneson says
  August 14, 2020 at 5:45 pm
  I’m so glad you enjoyed this recipe!!!
  Reply
Rose Martine says
September 14, 2020 at 10:38 pm
YUMMY!!!!! Thanks for sharing your recipe! I’ve heard about your blog a couple of times and will now spend my afternoon reading 🙂
Reply
Hannah Flack says
September 25, 2020 at 5:40 am
YUMMY!!!!! Thanks for sharing your recipe! I’ve heard about your blog a couple of times and will now spend my afternoon reading 🙂
Reply
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See Also
Easy Baked Chicken Legs Recipe | The Best Way to Bake Chicken Legs
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Hannah Flack says
March 1, 2021 at 4:39 am
Sounds wonderful!! I’ll have to try this on weight watchers :). I love spaghetti squash so I usually poke a hole in it and cook it in the microwave about ten minutes. That gets it half way done. Then I finish by roasting it cut side down in the oven because it has better flavor!!
Reply
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Ashley Jones says
June 25, 2021 at 12:57 am
recipe looks wonderful. i hope you don’t mind but i added this recipe to my site with working links to your page. can’t wait to try this one out.
Reply
1ZsGirl says
December 24, 2021 at 5:28 pm
Turned out great! I used a hand mixer. I reduced the sugar a little bit and still found it a bit too sweet, but I dont like too much sweetness in treats.
The key is to mix your butter first until it’s nice and fluffy.
Perfect texture for cupcakes and cakes.
Reply
Ashley Jones says
May 14, 2022 at 8:42 am
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Reply
Motivational Quotes in Tamil says
December 27, 2022 at 7:20 am
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Vanilla Buttercream Frosting Recipe - Poppy + Grace (2024)

FAQs

What is the trick to buttercream frosting? ›

6 Secrets for Perfect Buttercream

Use the right powdered sugar the right way. ...
Beat, beat, beat the butter! ...
You can use cream OR milk, just use the right amount. ...
Adjust the sugar to your preference. ...
Never add too much liquid to your buttercream. ...
Prevent your buttercream from melting on a hot or humid day.

Jan 15, 2018

What is the most difficult buttercream to make? ›

Italian Meringue Buttercream

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.

Read On ›

What is the best butter for buttercream frosting? ›

If you want the creamiest tastiest buttercream, then use a good grade AA butter. My favorite is Cabot. You could even use European butter which has a higher butterfat content. Unsalted butter is also important.

Learn More ›

What's the difference between vanilla icing and vanilla buttercream? ›

The best way to distinguish frosting from buttercream is through the ingredients. While both contain powdered sugar, fat, flavouring and sometimes milk or water, frosting does not contain any butter whatsoever.

Discover More ›

Should you chill buttercream frosting before piping? ›

Chill your cake first, apply the crumb coat, chill again and then frost it. If you are then piping design work, chill it again before adding the details. Keep the icing in the refrigerator when not using it, and only add cold icing to your piping bag.

Is milk or water better for buttercream? ›

In order to get the perfect consistency for your buttercream, a liquid ingredient may need to be added. While you can use water, we suggest using milk, heavy whipping cream or half-and-half to add extra flavor and creaminess to your frosting. Nut-based milks will also work, but may add a light flavor as well.

Find Out More ›

What buttercream do professional bakers use? ›

Swiss meringue buttercream is probably the most standard buttercream for pastry professionals. It is incredibly smooth, making it an extremely popular choice for icing cakes.

Keep Reading ›

What is the easiest type of buttercream to make? ›

American buttercream is deliciously creamy, super sweet, and incredibly fluffy, and by far the easiest buttercream to master. It's just a matter of beating softened butter until it's fluffy, adding powdered sugar, cream, and a little vanilla and whipping it all together. No cooking required!

See Details ›

What is the softest type of buttercream frosting? ›

SWISS MERINGUE BUTTERCREAM FROSTING

Soft and fluffy, this buttercream is great for filling layers or frosting cakes. Hints & Tips: Since Swiss buttercream is so soft, it's better used for frosting cakes rather than piping or decorating.

Read The Full Story ›

What is the secret ingredient that will improve your frosting? ›

Beyond this textural improvement, white vinegar can also balance out the flavor of your frosting without making it sour or off-tasting.

Learn More Now ›

Can you overbeat buttercream? ›

Try not to overbeat the buttercream after all the ingredients have been added or you might add bubbles, which will ruin the texture of the icing. ... For the best results chill your cake and bring the icing to room temperature. You can also beat the buttercream for a few minutes to create great fluffy texture.

Tell Me More ›

Is it better to use salted or unsalted butter for buttercream? ›

Follow this tip: Since butter makes up so much of a batch of buttercream (one-third to half is butter!), stick with using good-quality, unsalted butter. Use a brand that tastes good to you, and even better if it has a high percentage of fat and low water content.

Learn More ›

Does vanilla buttercream need to be refrigerated? ›

If your buttercream recipe is made with all butter, it will need to be refrigerated. An all-butter recipe may melt off your cake once it's reached room temperature. If you're making a pure white buttercream with no butter and just shortening, it can stay out at room temperature for up to 2 days.

Discover More ›

Why is my vanilla buttercream runny? ›

So, whether your buttercream is a veritable soup or just a touch runny, the answer is to cool it down. If the buttercream is thin enough to run off a spoon, refrigerate the whole bowl for 20 minutes, just until the frosting begins to harden around the edges.

See Details ›

How do you keep buttercream from melting when piping? ›

Buttercream melts from the warmth of your hands as you're piping along. Trick is to keep your hands as cool as possible or have two bags so they can be swapped over as one begins to soften. Keep the bags cool. Royal icing doesn't melt in the same way as buttericing because it's just sugar and egg whites.

Vanilla Buttercream Frosting Recipe - Poppy + Grace (2024)