Tessa’s Recipe Rundown
TASTE: Perfect level of sweetness without being cloyingly sweet.
TEXTURE: I love how creamy this frosting is! It has a velvety, silky texture that can’t be beat.
EASE: Super easy. This frosting comes together in just a few minutes.
WHY YOU’LL LOVE THIS RECIPE: With so many customization options, your cakes and cupcakes are about to be more delicious than ever.
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I want to teach you how to make the BEST buttercream frosting you’ve ever had.
There’s nothing worse than the sickeningly sweet and artificial-tasting store-bought frosting that comes in tubs or is loaded onto grocery store birthday cakes. I usually scrape that stuff off whenever I’m served something like that – which is saying something for this sweet-toothed girl!
But not this recipe! Perfectly balanced in sweetness, silky smooth and creamy in texture, and an absolute dream to both frost with and eat.
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Making homemade buttercream is super easy. I’ll teach you how to make perfect buttercream step-by-step, so there’s no need to feel intimidated.
This recipe is the easiest way to level up your homemade cupcakes and cakes – and it’s so much fun to customize the flavors, too. Check out all my flavor suggestions below.
Sprinkle of Science
How to Make Buttercream Frosting
What is American Buttercream?
American-style Buttercream Frosting is made of butter and powdered sugar, whipped together with a little cream and some flavoring (such as vanilla extract).
Some American buttercream recipes will contain shortening or a combination of butter and shortening, but I prefer an all-butter mixture. Shortening leaves a slightly greasy film behind on the palate and has a slight aftertaste that I don’t prefer.
The Butter
Use high-quality butter since it’s the base of the recipe. I prefer to use unsalted butter in all my baking so I’m in control of the salt. Also, be cautious that your butter isn’t too warm or too cold. Your butter should ideally be about 67°F.
Heavy Cream (and alternatives)
You can use milk or half-and-half if that’s all you have, but I highly recommend using heavy cream if possible for its creaminess and maximum richness.
The Sugar
Always use powdered sugar in American-style buttercream – other types of sugar simply won’t work the same way.
Sift powdered sugar before adding it to your buttercream. Most recipes (including mine) are written like this: “3 cups powdered sugar, sifted” which means you measure the sugar first, then sift it before adding it in.
For the absolute smoothest buttercream frosting, I recommend investing in organic powdered sugar that contains tapioca starch instead of cornstarch because it dissolves much more readily to remove grittiness. This is the brand of organic powdered sugar I usually use, though Trader Joe’s also has a great option available too.
The Vanilla
I recommend using a high-quality pure vanilla extract (not an imitation vanilla flavor) when making a buttercream, especially if you’re making a vanilla buttercream, as it’s the star of the show.
Feel free to use vanilla bean paste instead, for a pretty speckled look and heavenly flavor.
How to Tell When Buttercream is Properly Creamed
Look for smooth, fluffy buttercream that’s light and bright in color. If your frosting still looks a bit yellow or feels dense, it’s probably not creamed enough. Check out the photos below for a visual guide:
Ways to Use Buttercream Frosting:
- Fill and frost cake, like my Chocolate Cake
- Pipe onto cupcakes, like my Chocolate Cupcakes or Lemon Cupcakes
- Easily spread on cookies, like my Sugar Cookies
- Use as decoration for any treat you like!
Must-Have Tools:
Buttercream Frosting Flavor Ideas
You may need to adjust the powdered sugar ratio depending on your flavor preferences and adjust the cream ratio depending on your texture preferences.
- Chocolate: Add 1/2 cup sifted unsweetened cocoa powder.
- Strawberry: Add 1/3 cup seedless strawberry preserves and a few drops of red food coloring.
- Raspberry: Add 1/3 cup seedless raspberry preserves and a few drops of red food coloring.
- Mocha: Add 1/2 cup sifted unsweetened cocoa powder and 2 teaspoons instant espresso powder.
- Chocolate Malt: Add 1/2 cup sifted unsweetened cocoa powder, 1/2 cup malted milk powder, and use 1/4 cup milk, plus more if needed.
- Peanut Butter: Add 1 cup creamy peanut butter and reduce the powdered sugar to 2 1/2 cups.
- Irish Cream Buttercream: Use Bailey’s Irish Cream instead of cream.
- Kahlua: Add 1/2 cup sifted unsweetened cocoa powder and 1/2 cup Kahlua in place of the cream.
- Mint: Add 1/2 teaspoon of peppermint extract and a few drops of green food coloring.
- Nutella: Add 2/3 cup Nutella and reduce powdered sugar to 2 cups.
- Lemon (or any other citrus): Add 2 tablespoons lemon zest and 3 tablespoons lemon juice and increase powdered sugar to 3 1/2 cups.
- Coconut: Add 1/2 teaspoon coconut extract.
- Cinnamon: Add 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon.
- Pumpkin: Add 1/2 cup pure pumpkin puree and 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice, remove cream.
- Salted Caramel: Add 1/3 cup caramel sauce, remove cream, and increase salt to 1 teaspoon (if your caramel sauce isn’t salted).
- Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough: Use 3/4 cup light brown sugar in place of all powdered sugar, add 1 1/4 cups flour*, and garnish with mini chocolate chips. *To make the raw flour safer, we need to kill bacteria. Treat the flour by baking it at 350°F for 10 minutes or microwaving in 30-second bursts until it reaches 165°F. Use an instant-read thermometer to guarantee it hits the temperature at which bacteria dies. Heating the flour in the oven also toasts it slightly, giving it a slightly nutty caramelized flavor.
More Buttercream Recipes You’ll Love:
The Best Buttercream
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Ingredients
- 3 cups (375 grams) powdered sugar, sifted
- 2 sticks (227 grams) unsalted butter, at a cool room temperature
- 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 to 2 tablespoons heavy or whipping cream
Instructions
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add the sugar and butter. Mix on low speed until well blended and then increase the speed to medium and beat for another 3 minutes.
- Add the salt, vanilla, and cream and beat on medium speed for 1 minute, adding more cream if needed.
STORAGE:
- Transfer to an airtight container and store in the fridge for up to a week or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Let come to room temperature and re-whip in the stand mixer until light and fluffy again. Add a tablespoon or 2 of powdered sugar if it needs to thicken.
Recipe Notes
The Ultimate Cookie Handbook
Learn the sweet SCIENCE of cookie baking in a fun, visual way to customize your own recipes frustration-free. Plus, my best 50+ homemade cookies!
This post was published in 2021 and updated in 2023 with new photos and recipe improvements. Photos by Joanie Simon.
I just found this fabulous recipe. I was wondering what I could add to make it maple flavored?
Maple extract would be your best bet for lots of maple flavor without thinning the texture too much!
I still cannot believe in the 21st century that we are arguing about butter measurements in recipes. 1/4 pound or one stick = 4 oz = 1/2 cup = 4 fluid oz. – You are correct, fluid ounces does not ALWAYS equate with weight ounces…. however, with butter, IT DOES! 16 oz = one pound and it is also 2 cups of butter = 16 fl.oz.
Where is the Crisco in your recipe? My Wilton recipe is half Crisco and half butter.
Hello, Tessa. I have a big problem with buttercream recipes and have some questions. So, I’ve been doing the buttercream for more than a year, and it’s always impossible to eat. So much powdered sugar was so sweet that anybody could eat it and had to through the buttercream away. It also tastes like a real butter (which I don’t really like and eat) Other recipes, for instance, Cupcake Jemma add much more powdered sugar. However, there are lots of positive feedbacks in the internet and I think, that all these issues exist only in my kitchen(((( Look, 375 gr of powdered sugar is a bit more than 250 ml cup, isn’t it? There’s no vanilla extract in my country but I’ve bought powdered sugar mixed with natural vanilla. Maybe powdered sugar is less sweet in the USA than in my country. Please, help me solve my problem ’cause I wanna decorate cupcakes with roses.
P.S. Thanks in advance 🙂
Hi Sofya, it may be a difference in the sugar available to you, or simply a personal preference. If you find American-style buttercream too sweet and sugary, you’ll probably love Swiss Meringue Buttercream! https://handletheheat.com/how-to-make-perfect-swiss-meringue-buttercream/
Hi! I just wanted to say THANKS TESSA! I may be only 12, but I just made this superb buttercream on a vanilla cake and it was awesome!!!! I made the lemon flavoured buttercream frosting , and I just got to say WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!l!!! My dad wouldn’t stop licking it! I was sure I would have to triple the batch! I’m going to bring it to my great uncle’s 4th of July celebration! I’ m so excited! I know all the people will love it ! Lemon + Old black people + my black family = SUCCESS! 😉 4th of July 2017!!!! Thanks again, bye!
Hi,
This looks a great idea. I’ve got a recipe at home that forever melts on me, no matter how much sugar I put in. I also prefer to use a vegetable fat substitute for butter as I find that a bit sickly. Has anyone tried this recipe not using butter??? How did it come out?
Thanks
Hello Tessa! I want to thank you for this recipe. I have tried many frosting ones before and never liked the taste…it being too sweet. Also, the consistency wasn’t thick enough for all the decorations I wanted to do. Your Buttercream Recipe is incredible! I use it everyone I need frosting now. I had bought Russian Decorating Tips and it is the ONLY frosting that will work with them. It has made me love decorating even more! Thank you so much, Tessa!
So happy to hear that, Melissa!
Hi Tessa, I was wondering if you could assist and tell me if this buttercream recipe is stiff enough to use with Russian Piping tips?
I would appreciate a reply as your time allows.
Thank you, Yvonne
Hi Yvonne, I haven’t tried using a Russian piping tip but you can easily thicken this recipe by omitting all or part of the cream or adding in more powdered sugar if needed 🙂
Hey,
if I would make my cupcakes a day before I would hand them out, and I did this as well with te Buttercream, could I decorate them in the morning (7am) to hand them out around 10 am?
Thank you !
Axelle
Love your buttercream recepies. Used strawberry one for m daughters 1st birthday cake and was a huge hit. Today made the chocolate buttercream for my father in-laws 75th birthday cake. Tastes awesome. Thanks
Hi Tessa! I just want to say that I LOVE all your recipes, I have tried many of them.. and your buttercream recipe is my go-to for decorating, everyone always compliments me on how good it is. I have a question though, how would I make the buttercream into a thicker consistency? I want to try some Russian piping flower tips and from what I have read it says these are best used with a thick consistency buttercream
Add more powdered sugar! If that’s not thick enough, substitute 1/4 or 1/2 of the butter with shortening.
Hello Teresa, I would like to know what is the thing that you put is jelly? I will be trying to make it, looks really good. Please tell me what else is after the color. Thanks
Tessa-I love this recipe, made it the other day and received so many compliments on how good it tasted. I just have one question-it was too soft to make roses, they just fell..Should I leave out the heavy cream next time to make it stiffer?
Glad to hear that! And, yep! Leave out the cream for a stiffer consistency. Or, you can always add more powdered sugar if you’ve already added cream 🙂