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.
APPEARANCE: Perfectly smooth and creamy.
PROS: With so many customization options, your cakes and cupcakes are about to be more delicious than ever.
CONS: None.
WILL I MAKE THIS AGAIN? Absolutely.
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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!
Enter my homemade buttercream frosting recipe. Perfectly balanced in sweetness, silky smooth and creamy in texture, and an absolute dream to both frost with and eat.
Making homemade buttercream might feel a bit daunting, but I promise it’s super easy! I’ll teach you how to make perfect buttercream step-by-step, so there’s no need to feel intimidated.
My buttercream frosting 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 customization suggestions below.
How to Make Buttercream Frosting
What is Buttercream Frosting?
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 use an all-butter mixture. Shortening leaves a slightly greasy film behind on the palate and has a slight aftertaste that I don’t prefer.
This perfect buttercream frosting recipe is one of the quickest and easiest buttercreams possible.
Ingredients for The Best Buttercream Frosting:
- Sugar – Powdered sugar (aka confectioners’ sugar) is the base for this buttercream. Be sure to sift the powdered sugar or your buttercream may end up clumpy and gritty. Read more about my preferred types of powdered sugar below.
- Butter – Use high-quality butter since it’s the base of the recipe. I like Challenge butter and 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.
- Salt – I like using fine sea salt, simply because I prefer the flavor. Learn more about different types of salt here.
- Vanilla extract – I recommend using a high-quality pure vanilla extract (not an imitation vanilla flavor) when making a buttercream, especially if it’s a vanilla buttercream and the star of the show. Even better, use vanilla paste if making vanilla buttercream!
- Heavy cream – Used to thin out the buttercream just a touch and give it that smooth consistency and creamy texture.
Do I Have to Use Heavy Cream? Can I Use Milk in This Buttercream?
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. There’s a reason it’s called buttercream. 😉
Why is my Buttercream Frosting Full of Air Bubbles?
Be sure to use the flat paddle attachment on your stand mixer. Using a whisk attachment will cause air bubbles to form. If your buttercream has been sitting for an extended period, you will need to re-mix on your mixer’s lowest setting for a minute or two, or mix by hand with a rubber spatula for a few minutes.
If your ingredients are too cold, this can also cause airy buttercream.
Here’s how to fix this:
- Remove ½ a cup of buttercream to a separate bowl.
- Microwave it for 10-15 seconds until softened (without melting it).
- Add it back to the bowl and hand mix with a rubber spatula to fully incorporate.
This will help the whole batch of buttercream warm up a little and encourage the air bubbles to dissipate.
The Best Powdered Sugar for Buttercream
Always 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.
Buttercream Must-Have Tools:
- Digital kitchen scale
- Measuring spoons
- KitchenAid Stand Mixer or Electric Hand Mixer
- Fine Mesh Sieve
- Disposable Piping bags
Step-by-Step Instructions for Buttercream Frosting:
- Mix the powdered sugar and butter. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix together the sugar and butter. Scrape down the bottom and sides of the bowl.
- Continue to mix. Mix on low speed until well blended and then increase to medium speed and beat for another 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl.
- Add the salt, vanilla, and cream. Beat on medium for 1 minute, adding more cream if needed (go slow and only add a teaspoon or so at a time) until your desired consistency is reached.
- Use right away or store for later use. Your buttercream is now ready to use, or it can be stored in the fridge for up to a week or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
How to Tell When Buttercream is Properly Creamed:
How to Color Your Buttercream Frosting
If you’re adding a flavor that naturally is colored (such as fruit preserves or chocolate), then your buttercream frosting will, of course, be colored by this addition.
For a more brightly-colored buttercream, I highly recommended gel food coloring. I like Americolor or Chefmaster gel food coloring. It packs a saturated punch so you don’t need to use much. Start with a few drops then add more from there until you reach your desired color.
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!
Does Buttercream Need to be Refrigerated?
While the sugar in buttercream acts as a preservative and keeps the frosting intact for a few hours at a time, I recommend storing the buttercream in the refrigerator.
How to Store The Best Buttercream:
Transfer to an airtight container and store in the fridge for up to a week. Allow the buttercream to come to room temperature, then re-whip in the stand mixer until light and fluffy again. Add a tablespoon or 2 of powdered sugar if it needs to thicken.
Can You Freeze The Best Buttercream?
Yes! Store this buttercream in an airtight container or freezer bag in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge, and then bring to room temperature before re-whipping until light and fluffy again.
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 topping and increase salt to 1 teaspoon, remove cream.
- 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 nutty caramelized flavor that works beautifully in this recipe.
Click here for my FREE Best Buttercream Cheatsheet, which includes the recipe, my tips and tricks, and all of the customization ideas listed above in printable form!
Other Buttercream Recipes You’ll Love:
- Best Ever Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
- Swiss Meringue Buttercream
- Cream Cheese Frosting
- Peanut Butter Frosting
The Best Buttercream
Ingredients
- 3 cups (375 grams) powdered sugar, sifted
- 2 sticks (227 grams) unsalted butter, at a cool room temperature
- 1/4 teaspoon fine 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
This post was published in 2021 and updated in 2023 with new photos and recipe improvements. Photos by Joanie Simon.
I love this buttercream, so nice and smooth! But I hate having to use so much butter. Bite Sized Kitchen has a recipe for a buttercream like frosting without the butter! https://bitesizedkitchen.com/powdered-sugar-vanilla-frosting/ Do yo think this will work as a faux buttercream for those limiting their butter intake?
Hi. The brown sugar variation say flour is in it. When do I add the flour?
What if we don’t have any heavy whipping cream can we use whipped cream?
Always turns out perfect!
Hi, thanks for the recipe.
do i need to re whip it if i store it in the fridge and for how long??
Thank you
Hi, I have to make a blue (darker blue) train for my son’s party (it’s 3D) and I’m concerned about the food coloring taste (my husband declares it as soapy). Would a chocolate buttercream help cover the taste or is there another trick? It’s for a bunch of 3 year olds so negotiating a different color is out of the question.
Also – does this recipe pipe well? I’m decorating with hundreds and hundreds of tiny stars….It will be decorated 2 days before the party.
Chocolate buttercream is really hard to color. I have to say… most kids don’t notice the taste of food coloring 😉 You can try using vanilla paste to help improve the flavor. You can make any recipe pipe well – just be sure the butter is not too warm and add extra powdered sugar for more stiffness for more intricate designs 🙂
Hi Tessa how much is 1/2 cup cocoa in grams please and at what point do you add it in? Thanks!
This recipe sounds great! I have a question though, sorry if this sounds silly. I’m wanting to make the chocolate buttercream for my son’s birthday cake this weekend. But I don’t want the color of the frosting to be too dark because of how I’m going to be decorating the cake. Would you say the chocolate buttercream is a fairly dark brown? Or is there any way to lighten the color while still getting the good chocolate flavor? Help! TIA!
Nothing special here. Another tooth achingly sweet American buttercream. Any other type of buttercream- Swiss Meringue, Italian Meringue, French, Creme Anglaise, Ermine, etc. is well worth learning how to make.
I have made this recipe many, many times and it’s the best recipe I have come across. People always tell me how good it is with just the right amount of sweetness. The only thing I do a bit differently is I don’t add the cream right away. I mix it up, store it in the fridge and then when I go to use it I whip the cream in.
I have been using this recipe for years and it works perfectly every time! I have tried it with all different flavors and combinations and everyone always enjjoys it. Thank you!
This is my go to frosting for when I make the chocolate cake recipe on the Hershey’s baking cocoa container.
I never fail to receive raving compliments when I bring a cake to meals at church or work. There are never any leftovers.