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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This is my go-to best buttercream recipe for layer cakes and cupcakes: smooth, creamy, and easy to pipe without being overly sweet or gritty.
It’s a classic American buttercream frosting recipe made with simple ingredients, a carefully balanced ratio, and kitchen tested troubleshooting tips so it works every single time.
American buttercream gets a bad reputation for being too cloying or hard to pipe. But that’s usually a ratio or technique problem.
After testing multiple batches with different butters, brands of sugar, and mixing methods, my version consistently produces a smooth, pipeable frosting that tastes balanced instead of sugary.
Reader Love
Made this buttercream for my niece’s fifth birthday–it was perfect. Tripled it and was able to frost 50 cupcakes! Didn’t realize how important sifting the powdered sugar was–texture was so smooth! Definitely my go-to recipe!
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Sprinkle of Science
Buttercream Types: Which One Should You Use?
Before diving in, it helps to know not all buttercream is the same.
- American Buttercream (this recipe): Made with butter and powdered sugar. Sweet, quick, and sturdy. Best for beginners and decorative piping.
- Swiss Meringue Buttercream: Egg whites + sugar cooked and whipped, then butter added. Silky and less sweet, but more technical.
- Italian Buttercream: Hot sugar syrup whipped into egg whites, then butter. Very stable, great for warm conditions.
- French Buttercream: Uses egg yolks for richness. Softer and custard-like.
- Cream Cheese Frosting: Not exactly a buttercream, but made of rich dairy product and sugar all the same.
If you want the easiest, fastest option, American buttercream is the best place to start.
Ingredient Notes
There’s only a handful of ingredients, so each one matters!
Powdered sugar: Also called confectioners’ sugar. For the smoothest texture, choose an organic powdered sugar with tapioca starch instead of cornstarch, which can add a gritty texture. Sifting is essential for a smooth texture!
Unsalted butter: Use butter that’s cool but pliable (about 67°F). Too warm = greasy frosting; too cold = dense instead of fluffy. If using salted butter, cut the salt in the recipe in half.
Salt: Don’t skip! It balances flavor.
Vanilla extract: Use real vanilla for the best flavor. For an upgrade, try using vanilla bean paste!
Heavy cream or milk: Cream creates a richer mouthfeel, while milk makes a slightly lighter frosting. Either will help smooth out the buttercream for easier spreadability.
How to Make the Best Buttercream (Step-by-Step)
- Cream the butter. Beat the butter on medium speed with the paddle attachment (not the whisk — that’ll create more air bubbles!) until smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes. It should look pale and spreadable, not shiny or greasy.
- Add the powdered sugar gradually. Add the sugar on low speed in batches to prevent is from making a mess.
- Adjust the consistency. Add cream or milk a tablespoon at a time until the frosting is smooth and pipeable. The frosting should form soft peaks that hold their shape.
- Flavor and finish. Add vanilla and salt, then beat on low to medium speed until fluffy.
Storage & Make Ahead
Room temperature:
Buttercream can sit out safely for up to a day, if your kitchen is cold.
Refrigerator:
Store in an airtight container for up to 1 week. Bring to room temperature and re-whip before using.
Freezer:
Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge, then beat until smooth.
Flavor Variations
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.
- 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).
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
More Recipes You’ll Love:
This post was published in 2021 and updated in 2023 with new photos and recipe improvements. Photos by Joanie Simon.
Sue–the recipe has all the clues you need..
If it says 3 cups of sifted powdered sugar, then you sift and then measure 3 cups. This recipe calls for 3 cups of powdered sugar, sifted. So you measure and then sift. Hope that helps.
anxious to give this a try. do you measure the powdered sugar before or after you sift it? looks likes this pipes well??? will it crust? ……. thank you so much….. sue
Hello Tessa, thank you for all your awesome recipes!!!
I made the valentine’s cake with this butter cream, but as soon as i added the strawberry preserve to the mixture it split (i think that’s the right work for it) the oil or fat from the preserve was flooding on the top, it tasted very good. i followed the recipe just like you listed. What did i do wrong?? I had to use regular store bought butter cream. Please help.
not sure what kind of butter you are using Lei, but I have a 1 pound package of Land O Lakes butter. It has 4 sticks and it states: “1 stick equals 1/2 cup, 1 pound equals 2 cups or 4 sticks”. One pound has always been 16 ounces and if a 16 ounce package of butter has 4 sticks in it then 2 sticks equals 1 cup of butter, 4 sticks equals 2 cups. A cup is 8 ounces……or 2 sticks of butter. Each stick has 8 tablespoons…..not 8 ounces.
How long should I keep the butter out so it is at cold room temperature, please help!
Thank you!!!
Btw your website is awesome!!!!!!
He…he…I had to giggle at a lot of the ‘fix your recipe’ requests:) I used to have a cupcake business and this is very similar to the recipe I used for buttercream (except I added 2 tbsp. of heavy whip cream at the end and beat on high for 2 minutes- exceptional fluffy!). Your recipe looks spot on and perfect:) Best wishes!
I love all of your recipe guides, and this buttercream frosting looks perfect!
this recipe is awesome! I used salted butter and added the additional salt on accident. It was ok but too salty. If you use salted butter don’t add any salt! I need to pay a little bit more attention! I remade it with salted butter and no additional salt and it was amazing!
I love you blog! I’ve made many of your recipes. I think it’s completely hilarious how people want to correct you on your butter cream recipe. Lol! I’m not sure if people know this, but, butter cream isn’t meant to be low calorie/low sugar. Ha! I make my mine with the same exact measurements. And it’s delicious! Keep doing what you’re doing.
Thanks! I love your recipes and guides! I agree 3 cups is both conservative and laudable!
Almost all recipes assume posession of a standing mixer. I’ve made icings in the past without them. In your opinion, are standing mixers really necessary for frosting? Any tips to ensure one with a hand mixer doesn’t screw it up? I’m fairly conservative with my counter space, but don’t want to sacrafice good cupcakes. 🙂
I have a quick question…I’ve done a cake recipe, which calls for cool butter and the cake looks beautiful at first but them completely sinks. I’ve done it twice and the same thing happened both times. Can it be the cold butter? I’ve done a number of cakes and they always come out perfect. Thanks for your help!
It may be your that you leavener is expired (baking soda or baking powder), that the butter and sugar were over-beaten, or that the oven temperature was off (use an oven thermometer). It may also just be the recipe, some cakes are ultra moist and tend to sink a little bit (my favorite chocolate cake does this).
This is brilliant and so convenient! Now I can make butter cream with everyone’s favorite flavor on their birthday. When do I add the flavor in the beginning or at the end? Thank you!
You can add flavorings anytime after the butter + sugar have been beaten together.