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.
Thanks for your helpful insight.
It’s confusing that the photo has a whip attachment, but the recipe calls for paddle.
Hi Betty! Thanks so much for bringing this to our attention! This is on our list of photos needing to be updated, which we can hopefully do soon. It should definitely be a paddle attachment, not whisk 🙂
I’ve made the chocolate chip cookie dough version several times and it turned out great!
Hi Joanna! So happy to hear that you enjoy this frosting so much! The chocolate chip cookie dough version is soooo good 🙂
I have a question. With the salted caramel variation, do I reduce the amount of powdered sugar(3cups) with the addition of the 1/3 cup of salted caramel?
Hi Persis! You do not need to adjust the amount of powdered sugar! Simply omit the heavy cream, and instead add in 1/3 cup caramel topping/sauce, and increase the salt to 1 teaspoon. Enjoy 🙂
your recipe listed above and the one in the guide have different weights listed for icing sugar. could you please confirm
Hi Elisabeth! The correct amount is 375 grams for 3 cups of powdered sugar, as listed on our site. We will get the guide corrected, thank you so much for bringing that to our attention!
After many failed attempts at making buttercream (and feeling frustrated and embarrassed about it), I finally had success with this recipe! I made Irish Creme for St. Patrick’s Day cupcakes. I love all of the variations and can’t wait to try others. I would love to know if you have any suggestions for an Oreo/Cookies ‘n Creme variation? Thank you!
So happy you love this recipe and its variations! 🙂 We surprisingly don’t have a cookies ‘n creme option for this recipe, though I think we have every other type of cookies ‘n creme you could ask for: cheesecake, doughnuts, ice cream! That’s a great variation for us to experiment with in the future. I’m almost thinking you could just mix in crushed Oreos (minus the filling), but again, I can’t say for sure how much as we haven’t tried it. Let us know if you give it a try!
Can I put powdered vallina instead.
We haven’t tried that, but it should be fine! Vanilla powder does have a more concentrated flavor, so you’ll want to use 1 teaspoon in place of the 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, and you may need to add additional heavy cream if the buttercream is too thick. Let us know how it goes if you give it a try 🙂
This is seriously the easiest and most delicious buttercream recipe I’ve ever used. I can’t recommend it enough. Thankyou for sharing
So happy you love this recipe!
Am i able to freeze the Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough buttercream ?
Sure!
Hi there,
How come you say paddle attachment in the instructions but show the whip attachment in your picture?
Thanks!
Thanks so much for bringing this to our attention! I’ve added this to our list of photos needing to be updated, it should definitely be a paddle attachment, not whisk.
I made this buttercream recipe and the chocolate and both were by far the best.
You offer all these wonderful cheat sheets. I have requested many and have received none! No emails ever come…
Hi Karen! I’m sorry you’re having issues receiving our cheat sheets! It appears that you’ve requested the Buttercream cheatsheet in the past, and our system only allows it to be sent to the same email once. Can you please email me at [email protected] and let me know what other cheatsheets you were looking for? I’m happy to send them to you via email. Thanks!