I’ve tested a ton of buttercream recipes in my day, but my go-to is a super simple American buttercream recipe that I’ve tweaked to my liking. I’ve used this recipe for frosting countless cakes and cupcakes and I’m a big believer that a good vanilla buttercream is something every baker should have in their recipe box. There’s nothing fancy about the way this recipe is made, but it will certainly taste like you whipped up something special!
My Favorite Buttercream Frosting for Cake Decorating
This vanilla buttercream recipe is technically an American buttercream, which basically means it has a butter base and is stabilized and sweetened with powdered sugar. Most American buttercream recipes use a ton of powdered sugar to give structure to the frosting, but I have tailored this recipe to use less powdered sugar and be less sweet than your average American buttercream. As a result, the vanilla flavor really shines through and it’s the perfect consistency for cake decorating, topping cupcakes, and even creating intricate designs. It also firms up in the refrigerator, making it ideal to use as a base under fondant!
Vanilla Buttercream Key Ingredients & Substitutions
There are just a handful of ingredients you’ll need for this recipe and it’s simple to whip up for people of all skill levels. I’ll explain what role each ingredient plays in the buttercream and any substitutes you can use:
- Unsalted Butter. This is the base of the buttercream and gives the frosting a rich buttery flavor and velvety smooth texture. If you only have salted butter on hand, you can use that instead and omit the salt at the end of the recipe. And if you want a vegan version of this buttercream, you can follow this recipe which uses vegan butter sticks.
- Powdered Sugar. This adds stability to the frosting while sweetening. I like to use less powdered sugar than the average American buttercream so that the frosting doesn’t end up cloyingly sweet, but if you’d like it even less sweet you can reduce the powdered sugar amount by up to ½ Cup. Just keep in mind that the consistency of the buttercream will be thinner.
- Pure Vanilla Extract. This flavors the buttercream, and making sure you use a good quality vanilla extract or paste is one of the secrets to success. You can use any kind of vanilla extract or paste, but my favorite brands are Trader Joe’s Bourbon Vanilla and Costco Pure Vanilla Extract (the price is unbeatable). You can also substitute this ingredient for other extract flavors, just be careful how much you use because some extracts are more potent than others! If you’re looking for more flavor options, I have all of my frosting recipes here.
- Whole Milk or Heavy Whipping Cream. This thins out the buttercream while binding all the ingredients together. I like to use a liquid with lots of fat for this part because it makes the final frosting more velvety smooth, so whole milk or heavy whipping cream are my go-to’s. If you’d rather use a dairy-free option you can substitute this with any milk alternative, but keep in mind that the flavor of the liquid will affect the overall frosting flavor.
- Salt. A pinch of salt helps balance the sweetness beautifully.
Vanilla Buttercream Tips for Success
This buttercream is simple for anyone to make, but there are a few things to keep in mind when making, storing, and working with it.
- Room Temperature Ingredients. Be sure to use room temperature ingredients. This is important for ingredients to combine and create a smooth consistency. Over the years I’ve found that cutting corners like adding cold milk will create a curdled look in the final frosting because the temperature hinders the ingredients from coming together smoothly. Not the best look! So, take your ingredients like butter and milk out of the refrigerator for about an hour prior to making the frosting.
- Use the Paddle Attachment on Your Stand Mixer. Also known as the flat beater attachment, the paddle attachment is designed to incorporate just the right amount of air into the buttercream. This makes it easier to make smooth buttercream without a ton of air bubbles.
- Whip the Butter for a Long Time. To achieve the smoothest buttercream that’s also nearly white in color, you’ll want to whip the butter for a long time – about 7 minutes. In this amount of time, the butter should go from yellow to almost white and be extra smooth.
- Then Mix Everything Else on Low Speed. After you whip the butter, it’s important to keep the mixer on low speed any time you’re mixing in the additional ingredients. Even though it will take longer to mix the ingredients, keeping the mixer on low speed helps prevent air bubbles from forming in the buttercream.
- Let the Ingredients Fully Combine. After I mix in the final ingredient (salt) I like to run the mixer on low speed for another minute or two to allow everything to combine fully. This gives the powdered sugar time to dissolve as well, so the buttercream will taste smooth and not grainy.
Here’s a quick video I whipped up to show you my method for making this buttercream recipe and all my tips for success:
I’ve got more recipe videos like this one + some fun cake decorating tutorials on my YouTube channel if you want to see some more! I’m always rolling out new videos, so click the subscribe button while you’re there to ensure you never miss a new one.
Vanilla Buttercream
Ingredients
- 1 cup (226g) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 3 1/2 cups (420g) powdered sugar, sifted
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 Tbsp whole milk or heavy whipping cream, room temperature
- 1/4 tsp salt, or to taste
Instructions
- With a hand mixer or paddle attachment on your stand mixer, cream the butter on medium-high until it’s creamy and light (almost white) in color. About 7 minutes.
- With the mixer on low, add the sifted powdered sugar one cup at a time, scraping down after each addition and making sure each cup is fully incorporated before adding the next one.
- Add vanilla, milk, and salt and mix on low for another minute until fully incorporated.
Notes
- Frost 12-15 cupcakes with a piping bag
- Fill and crumb coat a three-layer 6-inch cake or two-layer 8-inch cake. To have enough for frosting and decorating as well, double the recipe.
Tips for the best buttercream consistency
There are three types of consistency for buttercream that you need to know, and each one plays a different role in cake decorating.
Medium Consistency
This is the most versatile of all consistencies. It works perfectly as a filling between layers, crumb coating, frosting a cake (especially if you want a smooth buttercream finish), and even decorating cupcakes with simple piping tips. This buttercream recipe is medium consistency as-is, so it’s super easy to spread smoothly onto cakes. To test and make sure you’ve got a medium consistency going, you should be able to dip your rubber spatula into the buttercream and it will come out with soft peaks and spread easily when you move your finger over it.
Thin Consistency
This is the perfect consistency for painting with buttercream or writing a message on your cake. To achieve it, just add 1-2 additional teaspoons of room temperature milk to thin out the buttercream.
Stiff Consistency
If you’re piping buttercream flowers, especially ones with petals that need to stand upright, you’ll need a stiff consistency. Add an extra 1/2 cup of powdered sugar per batch of the above recipe to achieve this. When you dip your rubber spatula into the frosting, it should come out with stiff peaks, but when you pipe with it, make sure it’s not so thick that you have to put a ton of extra pressure on the bag or clog the piping tip. If you’re running into these problems, fear not! You can tone it down by adding room temperature whole milk, 1 tsp at a time, until it’s just right.
Hola es la primera vez que entro en tu blog, y vaya me encantó. Mi pregunta es, cuánto dura la consistencia de la crema si hago una torta con picos como la de unicornio que tú hiciste, pero si la dejo al aire libre en un cumpleaños
Hola, Leonela, haría la crema de mantequilla de consistencia media y debería estar bien salir en una fiesta de cumpleaños al aire libre durante una hora o dos, siempre que la temperatura exterior sea de 75 grados o menos. Si hace más calor que eso, dejaría la torta en el refrigerador hasta una hora antes de servirla.
This was so helpful
Yay, Rika! I’m so happy to hear that!
I use crisco in my icing. Can I use the same ratio you have with the butter? Also, what about the butter crisco? Thoughts?
Hi Sunshine! I’ve never tried this recipe with Crisco or Butter Crisco, so it would be an experiment for you! I think it’s worth trying though, and if you do I would try it with the same ratio I have with butter. Let me know if you try it, I’m curious now!
Hello! I would like to know if with these quantities you decorate the whole cake or make more quantity of cream. Thank you
Hi Martina! I double the recipe if I’m filling and frosting a 6 inch cake, but as-is it will fill and frost a 4 inch cake or can be used to decorate about 18-20 cupcakes. Hope that helps!
how much powdered sugar and milk do you use to pipe cupcakes?
Hi Ashton! I just make the recipe as-is for piping cupcakes. If you feel that you need more powdered sugar to make the buttercream more stiff, you can add another 1/2 cup or so.
Your cake is gorgeous!! I have a quick question about the sifted powdered sugar. Do you measure first then sift into the creamer butter or do you sift into a measuring cup? Thanks!!
Hi Marlena! I usually sift the powdered sugar into a big bowl, then spoon it into a measuring cup and level it off before adding it to the butter. Hope that helps!
I live in middle Alabama, and all butter buttercream will melt in my kitchen, much less during transport even if it’s been refrigerated. Do you have any tips for making it more stable. Currently, I use 1/2 butter and 1/2 Crisco. I’ve just learned about SweetX, but wondered about the taste.
Hi Donna! I hear that replacing some (or all) of the butter with shortening is the best way to make it heat resistant, and using a high ratio shortening (like Sweetex) is better than using Crisco. Here’s a recipe I’ve made in the past that replaces some of the butter with shortening (with instructions in the notes on how to make it even more stable): https://www.designmeacake.com/how-to-make-crusting-buttercream
Thank you for sharing!!! And the tips are so awesome!
Hi. After frosting the cake, should I refrigerate it or is it okay to keep it in room temperature?
Hi Debbie! While you can technically leave the frosted cake at room temperature for up to two days, I usually refrigerate it until about an hour before serving the cake. I only do that to ensure the frosting stays picture perfect + the cake is easier to handle for a delivery if it’s cold. Just make sure you serve the cake at room temperature because it tastes better that way!
Hi
Just love your blog. I’m new to frosting and decorating cakes, your blog explains it very well. Loved your spatula painting decor idea. I’m definitely going to try it out. Thanks and love from India .
Swetha, that makes my day! So happy you’ve found my blog helpful and I’m cheering you on in your newfound love for cake decorating!
I plan on making this cake for my 40th this weekend. I’m doing a 4 layer 8inch round cake. How many quantities of buttercream would I need?
And is it whiter than a Swiss buttercream? Mine always tend to look so yellow
Thanks
Hi Amber! Happy birthday! For a 4 layer 8 inch cake, you’ll need 2.5x this recipe if you’re planning on using it as a filling and a frosting. Just multiply each ingredient by 2.5 to get the correct amount. And yes – this buttercream should be much whiter than a swiss meringue as long as you whip the butter in the beginning for the full time specified. Enjoy!
Thanks alot…I’m newbe from Indonesia
Hi Ayou! Hope you love the buttercream recipe!
Wow!!! Ur recipes are sooo wonderful and amazing. I just love them. It’s soooo simple and easy to understand. Thnks a lot for sharing ur wonderful recipes with everyone
Thanks so much Zumaira! That’s so kind!
Thanks for sharing, looking forward to using this
Thank from Russia ))
Of course, Tamara! Love from Portland!
Hi Whitney, Thanks so much for your awesome tips! Can I ice my cake to completion then keep it in the fridge for about 3 days? Do I need a cake box if so?
Thank you x
Hi Katie! That should work, but I wouldn’t frost it any farther in advance just to make sure it stays fresh for serving. A cake box would help prevent it from absorbing other fridge flavors. Here’s a blog post I wrote on making cakes ahead just in case: https://sugarandsparrow.com/making-cakes-ahead/
Thank you Whitney! I am new to your blog amd I adore it already! You’re posts are to the point, and funny and your recipes aren’t overwhelmingly or complicated! From this busy F/t Mommy, big thanks!
Blessings to you!
Aw thanks so much Elizabeth! That is so kind and I’m happy you’ve found my recipes and blog posts useful!
Could I use Margarine instead of the Butter for this recipe or will it have an effect on the colour or flavour of the buttercream? Thanks!
Hi Dara! I’ve never tried this recipe with margarine before, so I can’t say for sure how it will turn out. My hunch is that the consistency will be fine, but it might be more yellow in color and will have a margarine flavor, but as long as you don’t mind the flavor of margarine I’d say give it a try!
Hi Whitney, thanks for your tips!! Buttercream is always too sweet for me. Is there any other ways to make it stiffer without making it sweeter?
Hi Jodie! I hate having buttercream that’s too sweet, which is why my recipe includes less powdered sugar than normal and the addition of salt. If the stiffened version of this recipe is still too sweet for your liking, try adding an extra pinch or two of salt to even out the flavor.
Hi, Am from Peru, and am new in the world of pastry. I followed you for a while, but i didn´t know you have a blog. I love your work, and found this tips it´s awesome. Thanks for sharing all your secrets.
My question is, when you said less powdered sugar and the addition of salt, you meant like change quantities? And if i use less powdered sugar, my buttercream will be thin? I used 334gr of margarine and 167gr of shortening, and 1kg of powder sugar. And i have same problem, flavor its to sweet. I use a peruvian escense called: Leche condensada, not Vanilla. Thanks again for your tips, and by just reading my comment am happy! Best of wishes always!
Hi Johanna! Thanks so much for the kind words! Depending on the consistency of the buttercream (if you want it thicker for piping things like buttercream flowers or thinner for frosting a cake) I recommend using different amounts of powdered sugar, as specified in the Consistency section of this post after the recipe. If your buttercream is too sweet, you can add a little extra salt to tone it down. I always just taste as I go. Hope that helps!
To help cut the sweetness, add some lemon extract to the recipe. Start with 1 teaspoon per 1 kg of powdered sugar. Let it sit for a few minutes, then taste it. You can add another 1/2 teaspoon if you would like. But be careful as adding to much it will change the flavor to a strong lemon flavor.
I don’t even bake and I love watching your posts.
Thank you, Elaine!
Thank you very much!! Love from Holland.
Thanks, Kim! Love from Portland as well!!
If I want to make a Nutella butter cream would I just add Nutella to this recipe also if I wanted to put a filling in my cake could I just put melted Nutella in the middle? Sorry I’m still learning about cakes
Hi Summer! I have a recipe for Nutella buttercream I’d recommend here: https://sugarandsparrow.com/nutella-buttercream-recipe/ and if you’re using Nutella as a filling, be sure to use the “soft fillings method” in this post to fill/stack the cake: https://sugarandsparrow.com/fill-and-stack-cake-layers/ Nutella on it’s own (either melted or piped in between layers as-is) is too thin to use as a filling without first piping the buttercream dam as explained in that blog post. Hope that helps!
Hi, reading your blog and watching your videos has been so helpful for me! if i am layering 3 layers of sponge then icing to a semi naked style how much would you say id need to make of this butter cream? thank you
amber
Hi Amber! For 3 6-inch layers you’ll only need one batch for a semi-naked finish. If your layers are larger in diameter you may need 1.5 batches. Here’s a handy chart I made for calculating buttercream amounts: https://sugarandsparrow.com/how-much-buttercream-do-i-need/
Hallo, wat is dit ‘whole milk or heavy whipping cream’???
Alvast bedankt
Hi Aygul! Whole milk has the highest butterfat percentage of any dairy milk (as opposed to “2%” or “skim milk”, etc) and heavy whipping cream is basically whole milk with an even higher butterfat percentage. What kind of milk do you have over there? I can offer a recommendation if you don’t have access to whole milk or heavy whipping cream.
Hi Whitney,
while I do have whole milk and heavy whipping cream I’m curious to hear your other recommendation. I don’t generally have either at home as we don’t drink milk and the heavy cream always goes to waste after the couple tbsps I use out of the cartons :/
Thanks!
Hi Maria! This recipe is best with either whole milk or heavy whipping cream. I’ve never tried it with any other liquid, but I suppose you could substitute it with any liquid dairy you have on hand. Let me know if you try it with something as a substitute!
I don’t have access to either and have 2% milk at home. What’s your recommendation?
Hi Takwa, you can use 2% milk and the results should be totally fine! Just make sure the milk is room temperature before adding it to the buttercream. I only recommend Whole Milk or Heavy Whipping Cream because that’s usually what I have on hand and the added fat content produces buttercream that’s a little bit fluffier.
I don’t have easy access to whole milk or heavy cream! I’d love a recommendation!
Hi Takwa. Just like I mentioned above, you can use any kind of milk you want. You mentioned having 2% milk at home and that would be totally fine.
Hi Whitney
If I am doing a 3 layer 20cm round cake with a 2 layer 10cm round cake how many quantities do you recommend for layers, crumb coat and frosting?
Thank you
Hi Leanne! To fill, crumb coat, and frost both cakes of those sizes, I would make 2.5 batches of this recipe.
Hi! I don’t have a stand mixer currently. Can I whip this by hand?
Hi Clarissa! This recipe works great with an electronic hand mixer, but if you are planning on trying to whip it up without an electronic device you won’t be able to get the butter whipped enough unfortunately.
Love this recipe. I use it all the time. I have tried lots of different recipes for vanilla buttercream with different ratios but this is the best I have found and the most like the vanilla buttercream I loved as a kid! Thank you!
That’s amazing, Jen! I’m so happy this recipe is nostalgic for you 🙂
Hi Whitney, once I have done the crumbed coating & refrigerate the cake..do I also refrigerate the buttercream?
Hi Colleen! If you’re only refrigerating the crumb coated cake for 20-30 minutes, I would just keep the remaining buttercream at room temperature covered with a cloth. That way it’s ready to go when you move on to frosting the cake. If you’re refrigerating the crumb coated cake overnight, I would refrigerate the buttercream as well and then bring it back to room temp the next day and rewhip it with your stand mixer to bring it back to frosting consistency before frosting the cake. Hope that helps!
My buttercream came out too thin I think, it was dripping down the side of the cake. Did I perhaps let the butter sit out at room temperature for too long?
Hi Jay! The buttercream should never drip down the side of the cake. It sounds like either your butter was too melty to begin with or your kitchen environment was too warm (or both). Here’s a blog post I wrote about how to fix buttercream consistency if you find this happens again: https://sugarandsparrow.com/buttercream-consistency/
Thank you! Love the article. ❤️