This easy vanilla buttercream recipe is my go-to American buttercream for cakes and cupcakes. It’s rich, creamy, full of vanilla flavor, and less sweet than traditional American buttercream thanks to the perfect balance of butter, powdered sugar, vanilla, and salt. It has a smooth, spreadable consistency that’s ideal for filling and frosting layer cakes, topping cupcakes, and piping intricate designs. It also firms up in the refrigerator, making it perfect to use as a frosting base under fondant!
One reader, Iqra, says: “I LOVE this recipe, I have been making buttercream for some time now but I wanted to see if I could make it better, creamier and less sweet. And this recipe was just that! It was so creamy, light, fluffy and the perfect amount of sweetness. Best recipe I have found!” ★★★★★
I’ve tested countless buttercream recipes over the years, and this is the vanilla frosting I come back to again and again. It’s simple enough for beginner bakers but versatile enough for detailed cake decorating, and you can easily adjust the consistency depending on how you plan to use it.
Why You’ll Love This Vanilla Buttercream
- Beginner-Friendly. No cooked sugar, egg whites, or complicated techniques necessary here. This vanilla buttercream comes together in minutes with a stand mixer or hand mixer.
- Less Sweet. This recipe uses less powdered sugar than the average American buttercream and balances the sweetness with salt.
- Perfect for Cake Decorating. The consistency of this buttercream is ideal for filling and frosting layer cakes and decorating cupcakes. You can easily adjust the consistency to make it thinner or thicker depending on what you need it for.
- Strong Vanilla Flavor. You can use vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste here, either way you’ll end up with amazing vanilla flavor.
- Easy to Make Ahead. You can make this vanilla frosting up to two weeks ahead of time stored in the refrigerator, or up to two months ahead if you want to freeze it.
Vanilla Buttercream Ingredients
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 (60g). Just keep in mind that the consistency of the buttercream will be thinner.
- Vanilla. You can use either vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste to flavor the buttercream, and making sure you use a quality brand 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 and Kirkland Signature (from Costco) for vanilla extract, and Nielsen-Massey for vanilla bean paste. If you’re looking for more flavor options, I have all of my frosting recipes here.
- 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.
How to Make Vanilla Buttercream
- Whip the Butter.
- Add the Powdered Sugar
- Add the Vanilla, Milk, and Salt.
- Mix Until Smooth.
How to Make the Right Buttercream Consistency
Depending on what you’re using this vanilla buttercream recipe for, you’ll want to consider the final consistency of the buttercream (in other words, how thick or thin it is). I have a detailed blog post on how to achieve the perfect buttercream consistency if you want additional resources. Here are the 3 types of buttercream consistency and what they’re best used for:
| Buttercream Consistency | Best For | How to Make It |
| Medium Consistency (the recipe as-is) | -Filling and stacking cakes -Crumb coating -Frosting a smooth buttercream finish -Piping a buttercream border -Piping swirls onto cupcakes | Follow the exact recipe below |
| Thin Consistency | -Piping a message with frosting -Buttercream painting -Getting a super smooth final coat of frosting (like what I use in this smooth buttercream hack) | Add one extra tablespoon of whole milk or heavy whipping cream at the end of the recipe |
| Stiff Consistency | -Piping buttercream flowers -Piping intricate designs that need to stand upright against gravity (like ruffles on a lambeth cake) -Piping a really sturdy buttercream dam before filling cakes with a soft filling. | Add extra powdered sugar to the recipe, about 2-3 tablespoons at a time, until the desired consistency is reached |
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.
Vanilla Buttercream Troubleshooting + FAQs
- How much buttercream do I need to make for my cake project? It depends! I made this handy chart to help you calculate how many batches of buttercream to make for your specific cake size.
- How do I make my buttercream whiter? This buttercream is pretty white as-is from whipping the butter for so long, but to get it even more white, you’ll either want to add an icing whitener like AmeriColor Bright White or the tiniest amount of purple food coloring (it helps cancel out yellow hues).
- Do I need to sift the powdered sugar? It’s not absolutely required, but to get the smoothest texture for your buttercream, you’ll want to sift the powdered sugar.
- How do I get rid of air bubbles in my frosting? There are a few techniques! I detail them all in this blog post.
- Why is my buttercream grainy? Your powdered sugar isn’t fully dissolved. Keep mixing on low speed until it’s no longer grainy.
- Why does my buttercream look curdled? The most common reason is adding liquid (like the milk in the recipe) that is cold. This seizes up the butter content and creates a curdled look. To fix it, scoop out about ¼ cup of the buttercream and place it into a microwave-safe bowl. Heat it for 5-10 seconds, until it’s melted but not hot. Then, mix it into the rest of the buttercream to re-emulsify the separated fats and liquids.
- Why is my buttercream too thin? This recipe will end up thinner than usual if you start with butter that is too soft or your kitchen environment is too warm. In either of these cases, refrigerate the whole bowl of buttercream for 15-20 minutes to let the butter re-solidify slightly, then re-mix with your stand mixer on low speed until smooth.
- Why is my buttercream hard to spread? Sometimes after storing buttercream, it can thicken naturally and become hard to spread when you’re frosting a cake. In this case, I recommend re-mixing on low speed with your stand mixer and adding 1-2 teaspoons of room temperature milk until the consistency is silky and easy to spread.
- How do I store buttercream? Place the buttercream in an airtight container and store at room temperature for 1-2 days, or in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. When you’re ready to use it, bring it back to room temperature and re-mix with your stand mixer on low speed until smooth. You can also freeze buttercream in a Ziploc bag for up to 2 months, then thaw it in the refrigerator overnight before bringing it back to room temperature and re-mixing until smooth.
Vanilla Buttercream Video Tutorial
This video shows my vanilla buttercream recipe from start to finish and includes all my best tips for success. Be sure to subscribe to my YouTube channel for all my latest recipe videos and cake decorating tutorials!
Cake Recipes to Pair with Vanilla Buttercream
The great thing about vanilla buttercream is that it pairs well with pretty much any cake flavor! Here are a few of my favorite recipes to pair it with:
- Vanilla Cake
- Vanilla Cupcakes
- One-Bowl Chocolate Cake
- Chocolate Cupcakes
- Funfetti Sheet Cake
- Funfetti Cupcakes
I hope this vanilla buttercream recipe becomes your new go-to! Let me know what you think in the comments below (be sure to leave a star rating!) and feel free to tag @sugarandsparrowco on Instagram to show me a photo.
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.
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. ❤️