Buttercream Frosting Recipe (2024)

By Samantha Seneviratne

Buttercream Frosting Recipe (1)

Total Time
5 minutes
Rating
4(570)
Notes
Read community notes

American buttercream is simpler to make than its Swiss and Italian counterparts, which require cooking some of the ingredients, but it's no less tasty. Butter and confectioners’ sugar are beaten until fluffy; heavy cream softens the texture and vanilla extract gives it dimension. It’s leaner than other buttercreams, as it requires much less butter, but it’s still luscious. You’ll want to choose a flavorful butter to start, and make sure it’s at the correct temperature. Room temperature butter should be soft enough to press into with a finger without seeming greasy. It will whip up nicely with the confectioners’ sugar to create a fluffy, silky frosting.

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Ingredients

Yield:About 2¼ cups (enough for one 8-inch 2-layer cake, one 9- by 13-inch cake or 12 cupcakes)

  • 1cup/227 grams unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 2cups/246 grams confectioners' sugar, sifted
  • 2teaspoons vanilla extract
  • ½teaspoon kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal)
  • 2tablespoons heavy cream, at room temperature

Ingredient Substitution Guide

Nutritional analysis per serving (10 servings)

271 calories; 19 grams fat; 12 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 6 grams monounsaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 25 grams carbohydrates; 0 grams dietary fiber; 24 grams sugars; 0 grams protein; 98 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Buttercream Frosting Recipe (2)

Preparation

  1. In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar with an electric mixer on low speed until combined. Using a rubber spatula, scrape down the side of the bowl, then beat on medium-high until very light and fluffy, about 4 minutes. The mixture will lighten in color and become glossy. Beat in the vanilla, salt and cream. (For chocolate or raspberry flavors, see Tips.)

  2. Step

    2

    Use immediately or refrigerate for up to 2 days. (If preparing in advance, you’ll want to press a piece of plastic wrap directly onto the surface to prevent it from hardening. Bring the frosting back to room temperature to use it.)

Tips

  • To make chocolate buttercream, melt 1 cup/160 grams chopped bittersweet chocolate in short bursts in the microwave, stirring in between until melted, or melt over a double boiler. Let cool to room temperature then beat into the buttercream. Makes about 3 cups.
  • For raspberry buttercream, beat ½ cup (room temperature) raspberry preserves into the buttercream. The mixture may look split. If so, heat the underside of the bowl slightly with a hair dryer, without melting the butter, and continue to mix until smooth. (Alternatively, soak a dish towel in hot water, wring it dry and use it to briefly wrap the base of the bowl.) Makes about 3 cups.

Ratings

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570

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Private Notes

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Cooking Notes

Emily R

This is an excellent buttercream recipe! So much better than the powdered sugar heavy version I used to make. The consistency is light & fluffy while the flavor is sweet but not too sweet. I also made the chocolate version with Guittard bittersweet chocolate - amazing! Note that both the butter and heavy cream need to be at room temperature before you start. Also, it takes a long time to come back to room temp if you refrigerate overnight.

RuthCraxton

This is the recipe that I followed for years but with less butter and milk. I don't like the metallic taste of raw confectionery sugar so I tried the Food 52 technique: Melt the butter, mix it with the powdered sugar, salt, and milk in a stainless steel bowl. Set the bowl in a wide skillet of barely simmering water for 5 minutes, stirring from time to time. Remove the bowl from the water, add the vanilla, and beat until cool and fluffy. Set in a ice bath to cool and thicken faster. Much better!

Michelle W

I have also had really good results using freeze dried fruits to flavor buttercream frosting - freeze dried strawberries worked wonders for the pink "flavored" cake my stepson wanted for his birthday!

Linda

To flavor cakes, cookies, & frostings with freeze dried fruit, I prefer to buy the fruit in powdered form, which is very smooth with virtually no pieces of fruit. If I must crush the fruit myself, I put it in a zip lock bag and roll the sealed bag with a rolling pin until the fruit is pulverized. With frosting, I add the powder to taste. With cakes or cookies, I add about 1 ounce for every 1.5 cups of flour. The flavor and the color are great, except for cherries, which look gray in baked goods.

Robin B.

I have found that using organic butter, though more expensive, elevates the taste of the buttercream and is worth the higher price.

Stella Luna

This is the frosting I grew up with and I’m happy to finally see it vindicated by the NYT after years of wondering why it never seemed to be enough!

Alvin S.

This was the first buttercream recipe I loved. Not as cloying as other ones, and really easy to make. One batch will frost the top of a single layer 9" round cake generously, or two layers with about 5mm.

Bruce in Toronto

I suggest:- adding fresh ground pepper to the base recipe. - adding a tidge of instant espresso to the chocolate recipe- orange rind to flavour- almond extractGeneral imagination with the vanilla recipe as a base.

Peter

This makes a delicious Buttercream. It tastes great, looks good, is simple to make, uses only a few ingredients, and yields plenty. I especially like the latter because I tend to lay it on thick.

Jane W

I have been making this recipe for over 50 years….simple and delicious!

Lisa

Delicious frosting - not too sweet and cloying like so many butter creams. I had never beaten one so long and also I used Plugra butter - both of those adjustments made all the difference.

Andrew

Cut up room temperature butter before hand blending it. Hand blender uses slower speeds than stand mixer.

C VELA

Made this once and it was greasy and an exceptionally small amount. The second time was better- so a weight measurement for the sugar may be helpful. Also for Ms Bennett who can't find the icing recipe from the viennese bakery, try a Swiss buttercream.

Elizabeth

Is it possible to make this without using cream?

L S Paul

I made pistachio frosting using the recipe and it worked well for me. I beat it in my Kitchenaid for a total of 5 minutes since I had to stop several times to scrape down the bowl.After making the frosting I added 1/2 cup of ground pistachios and a little green food coloring to oomph up it's "pistachioness" It was used to frost a spumoni cake (1 cherry layer, 1 chocolate layer).

Bernadette

Excellent recipe. I found the proportion of butter to confectioners sugar to be spot on. Will be making this again.

Keira

Awful from my perspective. I had to add about double the sugar the recipe called for to get frosting rather than sweetened grease.

pk

This was light and airy and delicious, but for us it was just a little too salty. I’d recommend trying 1/4 tsp salt instead of 1/2 tsp

Will

Too salty, use half the amount recommended, if you even use any. Like use 1/8 or 1/4 of the teaspoon. It’s really a pinch that you need or less than a pinch. Imagine yourself as the opposite of salt bae while you add salt to your buttercream. Is this still better too salty than most grocery store cakes? Yes!!! I’m just hypercritical of everything I make.

Katie

If you used regular salt instead of Kosher salt, that may be why. https://www.masterclass.com/articles/salt-conversion-chart

Vera Bennett

The best buttercream frosting I ever had was on a cake made in a Viennese bakery. It had no powdered sugar in it; it was lighter than air, a taste of heaven (probably Swiss or Italian). The bakery closed after many years and I have never found a recipe to match it. Confectioner's sugar frosting is too stiff and sandy for my liking, no matter what one does to it.

Vera Bennett

The best buttercream frosting I ever had was on a cake made at a Viennese bakery (probably an Italian or Swiss recipe). No confectioner's sugar in it; it was lighter than heaven and indescribably delicious, as was the cake. We all requested that cake for our birthdays until, sadly, the bakery closed. Never tasted anything like that again. Anything made with American powdered sugar in it is like eating stiff, overly sweetened sand. Nothing one can do to it can help it.

Laurie K

Made this recipe twice now - so so good! Perfect and everyone loved!!

Kaye

I just found my forever buttercream recipe! So light and tasty - used Irish butter… thank you!

Kristine

Really good and easy too. Fluffy and sweet. I made it once as written and once using coconut milk in place of the cream and coconut extract in place of the vanilla. Made just enough to frost two 9-inch rounds with a layer in between.

Michele

This is a wonderful recipe, but the buttercream is a little too sweet, and it didn’t provide enough for a multi layer cake. I doubled the recipe and cut back the sugar by 1/2 cup. I kept the salt close to as is and it was superb. Everyone loved it.

Sunny

Okay, good for 24 cupcakes!

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Buttercream Frosting Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is the formula for buttercream frosting? ›

In medium bowl, mix powdered sugar and butter with spoon or electric mixer on low speed. Stir in vanilla and 1 tablespoon of the milk. Gradually beat in just enough remaining milk to make frosting smooth and spreadable. If frosting is too thick, beat in more milk, a few drops at a time.

What is the difference between buttercream frosting and buttercream icing? ›

The best way to distinguish frosting from buttercream is through the ingredients. While both contain powdered sugar, fat, flavouring and sometimes milk or water, frosting does not contain any butter whatsoever. Instead, frosting is usually made with shortening or cream cheese.

What is the secret to buttercream? ›

The secret ingredient in this recipe is time. Most people whip their butter for only a few minutes before adding in sugar, but you'll never achieve a light and airy result this way. This frosting recipe takes its literal sweet time to really incorporate as much air as possible into the butter.

Can I use milk instead of heavy cream in buttercream? ›

Similarly to half-and-half, milk makes a good heavy cream substitute when it's combined with melted butter. Combine 3/4 cup milk and 1/4 cup melted butter for every cup of heavy cream.

What are the 4 types of buttercream? ›

Classically there are four main types of buttercream: Italian, German, French & Swiss.

What is simple buttercream made of? ›

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.

What buttercream do professional bakers use? ›

Swiss meringue buttercream is probably the most standard buttercream for pastry professionals. It is incredibly smooth, making it an extremely popular choice for icing cakes. Compared to American buttercream, it has a much stronger butter flavor, but is considerably less sweet.

Which buttercream is the easiest to make? ›

American buttercream is deliciously creamy, super sweet, and incredibly fluffy, and by far the easiest buttercream to master. It's just a matter of beating softened butter until it's fluffy, adding powdered sugar, cream, and a little vanilla and whipping it all together. No cooking required!

What is the best butter to use for buttercream? ›

Salted and organic butter is literally the best butter that you can use. It is the salt that really makes this the best buttercream frosting ever. It's actually a myth that salted butter is an inferior quality – it's not. It's the same quality.

What not to do with buttercream? ›

5 Mistakes to Avoid When Making Buttercream
  1. Starting with cold butter. ...
  2. Using a butter substitute. ...
  3. Using the wrong type of sugar for the job. ...
  4. Adding too much liquid. ...
  5. Giving up on your broken buttercream.
Dec 3, 2022

Can you overbeat buttercream? ›

Try not to overbeat the buttercream after all the ingredients have been added or you might add bubbles, which will ruin the texture of the icing. ... For the best results chill your cake and bring the icing to room temperature. You can also beat the buttercream for a few minutes to create great fluffy texture.

What is the hardest buttercream to make? ›

Italian Meringue Buttercream

This is considered one of the very difficult methods for making buttercream because the sugar syrup must be cooked to a specific temperature and then, while piping hot, poured into the whipped egg whites.

What happens if you whip buttercream too much? ›

The longer you beat, the more air you incorporate in your buttercream, thus, it will have lots of holes or air-pockets, it will also make the colour lighter. If you will use your buttercream primarily for filling or maybe as simple swirls, then this is ok.

Is cream or milk better in buttercream? ›

You can use cream OR milk, just use the right amount.

Although it's called buttercream, you can usually get away with using milk instead of cream if your recipe calls for it. The milk will be a little less rich and creamy, but should still work.

Can I use sour cream instead of heavy cream? ›

Sour cream is an easy replacement for heavy cream. It can be easily stirred into a dish and offers another flavor profile to soups, stews and sauces. Plus, using it as a heavy cream substitute is a great way to use up that lingering tub in the fridge.

What are the two main ingredients of simple buttercream? ›

Buttercream is a sweet and fluffy frosting made by creaming butter and sugar. Other common ingredients include milk (to create the perfect texture) and vanilla (for simple, crowd-pleasing flavor).

What makes buttercream frosting thick? ›

When it comes down to it, buttercream consistency is a delicate balance between your thickener (powdered sugar) and your thinner (milk, cream or water). Even adding liquid extracts to your frosting can thin it a bit…so have some extra powdered sugar and liquid on hand to get just the right consistency!

What is the ratio for cake frosting? ›

Goldman also goes on to say that every cake should have a "three to one, cake to frosting" ratio.

What are the ingredients in cake craft buttercream? ›

Ingredients: Sugar, Non Hydrogenated Shortening ( Palm oil, Canola oil, Polysorbate 60 and TBHQ ), Water, Corn starch, Corn syrup, Mono & Diglycerides, Salt, Potassium sorbate, Guar gum, Citric acid, Artificial Flavor, Artificial Colors : Titanium Dioxide.

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