A staple in any baker’s kitchen, vanilla buttercream frosting is deliciously soft, creamy, and sweet. My favorite recipe for American vanilla buttercream is simple to make and is easily piped onto cakes and cupcakes for a truly memorable dessert.
Finally! A completely separate post for the most common recipe in any baker’s repertoire: vanilla buttercream frosting. This is my favorite vanilla buttercream recipe. There’s nothing fancy, crazy, or complicated about it, but the flavor and texture will certainly taste like you added something special.
But guess what? You didn’t. It’s our little secret.
How to Make American Vanilla Buttercream Frosting
American vanilla buttercream is incredibly simple and much easier than, say, Swiss meringue buttercream. From mixing bowl to decorating cupcakes in less than 10 minutes! Here’s how to make it:
- Beat butter until creamy. Make sure your butter is softened to room temperature before beginning. Use a hand or stand mixer to beat until smooth and creamy.
- Add sugar, cream, and vanilla extract. Beat on low speed until these ingredients are incorporated, then bump up the mixer to medium-high speed. At this point, you can add more confectioners’ sugar if the frosting is too thin or a splash of heavy cream if it’s too thick.
- Taste and salt. Add a pinch of salt to offset the sweetness. Trust me on this one!
Buttercream Frosting Ingredients
Buttercream ingredients hardly differ between recipes, but the ratio of ingredients does vary. I’m here to tell you that this careful buttercream formula works EVERY time—my recipe is perfection.
- Butter: We can’t have buttercream without butter. Though salted is fine, I recommend using unsalted butter so you can control the added salt. Whichever you use, make sure you are using room temperature butter.
- Confectioners’ Sugar: Sweetens vanilla buttercream and adds stability and pipe-ability to the frosting.
- Heavy Cream: Though whole milk or half-and-half are perfectly acceptable, use heavy cream for maximum creaminess and richness.
- Pure Vanilla Extract: Adds that glorious vanilla flavor. And if you use homemade vanilla extract, even better.
- Salt: Offsets the sweetness and adds that little something extra.
This recipe also serves as the jumping point for strawberry buttercream frosting and the cinnamon-swirl frosting from snickerdoodle cupcakes.
For something lighter and less sweet, I recommend this whipped frosting.
Decorating with Buttercream Frosting
The word “creamy” doesn’t even do this stuff justice. But even though it’s supremely creamy, this vanilla buttercream holds its shape beautifully. It’s perfect for piping even the most complicated and intricate designs. When decorating cakes and cupcakes, I gravitate towards the following 5 piping tips. Each creates a completely different look, so that’s why it’s a great collection if you’re just starting out. And these tips won’t break the bank—they’re each pretty inexpensive.
- Wilton 1M (Rose) – a classic piping tip and the easy buttercream rose is a staple decoration. This same tip can also produce a decoration that resembles soft serve ice cream.
- Wilton 8B – one of my all-time favorites.
- Ateco 849 – it’s a pretty wide piping tip. You can make a rose, a soft-serve swirl, or a super easy ruffled look.
- Wilton 12 small round – since it doesn’t have any detailed edges, I love using this tip for silky creamy frostings such as salted caramel frosting and cream cheese frosting.
- Ateco 808 large round – it’s also a round tip, but it’s much larger. Its decoration looks like a big fluffy cloud!
Want to see how to decorate cupcakes? Here’s my how to use piping tips video. And here is how we use this frosting to decorate easy Halloween cupcakes!
How to Rid Vanilla Buttercream of Air Bubbles
Over-whipping vanilla buttercream creates air bubbles. The taste is no different, but the buttercream is no longer smooth and velvety. Here’s how to get rid of air bubbles in your frosting:
Ditch the mixer. Grab a wooden or metal spoon and begin stirring the buttercream by hand. Mash the frosting up against the side of the bowl to “pop” the bubbles. Do this until most of the air bubbles pop, about 1–2 minutes. This trick requires a lot of arm muscle!
Yes, absolutely! You can add various extracts, in addition to the vanilla extract. If doing so, I recommend reducing the vanilla extract to 1 teaspoon. Extracts you can add include 1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract, 1/2 teaspoon maple extract, 1/2 teaspoon coconut extract, 1/2 teaspoon orange extract, or 1/4 teaspoon almond extract. Taste the buttercream, and, if desired, beat in an extra splash of extract. Instead of adding extracts, you can keep the vanilla extract as 2 teaspoons, and beat in 1/4 teaspoon of ground cinnamon. You could also try this Lemon Buttercream, Chocolate Buttercream, Chai Spice Buttercream, or White Chocolate Buttercream.
Yes, this is American-style buttercream and it’s sweet. If you’re looking for a less-sweet option, try this Whipped Frosting or Swiss Meringue Buttercream.
There are 2 options. You can freeze the buttercream for up to 3 months, and those detailed instructions are in the recipe card below. You can also make it up to 3 days ahead and refrigerate it. Remove from the refrigerator and use a mixer to beat it with a splash of room-temperature heavy cream, half-and-half, or milk to help make it creamy and smooth again.
You can keep the buttercream white or tint it with food coloring. To color it, beat in a drop of gel food coloring. (Here is my favorite brand.) I recommend gel food coloring instead of liquid food coloring because liquid can throw off the consistency. For lighter tints, I recommend using the tip of a toothpick to add color, rather than squeezing a whole drop into the bowl of frosting.
Buttercream frosting is typically fine at room temperature for up to 1 day. After that, it’s best to refrigerate it. That said, do what you feel comfortable with; if your kitchen is particularly warm, you may want to refrigerate it on day 1.
Ways to Use Vanilla Buttercream Frosting
I’ve used this vanilla buttercream more times than I can even fathom, but I love it most paired with chocolate cupcakes or vanilla cupcakes. If you scale it up (slightly) you can use it to frost a layered cake, like I do with my white cake recipe (use this how to assemble a layer cake post as a guide). If you add slightly more heavy cream, you can use this as the base for whipped buttercream, as I recommend with my vanilla sheet cake. It also tastes delicious with:
- Lemon Cupcakes
- Confetti Cupcakes
- Vanilla Cake
- Soft Cakey Sugar Cookies
- Brown Sugar Butterscotch Cupcakes
- Checkerboard Cake
- Sugar Cookie Bars
- Chocolate Cupcakes
- Piñata Cupcakes
- Sugar Cookie Cake
By the way, if you make my homemade vanilla extract, this buttercream tastes even more fantastic. 🙂
Print
Vanilla Buttercream Frosting
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Total Time: 5 minutes
- Yield: 2.5 cups
- Category: Frosting
- Method: Mixing
- Cuisine: American
Description
This is my favorite vanilla buttercream. It’s the perfect vanilla frosting that’s simple, creamy and smooth and tastes unbelievable on vanilla cupcakes!
Ingredients
- 1 cup (16 Tbsp; 226g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 4 – 5 cups (480-600g) confectioners’ sugar (see note)
- 1/4 cup (60ml) heavy cream, half-and-half, or whole milk, at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- salt, to taste
Instructions
- With a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium speed until creamy, about 2 minutes. Add 4 and 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar, the heavy cream, and vanilla extract. Beat on low speed for 30 seconds, then increase to medium-high speed and beat for 2 full minutes. Taste. Add a pinch of salt if frosting is too sweet. I always add 1/8 teaspoon.
- Adjust if needed: You can control the consistency at this point—add up to 1/2 cup more confectioners’ sugar if frosting is too thin or more heavy cream if frosting is too thick (add only 1 Tablespoon at a time, beat together, then taste and add more if desired).
- Use immediately or cover tightly and store for up to 1 week in the refrigerator or up to 3 months in the freezer. After freezing, thaw in the refrigerator then beat the frosting on medium speed for a few seconds so it’s creamy again. After thawing or refrigerating, beating in a splash of heavy cream or milk will help thin the frosting out again, if needed.
Notes
- Freezing Instructions: Freeze in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight, then beat the frosting on medium speed for a few seconds so it’s creamy again. After thawing or refrigerating, beating in a splash of room temperature heavy cream, half-and-half, or milk will help thin the frosting out again, if needed.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): Electric Mixer (Handheld or Stand Mixer)
- Quantity: This recipe is enough to frost 12-16 cupcakes or a thin layer on a 9×13 inch quarter sheet cake. Follow the ratios written in this white cake for a two layer cake, or for a three layer cake use the ratios in this confetti cake.
- Confectioners’ Sugar: If your confectioners’ sugar is particularly lumpy, I recommend sifting it 1-2x before measuring and using.
- Heavy Cream: I love using heavy cream for the creamiest consistency. You can use half-and-half or whole milk instead if needed. The lower the fat, the less creamy your buttercream will be. Whichever you use, make sure it’s at room temperature. Otherwise your frosting could separate or appear grainy.
- Decorating Tips: Be sure to check out my post on how to use piping tips (with video tutorial!), and my recommendations for essential cake baking & decorating tools.
Reader Comments and Reviews
Really delicious buttercream icing. I added strongly brewed coffee and cocoa powder for a wonderful mocha taste. This recipe is definitely a keeper.
I find myself looking for YOUR recipes. I just signed up for your emails.
Can I substitute almond extract for vanilla? Or would it be better to use both?
Hi Courtney, Use 1 teaspoon of almond extract and 1 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract for almond flavor. Enjoy!
Delicious frosting! One improvement would be an overhead view. I was looking for what the consistency of your end product was but the only view was sideways, through the bowl so I couldn’t see.
Followed the recipe exactly, including temperature but my cake looks like I sprayed it with stucco. Any tips? I really wanted a smooth finish.
Can this recipe be used for sandwich cookies?
Absolutely!
I love your recipes!!
Just used this to pipe onto my Christmas cookies, but realized it may not be the best choice as it won’t harden. Am I right? Or how long will it take to harden?
Hi Linda! This buttercream is pretty stable, but won’t harden with a crust. We love to use it on sugar cookies! Next time, you can replace some of the butter with shortening for a “crustier” buttercream (like we do for our gingerbread house!).
If I want to make it in the morning and then use it 4 hours later to decorate my cakes, is it possible to leave it out (covered) on the counter?
Hi Liza, the frosting may get a bit soft during that time, making it more difficult to decorate. We’d recommend placing it in the refrigerator, then adding in a splash of milk and re-beating it if needed to help smooth it out.
Great for macarons. Add a little orange extract and it tastes like a creamsicle!
Great recipe! I use this for my macarons and I put a little extra vanilla extract and pure orange extract. It makes it taste like a creamsicle!
This is the BEST Vanilla Buttercream ever! I use it on my sugar cookies and everyone raves about it
I love this recipe! And every recipe of yours I’ve ever tried…
Could I substitute the milk for water to make this shelf stable?
Hi Rachel, water would not work as a substitute here.
How long can buttercream stay at roomtemp
This is a great frosting. Flavor and texture were excellent
Looks lovely and delishness! How many cupcakes will this frost?
Hi Dee! This recipe is enough to frost 12-16 cupcakes.
Hi Elle, can you describe what you didn’t particularly like? I’d be glad to help troubleshoot.
Would this be a good icing to use for a two layer number cake? Making my daughter a cake tomorrow and see a good icing that won’t be to soft and not hold shape. Thanks
Hi Mariah, yes, this would be a great icing for that!
Thank you. Everyone loved this icing and it worked perfect for my daughter’s cake. Thanks so much
My go-to frosting! I use this recipe all of the time for cupcakes!
This is the 5th vanilla buttercream recipe I’ve tried. Finally I’ve found the one ! Light, creamy, not too sweet & easy to pipe. Thank you
Going to try today..why is that when increasing the ratios for the buttercream, the amount of sugar is essentially staying the same but the butter is doubling? Wouldn’t that yield a different result?
Hi Jess, are you referring to the confetti cake? There’s 1/2 cup extra butter and 1/2 cup extra confectioners’ sugar. (Or 1 and 1/2 more if you’re using 4 cups here.) I found that even more confectioners’ sugar than that simply made the buttercream WAY too sweet. You can get away with less.
Easy, delicious frosting and I LOVE that you have a cook mode button
How many cupcakes can I decorate with this?
Hi Sonia! This recipe is enough to frost 12-16 cupcakes.
Like Michelle, I’m wondering about food safety: I’m hoping to use buttercream for a cake that needs to sit out several hours at a dessert auction. Is this okay with buttercream? I’ve always had my kids birthday cakes out for many hours, but want to be certain when it’s going in a dessert auction, that it is okay to sit out at room temperature for 3-4 hours. There are mixed opinions online, from no more than 2 hours, to up to 2 days.
Hi Margo, we haven’t had any issues letting this frosting sit at room temperature for a few hours.
Can this be left out room temperature overnight?
Hi Michelle, we recommend covering tightly and storing in the refrigerator overnight until ready to use. Hope you enjoy it!
Hello! I was wondering if I would eb able to dye the frosting with food coloring? would that affect the recipe at all?
Hi Angela, sure can! We recommend gel food coloring for the most vibrant colors, and because the consistency won’t alter the texture of the frosting much (unlike liquid food coloring).
Hey Sally, I was wondering if this yields enough (or too much) icing for a 6inch cake?
Thanks so much!
Hi Em, yes, this will yield enough for a 3 layer, 6 inch cake recipe. Enjoy!
Hi Sally, what what causes the raw pabutter in the middle of the cake when the rest of it is ready?
Hi Sarah, if the center of a cake is still wet/raw, it has not finished baking through. If the edges look ready, though, you can tent the pan with aluminum foil to prevent the edges from over-browning while allowing the middle to continue baking. The cake will be done when a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
Hi ! I’m baking a lot of cupcakes for an event and I was wondering if I could use the vanilla buttercream with either the white chocolate buttercream or the not-so-sweet buttercream on the same cupcake or if it would taste weird ? TIA
Hi Caroline, I’m not sure how that would taste, actually. Personally, I think I’d go with just one type of frosting on a cupcake, rather than mixing. Hope this helps!
Love all your recipes and everyone thinks I’m such an amazing baker but I just use all your recipes and they always turn out!
So I have a love/hate relationship with frosting. No matter the recipe I always find that it tastes, powdery? I always end up adding extra vanilla to try to mask it but I still find it has that taste. Is there something different I can try to help with that? I don’t notice it with commercial frosting or from a bakery but 90% of the time with my homemade. Thank you for any suggestions! It’s plagued me for years how to fix that.
Hi Grace! Have you tried different brands of confectioners’ sugar? That sounds like the most likely culprit.
I think it’s due to the small amount of cornstarch in powdered sugar. Some brands have less, some have more. Maybe try one of Sally’s other types of icings that don’t contain powdered sugar, like her Swiss Meringue Buttercream?