Vanilla Buttercream Frosting is one of my quick, classic go-to frosting recipes that I turn to time and again.
My family absolutely adores it, it is so very simple to make, and you just can’t beat that classic vanilla buttercream for all sorts of celebratory and everyday type of desserts. It is perfect for my white cake recipe for birthdays, weddings, and other celebrations and works as a delicious, yet stark visual contrast on chocolate cake, too. It is great sandwiched between a couple of butter cookies or spread on top of a cookie cake, as well. You just can’t beat the versatility of good ole vanilla buttercream frosting. It just works.
I am consistently receiving emails asking about my vanilla buttercream frosting, so I thought I’d repost the recipe by itself instead of it being included along with my chocolate cupcake recipe where it is scaled down for just 12 cupcakes.
I also thought I’d answer a few of your questions as well.
How do you get your vanilla buttercream frosting so white?
There are a few tricks to getting my vanilla buttercream frosting as white as I do. First, after each cup of confectioner’s sugar that I add, I turn my stand mixer on the highest speed that it will go. This not only makes the frosting extremely fluffy, it also lightens the coloring of the frosting as air is incorporated.
My second trick is to use clear vanilla extract whenever I want my vanilla buttercream as white as possible. Mind you, vanilla buttercream frosting still has butter in it, so it is virtually impossible to get it pure white. It will still have a bit of a tint of the yellow, albeit it will be faint. Most folks probably will say it is pure white. We’ll just know it isn’t exactly pure white, just as close as a vanilla buttercream can get without substituting shortening for the butter.
How do you get your vanilla buttercream frosting so fluffy?
I skipped ahead when I answered the question above and explained how after each cup of confectioner’s sugar that I add to the buttercream, I turn my stand mixer on the highest setting that it will go. This incorporates air into the buttercream and makes it lighter and fluffier.
I also use the paddle attachment of my stand mixer as I have just found it to make a smoother, fluffier buttercream frosting than when I use the whip attachment. Also, it is easier to get all of that delicious buttercream frosting off of your paddle attachment than it is the whip attachment. And I’m all about easy. Heh.
How do I make my vanilla buttercream firmer for a prettier decoration?
The firmness of your buttercream frosting greatly depends on the amount of sugar to liquid ratio in your frosting. If you want a firmer frosting, add more confectioner’s sugar. If you want a softer frosting, add more milk or cream.
Please know that I in no way am professing to be a professional baker, frosting maker, or anything else for that matter. These are my observations after years and years of making buttercream frosting and finding little nuances that make it easier, prettier, tastier, and more everything -er.
Here’s my Vanilla Buttercream Frosting recipe along with a few instructions and notes.
Classic Vanilla Buttercream Frosting Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup (226 g) butter, softened
- 3 – 4 cups (340-454 g) confectioner’s sugar, sifted
- 2 teaspoons (9 g) vanilla extract
- pinch (0.4 g) kosher salt
- 2-3 tablespoons (28-42 g) milk, heavy cream, or half-and-half
Instructions
- Place softened butter into the bowl of a stand mixer that has been fitted with the paddle attachment. Turn the mixer on a medium setting and cream the butter until it is smooth and has lightened in color, about 3 minutes.
- Add confectioner’s sugar, 1/2 a cup at a time. After each cup has been incorporated, turn the mixer onto the highest speed setting and for about 10 seconds to lighten the frosting.
- Add vanilla and a pinch of salt and combine until well-incorporated.
- Add milk, heavy cream or half-and-half until the frosting has reached the preferred consistency. For a firmer frosting, add more confectioner’s sugar, a 1/4 cup at a time. For a softer frosting, add more milk or cream, a tablespoon at a time.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Happy frosting making! Do you have any tips you’d like to share on how you make the perfect vanilla buttercream frosting? Please share them in the comment!
If you are looking for other buttercream frosting flavors, you might like these:
Perfect Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
Strawberry Buttercream Frosting
Salted Caramel Buttercream Frosting
White Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
Love ya,
Robyn xo
Hey,
This looks great! I do have a question though… Is this recipe really buttery? What I mean is, is it a sweet suger frosting or heavy duty butter taste to it…? Would love an answer… Thanks you!! =)
Hi
I came across your vanilla frosting since I am looking for one to cover a cake that I want to bake for my son’s birthday. It will have a firetruck shape so I wonder if this is thick enough?
Also can I add food coloring?
Thank you in advance
Regards
Vanessa
Hi Vanessa,
I think this frosting will work perfectly. It is thick and covers well and works perfectly with coloring. I would recommend using gel coloring so as not to add much additional moisture to the frosting. Happy birthday to your son!
Hi Robyn
Thank you ever so much for replying and for the birthday wishes.
That’s wonderful to know. I don’t want to use the supermarket ones because of the artificial taste so I will surely use yours.
Thanks for the tip on the gel coloring as well.
Sorry Robyn
I forgot to ask. Because I’m in the UK I’m not sure if 3 cups of confectioner’s sugar is the same amount as in the US? My cup is roughly 250ml? I would assume it’s the same but can you just confirm?
Thanks again
How warm/cold should the milk be? I want to make earl gray and lavendar frosting and am wondering if I could heat the milk up to absorb the tea flavour better. Should I let it cool to around room temperature or chill it in the fridge?
Also every time I have made buttercream frosting it gets chunky and the butter doesnt mix properly in with the other ingredients. Is the butter too cold? Am I overmixing??
Your butter should be softened to room temperature and your milk/ cream can warmed to absorb the flavor and then cooled completely. Make sure that it doesn’t have any heat remaining in the milk or the frosting won’t come together and hold properly.
thank you! I’m excited to try this.
Hello! This recipe looks fab, but I work on UK measurements! How much is a cup of butter? Thank you!
Sophie
X
Converting the recipe to UK metric:
250 grams butter
500 grams icing sugar
10 ml vanilla extract
30 – 45 ml milk
The amount of icing sugar may need to be adjusted up or down to get the desired consistency, but 2 to 1 sugar to butter is a good starting point.
How many cupcakes would this cover?
I’ve found it can cover about 24 cupcakes with a fairly generous amount of frosting when piped, and if done with an offset spatula, leaves a bit left over.
I just made this recipe using 4 cups of confectioners sugar and had leftover icing after icing 24 cupcakes. I would guess there’s enough for 5 or 6 more.
I just made your chocolate buttercream frosting about an hour ago, and it’s fabulous! Perfect directions, and tastes delicious. I made a large cake and there are only a few of us here, so I know it won’t get eaten right away. Does it need to be refrigerated?
Should unsalted or salted butter be used for this recipe?
You can use whichever you prefer
Yes both are actually fine. I made this recipe 2 times , once using salted butter , and other using unsalted butter. They both turned out to be great.
Do you use salted butter for the buttercream icing?
You can use any, salted or unsalted both are great
Yes you can, I did it and it worked fine!
can you used buttermilk?
What size cake would this cover? I am making a 9in four layer cake for Easter and wondered if this should cover it, or if I should double? We don’t do thick amounts of frosting, since it will be decorated with wafer grass, but still wanted to have enough. Thanks so much! 😀
It covers a 3-layer cake generously, so I would think you should be fine for a 4-layer.
Thank you! Just getting everything pulled out to get started! Thank you for sharing your recipe! 😀
I don’t really like sweet frosting can I add in about 2 1/2 cup of sugar instead?