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
Made the cake and the buttercream frosting. Everything came out well. Thank you for a delicious cake and frosting that every one loves. I did read everything concerning this cake before making, It came out very well. Thank you.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Karen! Happy that all the tips for the cake helped you! We love this cake so much in our family and I’m glad you liked it as well! xo
What is better to use milk, half and half or heavy cream?
hey Robyn, I want to make a unicorn cake so I found your recipe online! when you write heavy cream and milk / half and half, do you mean I can mix the two? or use both (each one 2-3 ts)? is half and half a product I just dont know? lol.
thank you!
You use a one of them… 2-3 tablespoons milk, heavy cream, OR half-and-half. Enjoy, Oneill. Thanks!
Is it okay if i use apc instead of heavy cream?
Hello,
I’m wondering with the high speed mixing while adding the confectioners sugar, does the buttercream not split? That’s what I’m always worried about when making frosting and mixing at high speeds
Jen,
I have never had a problem with the buttercream splitting when I mix it at high speed. This makes the frosting more fluffy and also lightens the color.
To frost 650 mini cupcakes how many times should I do this recipe? Thank you for all your delicious recipes, my fam loves every single one of them
Hi again Crystal!
My recipe should frost 24 cupcakes as I use 1/2 of the recipe when making the 12 cupcakes for my Best Chocolate Cupcakes you’d asked about as well. Again, I’ve never had to make that many cupcakes so I would suggest making in smaller batches. Have fun!
So happy your family enjoys the recipes! Thank you so much! xo
Hi Julie,
This should be enough.
This recipe is incredible!
The compliments I got from the taste to the texture were amazing.
I could have sworn I saw the 1/2 recipe for the buttercream before.
Am I missing something?
Help, please!
😀
I’m so glad you love it, Adrianna. I generally just half all of the ingredients to make half of the recipe.
I just made the chocolate cupcakes with this icing for my son’s 3rd birthday and they were incredible! The icing itself was amazing. Thanks for the recipe!
Oh what a precious age! I hope your little sweetie had a wonderful birthday! And I’m so happy you enjoyed the cupcakes and frosting! Thanks so much, Erica!
Can I add color to this recipe i.e make it red without ruining the flavor?
Hi Jayne,
You could add food coloring if you wished. I will say this is very white, so not sure how much you’ll have to add to make it red. Enjoy the frosting! Thanks!
How would I change the frosting from vanilla to lemon?
Hi Barbara,
I just recently had another reader ask this (lots of lemon lovers out there – myself included 😉 ) and I would use a lemon extract in place of the vanilla extract – and if you are serving this immediately so it will be fresh, you can use a bit of lemon zest in the frosting too!
Thanks!