Classic Vanilla Buttercream Frosting Recipe
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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
R u sure this recipe covers a three layer cake including a crumb coat?
Hi Afiya,
You would need to double the recipe for that. Enjoy!
Made the chocolate cake and the vanilla frosting for my husband’s birthday. My family loved it! Just curious as to why the frosting was a little grainy. I followed the recipe exactly. Thank you.
Roz, I use the paddle attachment on my mixer. After each cup of confectioner’s sugar that I add, I turn my stand mixer on the highest speed that it will go and mix the sugar in completely. I never have an issue with the frosting being grainy when I do this.
Hello and thank you for the great white cake and buttercream frosting recipes! I’ve just made a test batch of both, and the cake came out fantastic! The buttercream is good but even though I sifted the powdered sugar, I can still detect a texture from the powdered sugar. Is this normal when it’s just been made and disappears after it’s set for a while? If not, do you know of reasons this may happen? Since it was a test batch, and I wasn’t fully prepared with fully softened butter, do you think that caused the textural problem? And what is the ideal temperature for the softened butter? Thank you!
Hi Vanessa,
So glad you like my white cake and the vanilla buttercream frosting. You should not be able to detect any texture from the powdered sugar after your frosting is made. You need to make sure your butter is fully softened before adding the powdered sugar to the butter so that the sugar will dissolve into the butter when you are mixing it. In my post for the frosting, I explain that I add the powdered sugar 1/2 cup at a time. After each cup of sugar is mixed in, I turn my stand mixer on the highest setting the will go. This incorporates air into the buttercream to thoroughly mix in the powdered sugar and to make it light and fluffy. My post on How to Soften Butter In a Pinch shows a picture of what the butter should look like after it is softened. You should be able to make a dent into the butter when pushed with your finger. Hope this helps!
Thank you! Next time I will be sure to use fully softened butter.
Hi
I was wondering, once this cake was baked and decorated with frosting, whether it would be possible to freeze it?
Mery, you can freeze the frosted cake. Place the cake in the freezer for about an hour until the frosting is set and firm. Then, wrap the cake in two layers of plastic wrap and then with foil. The cake can be frozen up to 3 months. The day before you are ready to serve, remove the foil but leave the plastic wrap intact and allow the cake to thaw in the refrigerator overnight.
Can you use buttermilk for this?
Carmen,
I have never used buttermilk for this recipe and don’t recommend it. I’m not sure of the flavor.
Hi there, can I use this under fondant? Would is stick ok? Any tips?
Hi Milka,
I’ve not used it under fondant before. I hope you enjoy the frosting – it’s delicious! xo
I’m curious if I could use buttermilk rather than milk/cream?
The frosting may have a bit of a different flavor but not sure – I always use milk or cream. Enjoy it Lynn!
I am wondering if this frosting holds it’s shape well to be used to swirl the frosting up in a mound on cupcakes. I am making 48 cupcakes for a baby shower. Thanks!
It’s always worked great on cupcakes for me, Jan! Enjoy!
What kind of butter do you use?
Made the buttercream frosting! It was easy & excellent! Great texture & flavor!
Thanks Maryanne! xo
I’ve never made burrercream with clear vanilla but need to do something about my off-white buttercream frosting from pure vanilla. Here’s my question, could I use pure vanilla powder? It’s white and probably wouldn’t darken the frosting. Thank you.
Yes! You definitely can use it! Clear vanilla extract also works well!
Robyn,
Thank you very much, I’ll give both a try.
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ Really delicious! I just had to “clean” the bowl with a kitchen spoon to eat up any extra frosting! This is so good and I’m sure to use it again and again.