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
This year, my oldest daughter wanted to bake her birthday cake instead of ordering something from a local store.
We used this classic vanilla recipe along with the best chocolate cake recipe for her 10th birthday cake.
We needed 2 batches of the frosting. 1st batch was to frost the 2 layer cake. 2nd batch was to decorate. The color of the frosting was perfect for the details that my daughter wanted to keep white. It was also the perfect base for food coloring..
The cake was a HUGE hit. Best part, it wasn’t too sweet. My 2 daughters LOVED the cake and my husband even enjoyed it (he’s the picky eater of the family).. I ended up having to go back and print the recipes so I wouldn’t lose them. Will definitely be our go to recipes for these kids.
Stephanie, it sounds like she had fun with her cake. I’m so happy everyone loved it!
Can I add food colouring to the buttercream??
Maya, you can add food coloring to the buttercream frosting if you wish.
Yes, this frosting recipe is the perfect base for adding food coloring..
We needed blue, green, and yellow in addition to white for a cake we recently baked for a child’s birthday.
I was just wondering if this is enough frosting for 24 cupcakes? I was also going to use your white cake recipe for my cupcakes. Should I change anything?
Jules, instructions for making cupcakes with the Best White Cake Recipe are at the bottom of the recipe in the NOTES section. I doubled the vanilla buttercream frosting recipe for the cake so I suggest you do that for the cupcakes. If you have leftover frosting, you can refrigerate or freeze to use later.
Love this icing!!! Love your chocolate cake. Love everything you do. I used this icing as a base for a pumpkin spiced buttercream. It was just perfect. Thank you for your recipes, they are a staple in my home!
Oh, thank you so much, Maggie! Pumpkin spice buttercream sounds scrumptious!
Deliciously heart-warming! Perfect for any cake or cupcake.
Icing is excellent and “not” too sweet and has great taste. It is also very easy to spread if you follow the directions and best on high speed for about 10 seconds after every 1/2 cup of confectioners sugar. Will definitely use again.
Thanks, Donna!
i love it. it’s a great recipe. i chopped up a few strawberries and crushed them with a fork. then, i stir them into the recipe. finally, i saw this time saving technique on tv. it’s for softening butter. you slice a stick of butter into those little squares and place them in a bowl. then, you fill a larger bowl with hot water from the fawcet, no boiling. then, you place the bowl of butter in the larger bowl of hot water. you wait for butter to start melting. then, you remove the bowl and start mashing butter with a fork. finally, you take a spoon and whip the butter to whatever consistancy you like.
Thanks for the tip, Melvin. I’m glad you loved this frosting recipe.
how many servings does this take to cover a 3 layer cake?
I double this frosting recipe to frost a 3 layer cake, Natalie.
This is my favourite icing recipe!!! It’s soo light and fluffy… It makes you want more! I think salted butter makes the world of a difference! Thank you so much for sharing this!
I used this to ice 24 cupcakes and it was just enough with a little bit more to spare. Id say if you want to make tall icing decorations you might need a quarter more of this recipe for 24 cupcakes.
Thanks, Jay. I have found that I like salted butter better in my baking recipes but unsalted butter can be used if someone prefers it. So glad you liked this frosting.
How long will the frosting keep in fresh in fridge?
Elaine, you can store buttercream frosting in the refrigerator up to 2 weeks. Place it in an airtight container to store it. When ready to use, let it come to room temperature, then whip it until fluffy. You can also freeze the buttercream frosting. Put the frosting in a freezer safe, airtight food storage container and freeze for up to 3 months. When ready to use after freezing, remove from freezer and place it in the fridge overnight to thaw, and repeat steps above after refrigeration. Hope this helps!