Classic Vanilla Buttercream
This flavorful Classic Vanilla Buttercream Recipe is one of our favorites! It couldn't be easier to make, and it is so delicious. Keep it in mind the next time you need a flavorful frosting for your cake recipes and buttercream cake designs!
Table of Contents
Why we Love it
There are so many reasons to love this delicious vanilla buttercream! Here are just a few:
- Delicious and SO easy to make
- Perfect for piping
- It can easily be changed up with add-ins, extracts, and an adjustment here and there ;0) - A few examples are our Oreo Buttercream, Mint Chocolate Chip Buttercream, Strawberry Buttercream, and Peanut Butter Buttercream!
- Develops a very light crust, which is great for those who use the Viva Paper Towel Method of Smoothing. Also, the Hot Knife Method of smoothing works great with this vanilla buttercream also!
How to Make Vanilla Buttercream
You can find the full, printable recipe card for this vanilla buttercream at the bottom of our post!
This frosting, which is known as an American Buttercream, is a simple combination of softened butter, confectioners sugar, vanilla extract, a pinch of salt, and a splash of milk.
Allow the frosting to mix for a few minutes to reach the best, creamy consistency. If you'd like to thicken the consistency of the frosting, (for piping buttercream roses, etc.) you can add a bit more confectioners sugar.
To thin out the frosting, you can simply add small amounts of milk.
Textured Buttercream
Of course, your frosted cakes don't have to be perfectly smooth. We love textured buttercream as well as the look of piping all over a cake.
Our classic vanilla buttercream frosting is versatile enough for just about any sort of buttercream cake or cupcake design you can think of.
Here are just a few of our free cake tutorials that demonstrate simple texturing and piping techniques: Ridged Buttercream Technique, Buttercream Petal Cake, Cascading Rosettes Cake, and Looped Ribbons of Buttercream.
Piping
If you are interested in learning more about piping borders or different piping techniques, make sure to check out our section of Buttercream Techniques, which features a section on Buttercream Piping.
There, you'll find tutorials on piping with star tips, piping with round tips, piping with ruffle tips, and more! All of these techniques can be done with today's Buttercream Frosting recipe.
Recipe FAQs
Classic Vanilla Buttercream (Crusting Recipe)
Ingredients
- 2 sticks unsalted butter, softened (226g) Should still hold its shape but dent when pressed.
- 5-6 cups confectioners sugar (690g)(You can adjust amount slightly up or down to your liking.)
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract (8g) (For whiter frosting, you can use clear imitation vanilla)
- ⅓ cup milk or cream (72g) (Adjust amount as needed to reach desired consistency.)
- ½ teaspoon salt (3g)
Instructions
- Cream the softened butter until smooth. Blend in the vanilla.
- Add half of the powdered sugar, the salt, and most of the milk. Beat at medium speed until the powdered sugar is incorporated.
- Add remaining powdered sugar and milk and mix at medium speed another 3 to 4 minutes scraping the sides of the bowl occasionally. Then, slow down the mixer to very slow for 1 to 2 minutes. This will help eliminate air pockets in the buttercream. The texture will become very smooth.
- This recipe can be doubled or halved.
- Yields approximately 4 ½ cups of frosting. Enough to frost a two layer 8 or 9 inch cake.
- Can be frozen in air tight container for at least three months . Thaw on countertop.
- If your buttercream is too thin, add more sugar. If the consistency is too thick, add a bit more milk.
Hi Gloria, I would use the frosting that you like the taste of best. I don't see any problem with using butter based frosting in the filling, even in very warm temperatures.
hi i made this today and it came out great! the only thing is that i made it with extra c. sugar so it can crust more, its been 5 hrs and it didnt crust! also how do you get it so white? mine turns yellow from the butter
Hi Adina, Did you put the frosting onto cold cake cake layers? If so, it can take many hours to crust. If the cake layers were not cold, I don't know why it would not crust with that amount of powdered sugar. Let me know how it goes. As for the color of the frosting, some butters are more yellow than others. We often use Land O Lakes. You can also use a white coloring gel to make it whiter. Americolor has a Bright White coloring gel and Wilton has a White-White Icing Color.
Hi! I had buttercream in the freezer, how do I defrost it?
Hi Wilmari, A day or 2 before you need it put the frozen buttercream in the refrigerator. Then place on the countertop to come to room temperature. Remix for a few minutes to smooth it out.
Thank you!
Hi! I’m making this buttercream icing recipe for the almond cake. Would you recommend adding almond extract or keeping the vanilla? If I add almond extract, do I need to sub it for the vanilla extract, or add it in addition? Thanks!
what can you add to make thick buttercream if you do not have shortening?
Good morning ,
Your cakes look beautiful.
Does the cake need to be refrigerated with the butter cream frosting? Can it sit out for several hours at a wedding?Also what filling would you recommend?
Thank you
How do I make the buttercream soft like in your videos. I always have that issue with American buttercream. Could never get smooth enough
Hi Patty, I'm sorry that we missed your comment. If the frosting seems too thick, just add a bit more milk until you achieve the desired consistency. The buttercream also gets creamier as it mixes for several minutes.
You have salt in the ingredient list but not in your directions. I hope I am correct in still adding it in. Yes??
Hi Eileen- Thanks for letting me know and yes that is correct.