Classic Vanilla Buttercream Frosting |

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What is better than a classic Vanilla Buttercream frosting? Little else. It’s prefect for those cakes and cupcakes where you really want their flavor to shine. It uses common household ingredients, and is easy to whip up in minutes. Delicious on my Apple Spice Cupcakes, you’ll have no more excuses to not bring dessert to your next holiday gathering.

Apple spice cupcakes, plain and with vanilla frosting.

This classic vanilla frosting is so easy to make, you’ll have a batch ready in no time. It only uses five ingredients that you are likely to have on hand. Butter, confectioners sugar, vanilla extract, heavy whip or whole milk, and salt. Vanilla buttercream is a classic for a reason. It’s perfectly plain and simple and sweet. A perfect frosting for a variety of desserts.

Ingredients

Butter Unsalted, room temperature butter. Unsalted is best because different manufacturers put different amounts of salt in their butter and you want to be able to control the amount. If you only have salted, you can use that. You may have to adjust the salt for taste.
Powdered sugar You can sift the powdered sugar if you are concerned about lumps, but I haven’t had any issues with large lumps of powdered sugar clogging the piping tips. If you are using small piping tips, then you may want to consider sifting the powdered sugar. If I’m being honest, I’m not going to sift 5-6 cups of powdered sugar unless I absolutely have to. I haven’t had any issues with lumpy frosting using this recipe.
Heavy cream or whole milk Although heavy cream is normally used in buttercream because of the higher fat content, I have had much success with whole milk.
Vanilla The best flavor for your basic buttercream frosting. Use pure vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste.
Salt Just a bit of salt to bring out the flavors.

How to Make Vanilla Buttercream Frosting

Step One I like using my stand mixer to make frosting. It’s a little easier, but you can use a hand mixer as well. With the stand mixer, I like to use the paddle attachment. Using either mixer, you first want to whip up the butter.

Adding powdered sugar to creamed butter.

Step Two Next, you’ll add just one cup of powdered sugar and mix that in. If you added all of the sugar at once, it would quickly get very messy. Once you’ve mixed in the first cup, add a second cup of powdered sugar. I stop the beater to add the sugar in.

Step Three After the addition of the two cups of powdered sugar, add in 2 tablespoons of heavy cream/milk and mix to incorporate. It will seem a bit soupy. Add one more cup of powdered sugar and mix to incorporate. Go ahead and add in the vanilla and the salt.

Adding milk to the creamed butter and powdered sugar.

Classic vanilla buttercream frosting in a mixing bowl.

Step Four You’re essentially going back and forth between adding the sugar and adding the cream. The frosting shouldn’t be too stiff nor should it be runny. At room temperature, you should be able to easily dip your finger in the frosting and not have it melt off your finger. You may find that you only need about 5 cups of the powdered sugar to reach the perfect consistency.

Step Five Now you are ready to enjoy your frosting! If you are using the frosting right away, don’t refrigerate it. It will be too hard to come out of the piping bag or to spread. I do refrigerate the frosted items after I have finished frosting them though. This helps the frosting to retain its shape, especially on cupcakes.

Plate of cupcakes frosted with vanilla buttercream frosting.

Why I Love This Recipe

Taste Perfectly sweet, melt in your mouth good with just enough vanilla flavoring.

Texture Rich and smooth, pipes out beautifully on cupcakes and cakes.

Is this easy to make? Yes, very easy and beginner friendly.

Would I make it again? Of course! This is the best, basic frosting, perfect for a variety of desserts.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I store vanilla frosting?

Although buttercream frosting can sit on the counter for a few days, it is best to store it in the refrigerator for freshness and to last longer. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week. Any longer, and it can start to break down. It might not taste bad, it just won’t be a perfect frosting. When you’re ready to use it, leave on the counter for 30 minutes prior to frosting your dessert.

Can I freeze this frosting?

Yes, you can freeze it. Store in an airtight freezer safe container in the freezer for up to one month. Thaw in the fridge overnight when you want to use it, and leave on the counter to soften up 30 minutes before you need to frost something.

What is the difference between buttercream frosting and frosting?

Buttercream contains butter and frosting does not contain butter. As such, frosting is lighter and fluffier than buttercream. It’s up to you on which one you think is better.

Does buttercream melt at room temperature?

Buttercream will stay solid at room temperature. It may form a crust on top but it will be soft underneath. If it is warm or humid outside, then it may melt. If you are using it as layers in a cake, it may make the cake unstable if it is too warm outside and you may want to refrigerate the cake rather than have it sit out for too long.

What makes the best buttercream frosting?

Creaming the butter first before you add the sugar helps it combine well with the sugar. Using heavy cream will also help achieve a better consistency of frosting, though I have used whole milk and made a nice, smooth, creamy frosting.

Other Recipes to Try

How good would this frosting be sandwiched between two of my Peanut Butter cookies or my Chocolate Chip cookies. Delicious! It would also taste amazing on my Banana Bread.