This Vanilla Buttercream Frosting recipe is simple, creamy, and highly versatile. Made from basic ingredients, it’s a go-to frosting for decorating cakes, cupcakes, or cookies.
Vanilla buttercream is a foundational recipe for bakers. This classic American-style frosting is soft, fluffy, and sweet—perfect for spreading or piping on cakes, cupcakes, and sugar cookies. It uses pantry staples and can be easily adjusted to suit texture and sweetness preferences.
How to Make Vanilla Buttercream Frosting
Classic American vanilla buttercream is made from:
- butter
- salt*
- powdered (confectioners’) sugar
- pure vanilla extract
- heavy cream (or milk)
*If you use salted butter, reduce the added salt to taste. Salt is important—it balances and enhances the flavors.
- Use room-temperature butter. Soft butter creams smoothly and combines evenly. Leave sticks of butter out for 30–60 minutes until softened.
- Cream the butter and salt. Beat with a hand mixer or stand mixer fitted with the paddle until creamy.
- Add powdered sugar, vanilla, and cream. Add powdered sugar one cup at a time, mixing fully between additions. Stir in vanilla, then add heavy cream a tablespoon at a time until you reach the desired consistency. Mix on low when adding liquid to avoid incorporating too much air.
If the frosting is too thin, add a little more powdered sugar. If it’s too stiff, thin it with milk or cream a teaspoon or tablespoon at a time.
Cream or Milk?
I prefer heavy cream for a lighter, whipped texture that still holds up for piping. Add cream slowly and mix at low speed to control air and texture.
Milk (or half & half) works as well and can be substituted in the same amount. Always add liquid sparingly—start with 1 teaspoon to 1 tablespoon at a time—so you don’t over-thin the frosting and have to add more powdered sugar.
How to Make Vanilla Buttercream White
Need a whiter buttercream for a wedding cake?
- Use clear imitation vanilla if you want the flavor without the brown color that pure vanilla extract can add.
- Whip in air to lighten the color: add powdered sugar cup by cup and mix on high briefly after each addition to incorporate air and create a fluffier, paler frosting. Expect a slight yellow tint if using all butter.
- Substitute half the butter with a white fat such as vegetable shortening or refined coconut oil. This preserves some buttery flavor while producing a paler color. (Refined coconut oil has less coconut flavor than unrefined.)
This vanilla buttercream adapts easily to colorings and flavorings. Gel food coloring tints the frosting vividly without changing the texture, letting you create rainbow swirls, pastel finishes, or themed decorations. Homemade buttercream generally tastes fresher and richer than store-bought canned frosting.
Vanilla Buttercream Frosting
Ingredients
- 1 cup (226 g) butter, (2 sticks) softened to room temperature
- ¼ tsp salt*
- 3-4 cups (360-480 g) powdered sugar
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 3-4 Tbsp heavy cream, (or milk**)
Equipment
-
Electric hand mixer or stand mixer
Instructions
-
Beat the room-temperature butter with the salt until creamy using an electric mixer.
-
Add powdered sugar one cup at a time, mixing fully between additions until all sugar is incorporated.
-
Stir in the vanilla. Add heavy cream one tablespoon at a time while mixing on low until the frosting reaches the texture you want. If using milk, you can mix at medium-high speed once the liquid is added.
-
Spread or pipe onto cakes, cupcakes, or cookies. Add gel food coloring before piping if desired.
Video
Notes
*Adjust the salt if you’re using salted butter.
**Milk (preferably whole) or half & half may be used instead of heavy cream. Add slowly.
***Use smaller amounts of powdered sugar and cream for a less sweet, softer frosting.
Nutrition
Disclaimer: Nutritional values are estimates calculated with a third-party tool.
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