This is the Best Buttercream Frosting recipe—light, fluffy, and so easy to make. You can use this classic buttercream for all kinds of cakes, cookies, cinnamon rolls, and more.
All you need to whip this frosting up are butter, milk, powdered sugar, and a little vanilla. It’s also easy to flavor it and make all kinds of frosting, like this Cinnamon Buttercream or Chocolate Buttercream.
The Best Buttercream Frosting Recipe
This is the best buttercream frosting recipe that is easy enough for anyone to make and uses just a few ingredients. It’s super fluffy, thick enough to hold its shape, but soft enough to spread easily.
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The key to making fluffy Buttercream frosting is whipped butter. I like to use my Kitchen Aide mixer to whip the butter, but a handheld mixer will do the trick. You can use this recipe to frost all kinds of cakes, cookies, and cinnamon rolls.
Ingredients You Will Need
- Butter – you can use either salted or unsalted butter depending on your preference. Make sure that the butter is soft, either by pulling out to room temperature ahead of time or gently warming in the microwave for about 10 seconds at a time.
- Vanilla Extract – pure vanilla extract has the best flavor. You could substitute other extracts and flavorings to make different flavors of buttercream.
- Milk – this is to thin down the buttercream. You may need to add a little more or less than says in the recipe.
- Powdered Sugar – powdered sugar keeps the frosting super smooth. You can add more sugar to thicken the buttercream if necessary.
How to Make Buttercream Frosting
- Whip the butter. Add the softened butter to the bowl of a stand mixer and beat using the whisk attachment until light and fluffy.
- Add the rest of the ingredients. With the mixer off, add the vanilla extract, half of the powdered sugar, and half of the milk. Whip until light and fluffy again, then add the rest of the powdered sugar and the rest of the milk one tablespoon at a time until you achieve the desired consistency.
- Use immediately or store. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week. When you’re ready to use it again, allow the buttercream to come to room temperature and then rewhip before using. Enjoy!
Recipe Tips
- Be sure your butter is at room temperature before you start. Don’t thaw your butter in the microwave. It changes the consistency of the butter and you might end up with grainy frosting instead of smooth and whipped.
- It’s easy to add any flavor of extract to your frosting, strawberry, almond, and lemon are a few of my favorites. This is such an easy buttercream frosting recipe and can easily be adapted in flavor and color to what you need. You can keep this a white buttercream frosting or make it any color you choose.
- You can make your frosting any color too. Just add a few drops until you get the color you’re looking for.
- Add only half of the powdered sugar and milk at a time. Keep the butter aerated by continuing to whip it.
- Be sure to add the remaining milk last. This will ensure your buttercream frosting is as thick as you’d like it. It should keep it’s shape when you pull the beater or a spoon out but be soft enough to spread easily.
Recipe Variations
When it comes to frosting, there are truly unlimited flavor variations. Here are a few ideas but feel free to get creative and come up with your own:
- Chocolate: Add cocoa powder or melted chocolate to the classic vanilla buttercream for a rich and chocolatey flavor.
- Strawberry: Mix in strawberry puree or freeze-dried strawberry powder to the buttercream.
- Cinnamon: add your favorite kind of ground cinnamon.
- Lemon: Add fresh lemon juice and lemon zest to the buttercream for a zesty and refreshing citrus flavor.
- Mint Chocolate Chip: Incorporate mint extract or peppermint extract and fold in mini chocolate chips for a cool and chocolatey frosting.
- Coffee: Dissolve instant coffee or espresso powder in a small amount of hot water and add it to the buttercream for a delightful coffee flavor.
- Salted Caramel: Drizzle cooled salted caramel sauce into the buttercream and mix for a sweet and salty combination.
- Eggnog: Mix eggnog and cinnamon into the frosting for a festive holiday variation.
Frequently Asked Questions
If you have leftover buttercream frosting, you can store it in your fridge for a couple of weeks. Just put your buttercream frosting in a covered container with a lid. When you’re ready to use it again, remove the frosting from the fridge and let it get to room temperature again. Using a hand-held mixer, mix the frosting again until you have fluffy buttercream frosting again. This is a simple buttercream frosting recipe and stores great!
The easiest way to thicken your buttercream just a little is by adding more powdered sugar. If your buttercream is super runny, it’s likely that your butter was too hot. Allow the buttercream to cool down in the fridge for a bit, then whip it back up again.
While frosting and icing are generally the same thing, frosting is usually thought to be thicker while icing is more of a thinner glaze. You can make your Buttercream thicker or thinner by adding a little more milk or powdered sugar.
Storing Buttercream Frosting
- Refrigerator: store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week.
- Freezer: store frozen for up to 2 months. To thaw, transfer to the fridge overnight.
- To rewhip: pull the buttercream out to room temperature for at least 1 hour, then transfer to the bowl of a stand mixer and whip until light and fluffy.
Best Buttercream Frosting Recipe
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup butter, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2-3 tablespoons milk
- 4 cups powdered sugar
Instructions
- Add the softened butter to the bowl of a stand mixer and beat using the whisk attachment until light and fluffy.
- With the mixer off, add the vanilla extract, half of the powdered sugar, and half of the milk. Whip until light and fluffy again, then add the rest of the powdered sugar and the rest of the milk one tablespoon at a time until you acheive the desired consistency.
- Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week. When you're ready to use it again, allow the buttercream to come to room temperature and then rewhip before using. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
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This recipe for how to make buttercream frosting will give you instructions on how to make the best icing, perfect for cakes, cupcakes, or spread on graham crackers. This is the best buttercream frosting recipe and is the perfect frosting recipe for all your favorite dessert recipes.
