The Best Buttercream Frosting Recipe

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Tips for how to make the best buttercream frosting recipe for cake decorating. Smooth, creamy, and bursting with vanilla flavor, it's the perfect recipe for cupcakes!

While I consider this recipe to be the best buttercream frosting ever, I haven't always had a love relationship with buttercream icing.

In fact, the way I used to make it, using half shortening instead of all butter, was never my favorite way to make it. I never liked the dulled down flavor of buttercream made with shortening.

And that, my friends, is how this lovely frosting recipe came to be. I needed a buttercream icing for piping onto chocolate cupcakes, and I wanted to make it a more flavorful icing.

It turned out to be the best buttercream frosting I've ever tasted, reminding me of scrumptious wedding cake. And it's easy to make, with only 5 ingredients (including absolutely no shortening).

This frosting recipe makes it easy to pipe grass frosting onto Minecraft cupcakes or decorate whatever type of cake/cupcakes you're making.

If you love regular buttercream, you will definitely love butterbeer buttercream frosting.

how to make the best buttercream frosting ever, pink buttercream icing on a cupcake

CAN I SUCCESSFULLY MAKE BUTTERCREAM ICING WITHOUT SHORTENING?

Yes, you can. While shortening does add stability to the recipe, heavy whipping cream can do the same thing.

Using all butter will create a very flavorful frosting, so if you'd rather not have all of that buttery flavor, you can cut the butter in half and substitute shortening instead.

WHY DO I NEED TO USE SALTED BUTTER?

I do recommend using salted butter for this recipe, because the salt in the butter adds a richness and a better flavor to your buttercream. It gives it a zing that unsalted butter just can't do.

And it's so much easier to use salted butter over trying to add salt to a frosting, especially when trying to get a good consistency and texture.

best buttercream frosting for piping, buttercream icing for piping on cherry chip cupcakes on white marble countertop

CAN I FREEZE THIS BUTTERCREAM FROSTING?

You sure can! If you think about it, bakeries put their cakes in a cooler to store them for customers.

Freezing won't hurt the texture, consistency, or flavor of your frosting. I always have a little bit of icing leftover, and I usually do freeze it for the next time I need it.

the best buttercream frosting colored pink and white in separate bowls

TIPS FOR HOW TO MAKE THE BEST BUTTERCREAM FROSTING

Making homemade buttercream frosting is really easy, and it doesn't require a lot of ingredients either.

  • Make sure you soften the butter first. Try to get it out ahead of time and let it soften naturally; don't be like me and use the microwave to soften it, therefore melting it.
  • Mix together the softened butter, vanilla extract, almond extract, and heavy whipping cream.
  • Then add in the powdered sugar, and let the mixer work its magic for 2 to 3 minutes.
mixing up the best buttercream frosting in a mixer

You'll end up with a very smooth, creamy, vanilla buttercream frosting that's perfect for cake decorating, piping onto cupcakes, and more. Plus, it tastes really good.

pink buttercream icing for piping onto cupcakes, the best buttercream frosting recipe

PAIR HOMEMADE BUTTERCREAM FROSTING WITH THESE DESSERTS:

CAN I CHANGE UP THIS BUTTERCREAM ICING RECIPE?

While I do have a chocolate buttercream frosting, here are a few more ways you can change up this vanilla frosting recipe…

  • Add a flavored extract for additional flavor… Think maple, caramel, peppermint, etc.
  • If you want a lemon frosting, try adding in a little lemon juice and/or lemon zest.
  • If you don't like the buttery flavor of the icing, you can substitute the same amount of shortening for half the butter.
  • You can use milk instead of heavy whipping cream, but keep in mind, you may end up with a softer icing, especially at room temperature.
  • Add a little food coloring to create any color you want or need for your project.
the best buttercream frosting recipe for cupcakes and cake decorating

IF YOU LOVE THIS BUTTERCREAM FROSTING RECIPE, TRY SOME OF OUR OTHER FROSTING FAVORITES:

piping the best buttercream frosting onto cherry chip cupcakes

KITCHEN TOOLS YOU’LL NEED TO MAKE VANILLA BUTTERCREAM FROSTING:

Stand Mixer or Hand Mixer – You can definitely mix homemade frosting by hand, but a mixer enables you to get a really smooth texture.

Measuring Spoons and Measuring Cups

Spatula

8 ounce Bowls – These would be perfect for separating your icing to make different colors.

Cake Decorating Kit with Tips and Pastry Bags

THE BEST BUTTERCREAM FROSTING RECIPE

If you love this buttercream frosting recipe as much as I do, please write a 5 star review, and help me share the recipe on Facebook and Pinterest!

the best buttercream frosting recipe

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best buttercream frosting on a cherry chip cupcake

The Best Buttercream Frosting Recipe

Tips for how to make the best buttercream frosting for cake decorating. Smooth, creamy, and bursting with vanilla flavor, it's the perfect recipe for cupcakes!
4.67 from 18 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Desserts
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 10 minutes
Servings: 24 servings
Calories: 153kcal
Author: Mel Lockcuff

Ingredients

Instructions

  • First, allow the butter time to soften.*
  • Then mix together the softened butter, vanilla extract, almond extract, and heavy whipping cream.**
  • Add in the powdered sugar, and mix everything together for 2 to 3 minutes, mixing well.
  • If you want different colors for your icing, separate the icing into smaller bowls, and follow food coloring instructions for creating colored frosting.
  • You'll end up with a very smooth, creamy, vanilla buttercream frosting that's perfect for cake decorating, piping onto cupcakes, and more. Plus, it tastes really good.

Notes

*If you don't like the buttery flavor of the icing, you can substitute shortening for half the butter.
**You can also use milk instead of heavy whipping cream, but remember, you may end up with a softer icing, especially at room temperature.

Nutrition

Serving: 24servings | Calories: 153kcal | Carbohydrates: 20g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 22mg | Sodium: 68mg | Sugar: 19g
Tried this Recipe? Tag us Today!Mention @mellockcuff or tag #aomrecipes!
the best buttercream frosting recipe that's easy and delicious

14 thoughts on “The Best Buttercream Frosting Recipe”

  1. If I want to make my cupcakes ahead of time, is it okay to decorate my cupcakes and put them in the fridge the day before or would the frosting melt/change shape?
    Thank you

    Reply
    • Rawan, so long as they are placed in an airtight container, they will keep in the refrigerator for 3-5 days. Just don’t the frosting touch anything in the refrigerator, including the walls or lid of the container; that will cause the frosting to stick and peel off when you remove the cupcakes.

      Reply
  2. How much frosting in cups does this recipe yield? I want to ice a 9×13 cake and I’m not sure if I’ll have enough.

    Reply
    • Sheila, you can store it in the fridge in an airtight container for up to about a week. You can freeze it, though, and it will last a little bit longer, probably a month or two.

      Reply
  3. Hi, i love your recipes and i want to try this buttercream frosting for my daughter bday party but as i dont work with measuring cup i put everything on the scale, but i have a little doubts regarding how much of powdered sugar in grams is there thank you

    Reply
  4. 4 stars
    I enjoy your recipe for Buttercream icing. I have one question… I tried to give it a orangy taste so instead of the vanilla extract, I used orange extract and zest but the orange taste is barely there. How can I make the flavor more intense…

    Reply

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