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 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.
The recipe says for whiter frosting use clear vanilla. I have the professional strength artificial flavor clear vanilla. The lady at the store said it was super concentrated. I'm sure how much I would use for this recipe. Could you help me figure this out. Also, I'm making a two tier cake for a client. Do you have a white chocolate cake recipe? My plan was to use the choc mousse filling between layers. Would the fluffy vanilla buttercream work for the dam or should I use this recipe? Thanks.
Would any of your chocolate cake recipes work as devils food choc cake?
Hi Tiffany, it should say somewhere on the bottle of vanilla if it is 2 times the strength of regular clear vanilla or 4 times the strength. If it is 2 x's you would use half the amount the recipe calls for .......if 4 x's you would use 1/4 the amount. I'm sorry we don't have a white chocolate cake recipe on the site. You could use either buttercream recipe to pipe your stiff dam. Whichever you use, just take out a small portion and thicken it with confectioners sugar until it is the consistency you need to pipe the dam.
The only recipe that we have that would work as a devils food choc. cake is Chocolate Sour Cream Cake ( a doctored cake mix recipe.)
Good luck with your cake
Hi! I am about to make some "cakes in a mason jar" and was going to use your chocolate sour cream cake recipe. Would this be a good frosting to use with it or should I use the fluffy buttercream??
Hi Jana, we think the Classic Vanilla Buttercream recipe should be eaten by the third day if it is left unrefrigerated.......it could last longer if refrigerated. I would use the Fluffy Buttercream recipe with all shortening or high ratio shortening if it will be in high temperatures. Either of these recipes will pair well with the chocolate sour cream cake.
Hi Melissa and Bebe,
This recipe sounds so delicious! I am making a three tier cake that will be covered in fondant with lots of gumpaste decorations. It's not going to fit in my fridge so I will need to keep it on the counter while I work on it. It is then going to be delivered to a location that is two hours away. It is 90+ outside on Texas right now but the cake will be indoors. What icing would you recommend me using? The classic or the fluffy buttercream or a combo of both. Maybe more like the classic but with added shortening? I just want it to taste really good but not mess up my fondant. Shortening is kind of nasty to me but I know it is a necessity sometimes. Anyways, thank you so much for all your help and keep up the good work!!
Hi Breinna, I do love the classic buttercream because of all the butter in it, when using under fondant be sure to let it firm up ten minutes or so before you lay on the fondant. We think the Classic recipe is best when eaten by the third day if it cannot be refrigerated so that may be a problem for you. I think you might prefer using the Fluffy Buttercream recipe, it has only 1/2 cup butter plus shortening. The high ratio buttercream is also a good option if you don't like the "mouth feel" of shortening......high ratio shortening has a less greasy feel. Also, there would be no worries with heat or keeping the cake on the countertop. Let me know if you have other questions.
Hello,
I love this recipe and use it all the time! However I find that its very thick, and hard to spread, does not stick to my cakes that easy, and causes a lot of crumbs. I make it work but it can be very frustrating. When I watch tutorials it seems like the icing just glides right on but not for me. Is there something I am doing wrong, or something I can tweak to make it lighter and smooth on easier.
Hello Ladies,
I am a new member and I am enjoying this school with all its students that write. The problem with my buttercream icing is the bulging out from the side or even from the top of the cake. I appreciate the comment about using spreadable ganache first before icing the cake. But wouldn't this make the icing extra sweeter?
Hi Nenita, There have been several Forum discussions on "bulging". Click on this link, I think it will be helpful to you https://www.mycakeschool.com/message-boards/baking-questions/my-cakes-bulge-at-the-sees
Also, if you will enter the word bulging in the search bar, there are other discussions (just scroll down when the page appears). If you use dark chocolate when making your ganache, I don't think it makes the frosting too sweet, and it is just a thin coating .
HI Melissa,
This is my favorite vanilla frosting and I have been using it for the past few years. It is perfect for my cakes but all of a sudden it seems too soft for my cupcakes and to pipe rosettes or other designs that need to hold its shape. I use my kitchen aide just as in your directions with my paddle attachment. Do I need to thicken it up before piping my cupcakes. If so, how much extra powdered sugar do you recommend that I add.
Thanks!
Abby
Hi Abby, Are you in a higher humidity area, that can make your buttercream softer. I would add additional powdered sugar 1/4 cup at a time until it reaches the consistency you like for piping your cupcakes.