This delicious Fluffy Vanilla Buttercream Frosting is crusting recipe that is perfect for cake decorating! This American Buttercream is similar to our Classic Vanilla Buttercream recipe, however, it has a lighter, fluffier texture due to the shortening in the recipe.

Fluffy Vanilla Buttercream Recipe by My Cake School! A fluffy, pipeable, crusting buttercream recipe.

Table of Contents

Fluffy Vanilla Buttercream: A Crusting Recipe

What is a crusting buttercream? As the name suggests, crusting frostings like this one develop a very thin crust when exposed to air. In as little as 5-10 minutes, a cake frosted in a crusting buttercream can be lightly touched without removing any of the frosting. Beneath that thin layer, the frosting remains soft.

Many cake decorators love to use the "Viva Paper Towel method" of smoothing when working with crusting buttercreams. Simply frost the cake, sweep around the sides and top with your spatula (or bench scraper) of choice, and then allow it to sit for a few minutes before smoothing over it with a paper towel.

(Viva brand paper towels are a popular choice for this paper towel method of smoothing because it has no quilting or impressions.)

You can find more information on this method of smoothing here: Leopard Print Buttercream (using the Viva Paper Towel Method).

Helpful Hints

This Fluffy Vanilla Buttercream frosting contains both butter and shortening. Because of the shortening, it is slightly more heat resistant than an all-butter frosting recipe, and it is lighter in color than an all-butter buttercream recipe.

If heat is more of a concern, you could switch to an all shortening (no butter) frosting recipe like this one: High Ratio Frosting. All frostings will melt if the weather is hot enough, but shortening certainly is more resistant than butter.

If you are looking for a crusting frosting that does not contain any shortening, we love our Classic Vanilla Buttercream recipe also. You can find it here!: Classic Vanilla Buttercream.

We often use clear vanilla in our buttercream frosting recipes because real vanilla gives vanilla buttercream more of an off-white or ivory color. However, this may not bother you! It simply comes down to personal preference or the design of your cake.

Does Brand of Confectioners Sugar Matter?

** Important note about the sugar: We’ve had great results with Domino’s confectioners sugar and US Sugar (we buy ours from Costco). Some brands of confectioners sugar don’t work as well with buttercream frosting recipes. If a package doesn’t say pure cane sugar, it contains beet sugar which is more likely to give you a grainy outcome.

In addition to that, we’ve noticed that even some brands that say “Pure Cane Sugar” will give a grainy consistency. So frustrating! One example is Dixie Crystals (although it used to work great for us a few years ago.) Something has changed…it’s a mystery. Anyway, this recipe should not be grainy, and so if it is, experiment with a different brand of confectioners sugar.

Fabulous Fluffy Vanilla Buttercream Recipe by MyCakeSchool.com. This recipe pipes beautifully and crusts for easy smoothing. My Cake School.

Fluffy Vanilla Buttercream Frosting

BY Melissa and Bebe

This fluffy vanilla buttercream recipe is perfect for piping and works great with the viva paper towel method! Good flavor, and contains shortening which makes is a bit more heat resistant.

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Ingredients

▢ 2 lbs. confectioners' sugar 910 g
▢ ½ cup 1 stick (113 g ) unsalted butter softened (soften on countertop rather than microwave for best results)
▢ 1 ½ cups solid vegetable shortening such as Crisco or Trex 286 g. or 10 oz. by weight. ** If using hi ratio shortening, see below)
▢ 2 Tablespoons clear vanilla extract 24 g
▢ ¼ to ½ teaspoon butter flavoring if you are leaving out the butter and using all shortening
▢ ¼ teaspoons lemon or almond extract 1 g OPTIONAL
▢ ¼ cup milk 57 g any milk is fine but I like milk with higher fat content. You could substitute water too (See below)
▢ ½ teaspoon salt to cut the sweetness. We use popcorn salt because of its fine grain. If using table salt you can dissolve it in the milk before adding.

Instructions

Cream butter, shortening , salt and extracts until creamy and smooth.
Add powdered sugar and milk. Mix thoroughly on medium speed for approximately 8 minutes. For the last two minutes decrease the mixing speed to VERY SLOW ( number 2 speed on a KitchenAid) until creamy and smooth. Scrape the sides of the bowl occasionally during the mixing process.

Notes

*If I use a high ratio shortening (such as CK or Sweetex brand) I decrease the shortening amount to 1 ¼ cups (236 g.) and increase the milk, ¼ cup plus 2 to 3 Tablespoons milk or enough to make it the consistency you like.

*I used to always use water for this recipe, but I switched to milk for flavor & also because when you use a higher fat milk for your liquid, the buttercream still has a nice crust to it, but it doesn't crust quite so quickly or so hard as if you use water.

*Makes about 6 cups of frosting-- you can half it, or freeze the leftovers if you don't need this much! (One cup of frosting frosts about 12 cupcakes with a simple swirl using a 2D tip)

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360 Comments

Hi AJane, yes, a marshmallow, that is a good description......sounds like you did it right.

Woo-Hoo!! Yay, I'm so happy that I finally got it right and don't have to start over again! Thanks BeBe!!

Hi again BeBe! Sorry, I have two more quick questions--when I piped with this buttercream using a 2D tip, the edges looked a little rough and feathery. Does that mean I need to add just a tad more liquid? Also, when I taste it there is still a slightly grainy texture--that's normal for a powder sugar based buttercream and I shouldn't be expecting a SMBC type of smooth, correct?

Yes, a bit more liquid should take care of the rough edges. It should not have a grainy texture. Butter softened in the microwave can cause a grainy texture, and some members have said that when they change brands of confectioners' sugar the problem is solved. It is not as smooth as SMBC and has a very different mouth feel.

Thanks BeBe. Hmmm....Okay, I think I have to go back to the drawing board and try making it again (Ugh!). Not sure why it is still slightly grainy--I followed the mixing directions in the recipe and the ones posted by Catherine (post #159), I let my butter soften on the counter, and I use C&H pure cane sugar powdered sugar. Which other brand do you recommend I try? Ugh...it's frustrating, but I really want to try to get this buttercream right! ;0)

Hi AJane, it sounds like you have done everything right. I think using the wrong confectioner's sugar is the cause most often because powdered sugar made from beet sugar will give you a grainy feel. C & H is a cane sugar brand that many of our members use with success. Right now I am using Domino pure cane Powdered Sugar. It is frustrating that you are doing everything right and still have the grainy feel. Don't toss out what you have made, it sounds so slight that you would notice nothing when eating it on a cake or cupcake. Could it be that it is actually perfect but so different in feel from the SMBC that you are familiar with that it seems grainy?

Hello Melissa and Bebe,

I had two questions :)

Firstly, I know you said that this recipe makes about 6 cups. I am making a 3 x 6inch cake (each being about 4cm). Do you think half a batch would be enough for a crumb and textured coat?

Also, I want to replace the almond or lemon flavouring with a choc hazlenut flavour. Would you still leave the butter flavour in? And my flavour is candy flavour so its much more concentrated - will this work with this recipe?

Thanks for all your help! I really do appreciate it.

Hi Avril, frosting amounts are always variable because it is difficult to know how thick the frosting will be on the cake or between the layers. One half the recipe might be enough for you but I would make the full recipe and there would be no worry about having enough. We freeze leftover frosting because there is always another cake or cupcakes to bake. Yes, you can leave out the flavorings in the recipe and replace with cho. hazelnut flavor. I would leave in the butter flavor. I haven't used that flavor in buttercream but it sounds delicious.

Thanks BeBe! :)

Sorry BeBe, I have another question. I will be finished with the cake the day before. What is the best way for me to store it, because it won't be covered in fondant. Will one night outside be ok. Or should I keep it in the fridge cause of the butter and milk... And how do you cover it if you put it in the fridge. My cake is pretty high so I can't put it in a container... And cling wrap will damage my buttercream.

Thanks again :)

Hi Avril, because of the amount of sugar in the buttercream your cake should be fine for 3 days if not refrigerated. I would keep it in the coolest part of your house. It would also be good to put it under a cake cover. If you do not have one that is tall enough, maybe some other type container could cover it. If you want to refrigerate but don't have a container, chill your cake uncovered in the refrigerator until the buttercream has firmed up, then you will be able to cover it with plastic wrap without damaging your buttercream........wrapping it loosely without pressing tightly against the buttercream. It would be fairly airtight. When bringing back to room temperature, remove the plastic wrap before the buttercream softens up.