Fluffy Vanilla Buttercream
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.
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.
Fluffy Vanilla Buttercream Frosting
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
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could you please think about making a video making this buttercream.? thanks!
Hi, Melissa can you tell me what to use instead of crisco, we do not have it here in Australia . Thankyou Anna
Hello Melissa. Can I use this for my piping also? This is Scott your humble new student.
And greetings everyone.
Scott in Texas
Hi Melissa and BeBe,
I made this frosting today, but did not add the lemon extract as I had run out! Although it tasted delicious, I found that it did not crust as much as I'd hoped and I wonder whether the missing ingredient was the cause?
Regards, Sue
Hi Sue, leaving out the lemon extract would not have been the cause. Were you having higher humidity than usual, that could have been the cause. Did you use milk with a higher fat content than usual? Using whole milk or whipping cream will give a softer crust than using 2 % or skim milk.
Thanks BeBe, I did use high fat content milk so I'll try it with skimmed next time. I was also pushed for time and I'm not sure I left it for long enough to crust if I'm honest - loved the flavour though and have never made frosting with shortening before. Just another tip from this super site which I'm so glad I happened upon!
Hi ladies. Can I use this frosting to do some scroll work? As I have it right now it doesn't seem smooth enough to do it. What can add to get it a smoother consistency ?
Thanks,
Katie
Hi Katie, Yes, you can. If it seems to stiff, add additional milk a teaspoon at a time, mixing it in until it reaches the consistency needed for piping the scrollwork.
This is the best buttercream, YUM!
I'm so happy you like it!
I am going to crumb coat and let it settle Saturday. Then Sunday frost and decorate.. I am going to dye the frosting orange. Two questions, does the frosting do okay with a dye? Second, is it okay to let the frosting sit overnight? Covered on the counter or covered in the fridge? Thanks!!!!!
Hi Tracy...This is my go to recipe for crusting buttercream and it colors very well. I use gel colors (I've never used regular food coloring and since you didn't specify what type of 'dye' you're using, I just wanted to clarify) and the gel colors work beautifully. This frosting can sit out for up to 3 days. IT'S IMPORTANT that you cover it quickly after making it so it doesn't begin crusting on you in the bowl. I cover with a large piece of plastic wrap gently pressed down onto the icing all the way to the edges of the bowl, then cover the whole bowl once again with another sheet of plastic wrap. I freeze it this way as well.