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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Cheryl--so happy to hear that you like it!!! ;0)
Just wanted to double check on something. I made the recipe and it was great! It only made approx six cups though and it says it makes 12 cups....I have re-read everything and don't see where I could have gone wrong. Is that 12 cups a typo?
Yes it is, I always double the recipe to freeze extra frosting so I guess I had that on my mind when posting the recipe. Thank you for letting us know. I'm so sorry if it caused a problem for you.
No problem at all. I was just wondering what I could be doing wrong :) thanks again. I like this recipe because it's not that sweet, especially with the salt added.
Hi! How long can you freeze this recipe? or how long can you keep it in the fridge (not the freezer).
Hi Grace, you can keep it in the fridge 2 weeks as long as the milk and butter are not the end of their expiration date. We have frozen for as long as 6 months and it was fine. Just thaw at room temperature or in the refrigerator overnight and stir.
Hi Melissa & Bebe :) I'm looking for the video of this fluffy vanilla buttercream. Pls send me the link here. I'm searching for it but can't find it :(
Big thanks! :)
Hi Mayara--We actually don't have a video on making the fluffy buttercream---but we do have a video on making our "classic" buttercream. The steps are very similar-- except our "fluffy" recipe calls for shortening. Here's the link:
Hi, If I wanted to make this all shortening using a hi-ratio shortening what amounts would I use. Also can I sub heavy whipping cream for the milk? I am trying to achieve a fluffly crusting not overly sweet buttercream. Is this the one for me?
Also in the video you posted above Melissa, what size and model Kitchen Aide is BeBe using?
Hi Divjai, I have been experimenting with this recipe using all hi ratio shortening. I haven’t added it to the recipe section, but this is what I am using now when I want an all shortening recipe.
2 cups (386 g) hi ratio shortening
2 Tablespoons (24 g) clear vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon (2 g) butter flavoring
1/4 teaspoon (1 g) lemon or almond flavoring
2 lbs. (910 g) confectioners’ sugar
2/3 cup (160 g) heavy cream or milk
1/2 teaspoon (2 g) salt ( I use popcorn salt because of its fine grain or let your salt dissolve in your liquid (the milk/cream)
Cream the shortening and flavorings . Add the confectioners’ sugar and cream, mixing slowing gradually increasing speed . Mix approx. 8 min. until creamy and smooth.
This is still sweet though the salt cuts some of the sweetness.
The Swiss Meringue Buttercream has a less sweet taste and you might like that recipe.
The mixer I am using is the 5 qt. KitchenAid Artisan.
Delete | Delete & Ban IP
Thanks BeBe :) I will try this out this weekend. Swiss meringue is okay but I am looking for a perfect balance; something sweeter than swiss but not as sweet and heavy as most bc.