White Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
This White Chocolate Buttercream Frosting Recipe belongs in your recipe file of favorites!
Not only does it have a wonderful white chocolate flavor, but its creamy consistency is perfect for piping. It is the perfect choice for so many cake and cupcake flavors.
What I love most about this frosting recipe is that the white chocolate flavor really shines through.
The recipe calls for white baking chocolate (we really prefer this over white chocolate chips or candy melts). You are going to love the flavor.
Table of Contents
How to Make White Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
*You can find the full, printable recipe card further down in this post. Here is a quick rundown of our steps!
This easy-to-follow recipe involves combining the melted white chocolate with the usual key players...butter, confectioners sugar, vanilla, and milk (or cream).
- Cut/chop the white chocolate into very small pieces, put into a microwave safe bowl and add 4 Tablespoons milk or cream. Chopping the chocolate into small pieces will help it to melt more quickly and evenly.
- Microwave the chopped white chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl for 15 seconds and let sit for a minute, stir and microwave again 15 seconds letting it sit a minute to soften further, stir. (Repeat heating in small increments as needed).
We do it this way so that we do not accidentally overheat or burn the white chocolate. The heated chocolate will continue to melt as it is stirred. The melted chocolate should not be hot when added to the mixture and so allow to cool as needed.
- Beat the butter until softened and smooth, add the powdered sugar 1 cup at a time. Add the white chocolate and milk mixture. Add vanilla and salt. Add another Tablespoon milk if needed. Beat on medium speed for 3 to 4 minutes and it will become smooth and creamy.
- This recipe makes 5 cups frosting, which is enough to frost a 2 or 3 layer eight inch cake. If you will be doing a lot of decorative piping, you will need additional frosting.
What Cakes Pair Well with White Chocolate Frosting?
This luscious, white chocolate frosting is a heavenly complement to so many cake flavors. It's perfect with fruity cakes, chocolate cakes, and more! Here are a few favorites:
Strawberry Sour Cream Cake with White Chocolate Frosting
White Chocolate Raspberry Cake
White Chocolate Cranberry Cake
White Chocolate Peppermint Cake
Is this White Chocolate Frosting Good for Decorating?
Yes! This white chocolate buttercream is not only delicious, it pipes perfectly!
As an added bonus, this frosting recipe develops a slight crust, making it perfect for smoothing using the Viva Paper Towel Method of Smoothing for those of you who prefer this technique!
If you've ever had Grainy Buttercream, Read this!
** We’ve had great results with Domino’s confectioner’s sugar in our frostings. Some brands of confectioner’s 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.
Here's our White Chocolate Buttercream in action, as the frosting for our White Chocolate Raspberry Cake!
More White Chocolate Cake Recipes
We've made several white chocolate cakes over the years! Here are just a few of our favorites:
- White Chocolate Velvet Cake
- White Chocolate Pound Cake
- White Chocolate Mocha Cake
- White Chocolate Cherry Cake
Enjoy the Recipe!
Thanks so much for stopping by! If you give this white chocolate buttercream a try, we would love for you to leave a comment below!
White Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
This white chocolate buttercream has a nice white chocolate flavor, is smooth, creamy, and, pipes beautifully!
Ingredients
- 3 sticks (339g) unsalted butter, softened (do not soften in the microwave)
- 8 ounces (227g) white baking chocolate (I used 2 Ghirardelli Premium Baking Bars)
- 5 cups (575g) powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon (4g) vanilla extract
- 4 tablespoons (42 g) milk or cream
- ½ teaspoon (3g) salt - optional to cut the sweetness
Instructions
- Cut/chop the white chocolate into very small pieces, put into a microwave safe bowl and add 4 Tablespoons milk or cream.
- Microwave for 15 seconds let sit for a minute or two, stir and microwave again 15 seconds letting it sit a minute to soften further, stir. Be careful not to over heat the chocolate. The chocolate will continue to melt as it is stirred. Let the chocolate cool down before using.
- Beat the butter until softened and smooth, add the powdered sugar 1 cup at a time. Add the white chocolate and milk mixture. Add vanilla. Add another Tablespoon milk if needed. Beat on medium speed for 3 to 4 minutes and it will become smooth and creamy.
- Makes 5 cups frosting. Makes enough to frost a 2 or 3 layer eight inch cake. If you will be doing a lot of decorative piping, you will need additional frosting.
Do you think it would be good swirled with a milk chocolate icing? My daughter wants two tone icing on her cupcakes and I just wanted to see if it would pair and taste good.
Hi Shannon, We have not used a milk chocolate baking bar but I would think it would be fine to do so. Most importantly do not over microwave the chocolate when melting it. Letting it sit and stirring when it is still holding its shape but softened a bit will help it to melt. The microwave time may be different with the white and milk chocolate. Also, you can adjust the powdered sugar and milk bit if needed. The white and chocolate flavors will pair well together.
I posted a year or so ago, and never got a response, so I am trying again... If using water as opposed to milk, would this recipe be shelf stable? As a baker working out of my home, legally I am not able to sell anything that requires refrigeration. Also, maybe you could list which frostings on your site are shelf stable? That would be super helpful to us home bakers. :)
Shannon Rankin, It is very good swirled together. I did it before for a friends cupcakes. Make sure when you do the chocolate buttercream to use semi sweet chocolate chips instead of a milk chocolate baking bar.
Hi!
I have to make a chocolate cake but I need to do White chocolate frosting. The problem is I need to add color to the frosting. Will this frosting seize up on me if I add color? If so how do I fix it. I have worked with white chocolate before and I have to add a special oil to it before I add color. The problem with that is I have to add 10 drops of oil to one drop of color. Please Help. Thank you
Hi Claudia, AmeriColor and Wilton make an oil candy coloring. This is what you need to use. Add just a few drops at a time.
How do I go about thawing it if it’s in the fridge? Would I just let it sit out like regular buttercream before I’m ready to use it?
Hi Sandra, Yes, let it sit on the countertop to warm to spreading consistency. Once it has softened you can stir to remix or use your mixer.
I am just covering a 6" cake can I half this receipe or is it better to make the whole recipe and freeze the rest?
Hi Sherrie, According to cake chart info -- if you are making a 2 layer 6 inch round cake, it is suggested you will need 3 cups of frosting to fill and frost your cake. This recipe makes 5 cups of frosting so you may not have quite enough if you make only 1/2 the recipe. I would make the full recipe .
Will this frosting form a crust? I'm making a buttercream covered wedding cake and this flavour would be perfect.
Thanks. x
Hi Maria, We most often use the hot knife method for smoothing so I am not sure how firm a crust this recipe will form. I think it does form a light crust.