The Best-Ever Vanilla Buttercream Frosting Recipe (with Video) (2024)

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Hi Bold Bakers!

WHY YOU WILL LOVE THIS RECIPE:Nothing beats a great homemadevanilla buttercream frosting recipe, and every baker should have afoolproofbuttercream recipein their back pocket to decoratecakesandcupcakes. Here’s the thing though, this recipe is so good that I just had to call it the Best-Ever. Bold Bakers say it’s delicious, with a sweet, but not too sweet!taste, and has the best creamytexture. I mean, just look at all those reviews like:

“It is now my go-to frosting! I’ve never had any failures in making it. Thanks for the easy-to-follow directions.”

“This buttercream is beautifully fluffy and delicious, and pipes dreamily!”

As a professional chef, I have learned a lot of tips and tricks over the years. Now I’m going to show you theBold Baking Basicrecipe that I get the most requests for How to Make the Best- EverVanilla Buttercream Frosting. Watch the step-by-step video below (along with a complete recipe!) and get all my best tips on how to make the icing.

IMPORTANT NOTE: This recipe was updated and improved on 4/19/2023 to include additional detailed tips on ingredients and process, step-by-step photography, answers to the most frequently asked questions (why runny/grainy, less sweet, etc) and Pro-Chef Tips.

Table of Contents

• What is Buttercream Frosting?
• The Secret to My Best-EverVanilla Buttercream Frosting
• Tools You Need
• Best-Ever Buttercream Frosting Ingredients
• How to Make theBest Buttercream Frosting
• How to StoreVanilla Buttercream Frosting
• Why is my Buttercream Frosting Runny?
• Why is my Buttercream Frosting Grainy?
• Can I Cut Back on Sugar in Buttercream Frosting? How to Make Buttercream Frosting Less Sweet?
• FAQs
• Gemma’s Pro Chef Tips
• Try More Frosting Recipes!

What is Buttercream Frosting?

Buttercream frosting, also known asAmerican buttercream frosting(there are other types, such asSwiss Meringue Buttercream) is made bywhippingtogetherbutter, sugar, and otheringredients.

It sounds like it should be easy, but one of the most common questions I get asked on Bigger Bolder Baking is how to make successful buttercream frosting. I also had trouble with it for a very long time, but I developed the Best-Ever Vanilla Buttercream Frosting, and I have the tips that will give you foolproof results every time!

The Secret to My Best-EverVanilla Buttercream Frosting

How do you make fluffy homemade buttercream frosting? The secret ingredient in this recipe is time. Most people whip their butter for only a few minutes before adding in sugar, but you’ll never achieve a light and airy result this way. This frosting recipe takes its literal sweet time to really incorporate as much air as possible into the butter. Find detailed instructions on this page down below.

• Measuring cupsandspoons
• Stand mixer(use thewhipattachment) or hand mixer
• Jug/liquid measuring cup
• Spatula

Best-Ever Buttercream Frosting Ingredients

Butter:

• Butteris the base ofperfect buttercream frosting. I always usesalted butterbecausesaltenhancesflavors. You can use either salted orunsalted butterper your preference.
• Butterhas to be softened correctly to get the silky-smooth consistency for frosting. You know yourbutteris at the right temperature when you push thebutterand it makes an indent, but your finger doesn’t easily squish right through.

Icing sugar (AKA powdered orconfectioners sugar):

• Icing sugar is simply finely ground sugar with cornstarch added to absorb moisture to prevent clumping. The good news is if you run out of icing sugar, you can make your own using myHow to MakePowdered Sugarrecipe.
• Icing sugar not only perfectly sweetens frosting but also contributes to a smoother consistency compared to granulated sugar which is coarser.
• Icing sugar rubs against fat from softenedbutterduring creaming, creating air pockets to incorporate air. In the meanwhile, icing sugar also coats air pockets to prevent them from drying out, retaining air to stabilize frosting.

Vanilla:

• I believe that using good qualityingredientsis essential to making any great baked goods. Pure naturalvanilla extractinstead of artificial vanilla essence, is a must to deliver the signatureflavorto your buttercream.
• You can makevanilla extract(and otherflavorextracts) with amazing results at a fraction of the store price using myHomemade Extracts recipe.
• Vanilla bean pastewill be more concentrated inflavorand yield a speckled effect.

Milk:

• Along with the vanilla, milk thins and lightens the consistency.
• Half and half,heavy cream, orheavy whipping creamwill also work.

Food coloring (OPTIONAL)

• Gel food coloringcan be used because it will not dilute the frosting consistency like liquid coloring does.
• Dip a toothpick in the paste and add it to the frosting in very small amounts each time.

How to Make the Best-Ever Vanilla Buttercream

While this recipe takes a bit of patience, follow my steps and you will have thebest vanilla buttercream frostingevery time (and don’t forget to get thefull recipe with measurements, on the page down below):

1. Soften:

• The key to a fluffy buttercream frosting is perfectly softenedbutter. This is super-important becausebutteris the base of the frosting. Just leave yourbutterout atroom temperaturefor around three hours, it will be at the perfecttexturethat when you push it makes an indent, but your finger doesn’t easily squish right through.
• Over-softenedbuttercan not retain air well which leads to a flat runny frosting; under-softenedbutterwill have lumps which leads to a grainy or overwhipped split frosting.

2.Whip:

• Using thewhisk attachmentinstead of thepaddle attachmentcan incorporate more air.
• Turn your mixer on amedium-high speedandwhipthebutterby itself for seven to eight minutes, untilbutteris light, fluffy, and pale yellow in color before you add in any sugar.
• Whippingupbutterfirst will create an aerated structure to holdpowdered sugar. Otherwise, sugar will weigh down thebutterleading to a flat heavy frosting.

3. Sift:

• Sifting is really important when it comes topowdered sugar(orcocoa powderor almond flour inmacaronsto get out any lumps.
• Sifting will also fluff up the sugar and give you lighter frosting.

4. Sweeten:

• Once yourbutteris pale and light, add in your sugar spoonful by spoonful. Let each spoonfulwhipuntil fully incorporated before moving on to the next one.

5. Lighten:

• Add in the vanilla extract and milk, turn the machine back on high speed, and let everything incorporate. In just a few minutes, you will have perfect, fluffy frosting.

How to Store Best-Ever Vanilla Buttercream Frosting

The best way to store leftover buttercream frosting is to keep it in anairtight containerin therefrigeratorfor up to 4 weeks.

Buttercream frosting can be frozen for up to 8 weeks.

Whether you’re storing it in the fridge or the freezer, make sure you keep it in an airtight container, pull it out, and let it come to room temperature naturally before you use it. Re-whip it until smooth again if needed.

Why is my Buttercream Frosting Runny?

• You might have overbeaten thebutterwhich separated fat to cause the issue or yourbutterwas too soft to retain air.You know yourbutteris at the right temperature when you push thebutterand it makes an indent, but your finger doesn’t easily squish right through.
• Sugar was added too early which weighed down the mixture.Whipbutteruntil light and fluffy to build a structure to hold the sugar. Otherwise, it would be runny.
• Sugar was added all at oncewhich collapsed the mixture.Add sugar gradually to fully incorporate it. When sugar is beaten into the light and fluffybutter, it dissolves in the film on the surface of the air bubbles. This sugary syrup film prevents the bubbles from drying out and tightening up too fast.
• If it melted due to a hot weather, you can try myStabilized Whipped Creamrecipe orErmine Frosting Recipe.

Why is my Buttercream Frosting Grainy?

• Butterwas too cold which caused lumps.Make sure when you push thebutter, it makes an indent, but your finger doesn’t easily squish right through.
• Granulated sugar was used.You need powdered / icing sugar which is fine enough to achieve a smooth result. Make it if needed using myHow to MakePowdered Sugarrecipe.
• Sugar was added all at oncewhich clumped up.Add sugar gradually by spoonful to fully incorporate it.
• European StyleButteris high in fat and can yield a thick or potentially lumpy result.Add milk 1 tablespoon at a time to your Buttercream Frosting until you reach yourdesired consistency.

Can I Cut Back on Sugar in Buttercream? How to Make Buttercream Frosting Less Sweet?

• Sugar is vital in incorporating air into and stabilizing the structure of buttercream frosting. When sugar is beaten into the light and fluffybutter, it dissolves in the film on the surface of the air bubbles. This sugary syrup film prevents the bubbles from drying out and tightening up too fast.
• ¼ less is the farthest you can go without affecting the consistency.
• Another trick is to add 1-1 ½ teaspoons of lemon juice or 1 teaspoon ofsaltto reduce the sweetness.

FAQs

Can I double this recipe?

Yes, you can.

It is easy to adjust this recipe as it is proportional: it’s 4:1 in cups (two measures of sugar to one ofbutter) and 2:1 in weight (grams).

After adding vanilla, my frosting separated. Can it be fixed or do I start again?

It may be salvageable.

Yourbuttermight have been over-softened so when you whipped it, it couldn’t retain much air and got over-whipped separating the fat. You can try to gently mix in more softenedbutter.

How do I get air bubbles out of the buttercream frosting?

Near the end of mixing, run your mixer at a low speed. This will help to smooth out the frosting and remove big air bubbles. While applying frosting, follow my guide onHow to Do a Crumb Coatlayerfirst.

How to frost small batch/single-serve recipes?

For about 3mugcakesor 6cupcakes, it would be 3 oz/85g ofbutter, 170g sugar, 1/2 tspvanilla extract, 1 1/2 tsp- 2 1/4 tsp of milk and cream.

Gemma’s Pro Chef Tips

What do you do if you’ve followed my tips but find your frosting is too loose, and not thick enough for spreading orpipingdecorations?

• The first thing I’d suggest is to chill the buttercream frosting. By bringing down the temperature, the frosting should tighten up immediately. This is a great trick for buttercream frosting that may have been overmixed or made at too warm a temperature.
• If this doesn’t seem to do the trick, try adding more siftedpowdered sugar, 3 tablespoons at a time.

If your frosting feels too thick, there is no reason to start over from scratch on a new batch.

• Simply add milk 1 tablespoon at a time until you reach the desired consistency. From there, simply pipe or frost as normal.
• Don’t worry, adding the milk will not affect theflavorof your frosting.

• Gemma’s Best Vanilla BirthdayCakerecipeorGemma’s Best-Ever Vanilla MugCakeThis festive sprinkle-coveredcakeis the perfect choice for any Bold Baker. Make it in a mug for a quick dessert!
• Gemma’s BestCakeRecipes,CrazyCupcakes, all your favoritemugcakerecipes, and evensugar cookies!
• LemonCakeWith Lemon Buttercream Frosting
• White VelvetCakewithStrawberry ButtercreamFrosting
• Best-EverChocolate Buttercream Frosting,Peanut ButterButtercream Frosting,Fluffy Nutella Buttercream Frosting,Salted Caramel Swiss Meringue Buttercreamandmore possibilities!

Even More Frosting Recipes!

• Best-EverCream Cheese Frosting
• The Perfect Ermine Frosting
• Swiss Meringue Buttercream Frosting
• VeganChocolate Buttercream Frosting
• Dairy-FreeVanilla Buttercream Frosting

And don’t forget to check out my new cookbook,Bigger Bolder Baking Every Day!

IMPORTANT NOTE: This recipe was updated and improved on 4/19/2023 to include additional detailed tips on ingredients and process, step-by-step photography, answers to the most frequently asked questions (why runny/grainy, less sweet, etc) and Pro-Chef Tips.

Full (and printable) recipe below!

Ingredients

Instructions

Recipe Notes