The Best Vanilla Buttercream Frosting
This is The Best Vanilla Buttercream Frosting! It’s rich and creamy, and is super easy to whip up. It pipes beautifully, and is the perfect way to finish off all of your cakes and cupcakes!
We celebrated our daughter’s fifth birthday last week and even as I type this, I find myself still sitting here in a state of denial!
It seems like just yesterday I was sharing a tutorial on how to make her 1st birthday smash cake. But in reality, it was actually FOUR years ago!!!
When people say “the days are long but the years are short,” that is the absolute truth. I sure wish time would slow down with these babies of mine.
Our princess’s request for her birthday cake was a “pink cake with a ballerina on top.”
I was able to provide the pink frosting just fine, but after realizing my construction efforts are pretty subpar, I turned to Etsy for a ballerina cake topper. Which was GORGEOUS by the way! If you’re interested, this is the one I ordered.
As for the frosting, I made this one (and dyed it pink). This is my go-to frosting recipe, and in my opinion, is The BEST Vanilla Buttercream Frosting ever!
I’ve been making it for AGES so I’m surprised I haven’t shared it before!
I have another recipe for buttercream here on my site that I use a lot as well, but this one right here is my favorite because it doesn’t require shortening, and it’s SO SO delicious!
I add plenty of vanilla to give it really good flavor and it pipes onto cakes and cupcakes so well, and holds its shape beautifully! I think y’all are really going to love it!
If you share this Vanilla Buttercream Frosting or any other recipe from my site on Instagram, tag #belleofthekitchen so I can see what you’ve made! And follow me @thebelleofthekitchen, too!
Recipe: The Best Vanilla Buttercream Frosting
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks),, softened
- 4.5 cups powdered sugar
- 1 Tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- 4-5 Tablespoons heavy cream or whole milk
Instructions
- Beat the softened butter over medium speed with an electric mixer until soft and creamy. Continue to beat over medium speed as you gradually add the powdered sugar. Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula as needed to fully incorporate all of the sugar.
- Once butter and sugar have come together, add the vanilla. Beat in the heavy cream or milk 1 Tablespoon at a time until desired consistency is reached. This frosting is perfect for piping, or for simply spreading onto cakes and cupcakes!
Notes
If you like this recipe for The Best Vanilla Buttercream Frosting, then you might also like:
Skinny Chocolate Cake
Can I use imitation vanilla instead of extract
Yes!
So easy and even better than the bakery!
This recipe is outstanding! Came together beautifully. I’ll definitely use it again. Thank you!!!!!
This was a perfect frosting for a chocolate cake! I used 4 tablespoons of milk and 4 cups of sugar. Maybe could have used less sugar, but it turned out great!
I totally forgot heavy cream at the store. Can I use 2% instead?
Yes!
This was amazing! I’ve made this buttercream recipe 3 times already and my family loves it! Definitely keeping it close.
This recipe was enough for 24 cupcakes using a piping bag and large tip. I cut back on the sugar by 1 cup; may cut back another half cup the next time I make it. I also might cut back on the vanilla. It tastes delicious! Recommend you try it.
I’ve made this icing a couple of times now and it tastes very goo, but if you were going to crumb coat a cake, I would not recommend this. Although the taste is very good, I would find something that is more fluffy, in a way, so it’d be easier to apply.
Came out great!!! Does this keep well? Can I keep the cake out on the counter with this frosting?
You should chill the cake as it’s butter. Dairy. Plus it can melt easily at warm temperatures – butter, and whipped butter deflated at warm temperatures. You can freeze it as just the icing or the cake, iced. If just icing in a tub, thaw in fridge then give it a good whisk before using. It’ll keep several months frozen and a week or two at least in your 40F or colder fridge.
I think it would be best to keep in fridge, because of the butter. I kept a cake with buttercream frosting out once, and it wasn’t very good
Holy smokes! This frosting is amazing! I’ve actually never made frosting from scratch before and am so impressed with how delicious this came out. Perfect texture and flavor. I look like a pro! Thank you!
Tried this and it was amazing ! thanks!
I love the vanilla buttercream icing it taste amazing and a easy recipe
I really liked the frosting and this is the first time I made home made frosting by myself because I am 9 .And i think the frosting is rich and sweet and i like it that way!!!!!!!!!!!
🙂
this recipe one of the best good work
this recipe is great
Put this on a cake and it was the best frosting i ever had!
A hometown favorite baker retired leaving me to fend for myself! Thanks for the recipes hints and suggestions. I’m using a wht box cake, adding two extra eggs, using while milk for water, butter for oil, extra vanilla, sour cream and mayo. I’ll use your Buttercream Frosting mix with heavy cream. I’m hoping for a white wedding cake taste. I don’t care how it looks but I am currently in Coronavirus isolation and I definitely want cake! Wish me luck bakers!!