One of the easiest, most classic frostings you can make. American buttercream is a simple base of butter and powdered sugar. But the addition of extra vanilla and the method of whipping until light and fluffy make this so much better than the store-bought stuff you grew up with. Game. Changer.

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The story

I can’t believe I don’t have a plain American buttercream recipe up here yet. Like, vanilla cake and vanilla buttercream are a classic dessert combination. But I never was a fan of either growing up. Likely because my options were boxed cake and jarred frosting, and I personally never liked jarred frosting that isn’t chocolate or rainbow chip.

By the way, I just paused my writing to look up rainbow chip frosting and found some fairly simple ideas and that may be my next project because, even though jarred frosting is filled with chemicals I try to avoid, it broke my heart when that was discontinued…

Anyway, somewhere in my adult life I started liking vanilla more and more. Mostly thanks to some great local bakeries, partly thanks to my adventures in baking.

Guys. Homemade vanilla buttercream is delicious. Why didn’t anyone tell me this sooner?

Anyway, this buttercream is one of hundreds of identical recipes for American buttercream (or ABC). I like to make mine this way. Others may use slightly different ratios. In the end they’re all the same-ish.

I weirdly really like this buttercream, even though I vehemently despise the jarred, store bought equivalent. I think quality, European style butter from grass fed cows, extra vanilla extract, and extra mixing are what make it delicious. No shortening. No oil. Just good flavor.

In fact, I really like it on my vanilla cake (especially with raspberry jam filling). Vanilla on vanilla? Who knew this chocolate lover would ever feel that way?

Tips for this recipe

Use fresh butter

Maybe I’m crazy, but I swear I can tell when something has been made with old butter. Butter absorbs the odors in your fridge (or freezer) and can start to taste stale or strange after a while. While some recipes can mask this, buttercream leaves no place for weird tastes to hide. I used to stock up on it when there was a sale, but not anymore. I usually try to use up what I have within a month of purchasing it, but for paid jobs I always buy butter no more than a few days before the event.

The white for this cake was made with imitation vanilla and a smidge of violet food coloring so it would be a blank canvas for the painted flowers.

Use high-quality butter

Yep, I’m a butter snob. I always recommend European style butter, because it’s creamier and lower in water, making it more suitable for baking. You can use any butter you want, but I can taste a difference when I use organic, European butter from grass-fed cows. Plus it whips up well, creating a better texture, and it’s less prone to breaking if you over mix it.

Use softened, not-yet-shiny butter

See a trend here? Good buttercream is largely about the butter. If your butter has been out long enough to get shiny, it’s likely too soft. You should be able to press your (clean) finger in it and leave an indentation but still have some resistance. If there’s no density whatsoever, put it back in the fridge for a couple minutes to regain some structure.

Add whipping cream a tiny bit at a time

Please, oh please, be careful here. A tiny bit too much cream and you are looking at watery buttercream that will slide off your cake. Just look at this photo from when I added too much lemon juice to my lemon buttercream. I always pour a splash in at a time then mix for a good 20-30 seconds before deciding if more is needed. In fact, while most recipes call for adding it one tablespoon at a time, I likely do half that or less. You’re just looking for enough to smooth out any graininess that is left, but remember that the beating stage will help as well. It’s better to safe than sorry, and you can add more cream later.

Follow the mixing steps as written

A couple years ago Chelsweets turned me on to the idea of beating buttercream for 5 minutes. I usually do it on high, but many recipes call for medium-high, which is why I’ve included that in my recipe. In warmer weather, high will sometimes cause the buttercream to go past smooth to runny. The goal is really to add volume (i.e. air) and smooth out the sugar. You may need to try different speeds based on your climate and mixer to see what will get you the fluffiest, smoothest buttercream.

Adjust powdered sugar or use less cream based on climate

Most people do a standard ratio for American buttercream: 1.5-2 cups powdered sugar for every 4 ounce stick of butter. A lot of that depends on taste, with 2 cups being pretty sweet. I personally start with the following ratios then adjust to taste:

1 stick butter (4 ounces)
- Note: Some brands, like Kerrygold, make 8 ounce blocks, not the typical 4 ounce sticks
1.25-1.5 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/8 teaspoon fine ground sea salt
1/2 tablespoon heavy whipping cream

These ratios make a sweet-but-not-too-sweet frosting that can still hold a cake together. In warmer or more humid climates, you may need more powdered sugar or may benefit from less (or even no) cream. The beating process will help smooth the frosting anyway, so don’t feel obligated to add cream if you need a super sturdy frosting.

Don’t use milk!

Regular whipping cream will work instead of heavy cream, but milk is too watery. I’ve had okay luck using smaller amounts of half and half, but I for sure prefer heavy whipping cream.

Use gel food coloring or extra powdered sugar for liquid coloring

I prefer gel food coloring mostly because a little goes a long way and you can find it in all kinds of fun colors. AmeriColor is my favorite, but Wilton is also great. However, just as with milk, liquid food coloring will water down your frosting. It’s already a liquid, and often you need quite a bit to get the color you want. Since most people stir it in by hand after the buttercream is done (especially if making multiple colors—if not, I often beat the color in after whipping my buttercream), it’s best to have a thicker buttercream to start with. You may also need to use less cream or omit it altogether to compensate for the liquid food coloring.

How to make it truly white

If you need a truly white colored frosting, there are a few ways to do this. Most importantly, whip it a little longer in step 4, about 5-7 minutes. Whipping helps lighten the color tremendously. That’s all I did to achieve the whiteness of the frosting in these photos. You can also add the teeniest, tiniest, grain of sand amount of violet food coloring to counter the yellow of the butter. Using clear (usually imitation) vanilla is also helpful, because it’s…clear. Finally, using a lighter colored butter will help. I strayed from my beloved Kerrygold for the frosting in these photos. Danish Creamery and Pulgra both have a much paler version of European butter. If your store doesn’t carry those brands, you may need to ask around or experiment.

Pair with literally any cake

I can’t think of a cake this would not go with. Chocolate. Dark chocolate. Flourless chocolate. Blackout chocolate (yeah, I love chocolate). Vanilla (especially if you stir in sprinkles right before baking and decorate with more sprinkles!). Apple. Browned Butter cinnamon. Carrot. Champagne. Eggnog Latte. Coffee. The options are endless.

Vanilla American Buttercream

total time: 10-15 minutes

Yields: about 4 cups, or enough to fill and frost a two- to three-layer 8” or 9” cake or pipe 24 cupcakes

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See note for scaling options—decrease by 1 stick butter (and correct ratio of other ingredients) if you are doing a naked cake or want a thinner layer of frosting

Ingredients:

1 pound room temperature, unsalted, European style butter (creates a creamer frosting)
5-8 cups powdered sugar, to taste (sift before adding if your sugar looks lumpy or you live in a humid climate)
4 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
½ teaspoon fine ground sea salt
2-4 tablespoons heavy whipping cream

Instructions:

Add butter to the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or a large, deep mixing bowl and using a hand mixer). Beat butter on high for 1-2 minutes, scraping down sides and bottom of bowl with a rubber spatula a couple times.
Add powdered sugar one-ish cup at a time, starting mixer on low to avoid a poof of sugar flying everywhere. Slowly increase speed to high, mixing until smooth after each addition (about 30 seconds or so for each cup). Scrape down bowl every 2-3 cups. If it’s looking grainy, add a small splash of cream when you scrape the bowl.
After adding about 5 cups powdered sugar, add vanilla and salt and mix until fully combined. Taste your frosting and keep adding sugar, this time ½ cup or less at a time, until it reaches your desired taste or thickness. Add cream as needed, in small splashes, to smooth out the frosting (but remember that the next step will help smooth it as well). Don’t add too much cream, as there’s no recovering from that. Be conservative—you can add more later.
Once you’re happy with the taste/thickness, scrape down the bowl again then beat on high for 3-5 minutes. I sometimes scrape the bowl once in the middle of this if I notice a yellower tinge along the edge of the bowl (see note about achieving a truer white color). This tinge just means the buttercream on the edge isn’t getting pulled in and whipped as quickly as the rest, and it can happen if you’re making a smaller batch or if you have a larger stand mixer (like I do).
Once light and fluffy and fully blended, turn off mixer, remove bowl, then scrape down sides and paddle attachment. Using the same rubber spatula or a large wooden mixing spoon, stir vigorously by hand for about a minute, or until you no longer see any air pockets as you stir. When I’m feeling lazy, I mix semi-vigorously and just look for a smooth texture. If you’re making a large batch of frosting, you can theoretically do this with your stand mixer on low, but I’ve found it’s not as effective as stirring by hand. Just consider it part of your Michelle Obama arms workout. #sheismylifegoals

Enjoy!

If not using that day, place in a sealed container or piping bags (if using the next day) and refrigerate. Frosting will last, tightly sealed, in the fridge 2-3 weeks or in the freezer about 2 months. Let come to room temperature before using. Depending on how long you chilled it, you may need to whip it quickly in your stand mixer or with a hand mixer to fluff it back up.