Fluffy Vanilla Buttercream Frosting (American Buttercream Frosting)
This perfectly smooth and easy to make American Vanilla Buttercream Frosting is a great all round option for frosting cakes and cupcakes!
Ingredients
Vanilla Buttercream Frosting
- 500 g unsalted butter softened (see notes)
- 1 tsp salt
- 1-2 tsp vanilla extract
- 20 g heavy cream cold (see notes)
- 400 g powdered sugar
Instructions
Vanilla Buttercream Frosting
- Cream butter - Add your softened butter, salt and vanilla extract to a large bowl. If using a stand mixer fit it with the paddle attachment. Beat on medium high speed for 5 minutes until pale and fluffy. You will want to scrape down the bowl halfway through with a spatula to ensure everything beats together evenly!
- Add sugar - Scrape the bowl down using a spatula and add all of the sifted powdered sugar. Begin beating on low speed at first. When no dry ingredients are showing, turn the speed up to medium high speed again and beat for 5 minutes.
- Add cream - finish by adding the heavy cream to smoothen out your frosting. Beat in on medium high speed for 2 minutes.
How to make your frosting smooth!
- American buttercream frosting has a slight grit and is stiffer than most frostings. It’s great for layering cakes or frosting cupcakes or even making frosting decorations on your cakes. Here are some ways to smoothen out your frosting!
- Microwave half the frosting - If it’s a cold day or your frosting stiffened up, you can smoothen it out by adding half of the frosting into a heatproof bowl and popping it into the microwave for 10 seconds or until jiggly in the center, not melted. Add to the rest of the frosting and beat on medium speed for a couple minutes to combine. This will help freshen it up!
- Beat air out - Right before using or adding to a piping bag, use a spatula to beat the air out of the frosting until smooth. This works great if your frosting has just been made. Alternatively, you can beat the frosting on the lowest speed on your mixer for about 5-10 minutes. This will make your frosting ultra-smooth but also softens it. Don’t do this on warm days as it can over soften the frosting or even cause it to split. Just use the spatula to beat out the air.
Notes
How to soften your butter
Make sure your butter is softened for this recipe. It’ll help with the structural integrity of the frosting. I have a full guide on how to properly soften butter on the blog, but for reference, softened butter is 18C / 65F on a thermometer. Cut it into cubes and let it sit at room temperature for 1-2 hours until it reaches this temperature to until it’s soft enough that when you press on it with your finger, it leaves an indent with some resistance.
Heavy cream - I originally used milk for this recipe, but I’ve made the switch to cold cream instead. I find that milk makes your frosting too soft, and cold cream keeps it’s structure, and using cold cream helps stiffen your frosting while making it smoother. It’s a win win! For this recipe I’d recommend using heavy whipping cream which has about 36% butterfat in it. Check how much fat it has per 100g on the back and that number will give you a percentage.
How Much Frosting Does This Make?
For Cupcakes - This recipe makes enough frosting for about 24 cupcakes with a nice medium-sized swirl on top. If you prefer smaller swirls or just a thin layer of frosting, it will stretch further.
For Cakes - You’ll want to double the recipe if you’re filling and frosting an 8-inch, 3-4 layer cake, including a thin crumb coat. The exact amount will depend on how much frosting you like between the layers and on the outside, but doubling it gives you plenty to work with!
Why I use less sugar in my buttercream frosting than other recipes
This recipe uses less powdered sugar than most traditional American Buttercream recipes to create a smoother, less sweet frosting. If you prefer a stiffer frosting for piping or need more structure for warmer conditions, you can add an extra 100 - 200g of powdered sugar without making it overly sweet. Just keep in mind, more sugar means a firmer texture a little less smooth.
Storage - Frosting can be stored in an airtight container, in the fridge for up to three days. To re-whip, add half of the frosting to a heatproof bowl and microwave for 10 seconds. Mix using a spoon then microwave for another 5 seconds. The frosting should be jiggly, not melted. Add to the rest of the frosting and beat on medium speed for a couple minutes until smooth.
Why is my frosting melting?
The most obvious reason is heat! If it’s a warm day, your frosting will melt because its most made of fat which melts when heated. Frost your desserts and chill them in the fridge. It’s the only way to stop the frosting from melting. This is especially important for layer cakes.
Nutrition – is an approximate and is based on per one batch. Obviously you won’t be eating an entire batch of frosting.
A note on measurements – This recipe uses weight measurements for the most accurate results. Cup measurements can vary depending on where you are, which affects the precision needed for a recipe like this. Here is where you can learn more about how to measure ingredients using digital kitchen scales.
Nutrition
Calories:5026kcal | Carbohydrates:351g | Protein:5g | Fat:413g | Saturated Fat:261g | Polyunsaturated Fat:16g | Monounsaturated Fat:107g | Trans Fat:16g | Cholesterol:1098mg | Sodium:2393mg | Potassium:152mg | Sugar:344g | Vitamin A:12789IU | Vitamin C:0.1mg | Calcium:139mg | Iron:0.3mg
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