Learn how to make buttercream frosting with this easy tutorial. This is the BEST recipe for homemade buttercream, it pipes perfectly, and makes a great base for other frosting flavors too!
Today we’re covering how to make homemade buttercream frosting. Actually, we’re covering just how EASY it is to make your own frosting right at home. If you’ve been buying store-bought frosting, you’ll want to ditch it after seeing just how easy it is to make your own.
The best part? This recipe makes a great base for so many different flavor variations too! So, let’s get started.
You’ll start out with two sticks of unsalted butter softened to room temperature. I use unsalted butter in all of my recipes because the amount of salt in salted butter can vary quite a bit between different brands. By using unsalted butter, you control the amount of salt in your recipe.
You’ll beat the butter with a mixer for about 1 minute, just until it’s nice and smooth.
Next, you’ll mix in your powdered sugar (also known as confectioners sugar or icing sugar). I typically only use about 3 cups of powdered sugar for a batch of this frosting. Some recipes call for quite a bit more powdered sugar, but I’ve found that 3 cups is all you really need. It’s best to sift the powdered sugar beforehand, but if I’m being honest I usually skip the extra step.
When you first start mixing the powdered sugar with the butter, mix it on low speed so you don’t end up throwing it all over the place. Once it starts to come together, you’ll mix in the heavy cream, vanilla extract, and a pinch of salt.
Heavy cream or heavy whipping cream really work best in this recipe. You can use milk, but keep in mind that the frosting won’t be nearly as creamy or hold it’s shape quite as well. I usually just mix the frosting for another minute or so until everything is well combined.
Easy, right? The best thing about this recipe is that you can change it up to make different flavors of frosting. I’ve included 4 different variations below, but keep in mind that you can do so much more with this recipe. A few easy ways to change it up is to add different extracts like mint, almond, lemon, etc. and a little food coloring.
Here’s a few of my favorite cupcake recipes that you can use with this frosting:
Any of these cupcake recipes make an excellent base for this frosting. And the possibilities are really endless once you have a good cupcake and buttercream recipe. This recipe also makes enough to generously frost a batch of 12-14 cupcakes. If you prefer less frosting, you can cut the recipe in half. If I’m frosting a single layer cake, I cut this recipe in half as well.
*You can also find my full tutorial for how to prepare your piping bag and frost cupcakes here!*
How To Make Buttercream Frosting
Ingredients
- 1 cup (230 grams) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 3 cups (360 grams) powdered sugar
- 2-3 tablespoons heavy cream or heavy whipping cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- pinch of salt adjust to taste
Instructions
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or in a large mixing bowl using an electric mixer, beat the butter on medium speed until smooth.
- Add in the powdered sugar and mix on low speed at first, then increase to medium speed and continue mixing for another 1-2 minutes until the mixture starts to come together.
- Add in the heavy cream (start with 2 tablespoons and add a little more if needed), vanilla extract, and salt and continue mixing on medium-high speed for another minute or until everything is well combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
Notes
Vanilla Frosting
This recipe will make a vanilla flavored frosting. If I’m just making plain vanilla frosting to pipe on cupcakes or frost a cake, I like to add an additional teaspoon of vanilla extract to amp up the vanilla flavor.
Chocolate Frosting
Measure out 1/2 cup (40 grams) of unsweetened cocoa powder, sift it, then mix into the frosting until well combined. Add in 1-2 extra tablespoons of heavy cream if needed for a smoother, creamier frosting. If you prefer your frosting sweeter, mix in an additional 1/2-1 cup of powdered sugar.
Caramel Frosting
Mix in 1/3-1/2 cup of homemade or store-bought caramel sauce (start with 1/3 cup and add more if desired). For a salted caramel frosting, you can use salted caramel and just omit the salt in the recipe. Here’s my favorite recipe for homemade salted caramel sauce.
Strawberry Frosting
Add a 1-ounce bag of freeze dried strawberries to a blender or food processor and process until the berries are crushed into a fine powder. Then mix the freeze dried strawberry powder into the frosting until well combined.
Hi
I’m a newbie in baking but i have a question to ask
Wen u wanna ice a cake with a butter cream icing are u going to add another type of frosting in the first round before adding the the final layer or u will use dat same icing for both layers?
Hi, Deborah! Do you mean a crumb coat? If so, I just use this same icing and apply a thin layer around the cake to catch any crumbs, refrigerate it for 20 to 30 minutes, then apply the final layer of frosting.
This is my fave buttercream ever!! I have a question…does this buttercream require refrigeration? I’m wanting to use this in my cottage food business but They’re strict on butter use. Has this ever been lab tested do you know? Trying to save time where I can I’m getting my license🤞🏼
It’s okay at room temperature for a little while, but I do prefer to keep it refrigerated. I would use your best judgement.
How many cupcakes does one batch of frosting cover
If you do a taller swirl, it will cover 12 to 14 cupcakes.
I adapted the strawberry recipe to peaches and it was delicious!! Thank you!
Hi,
New to buttercream frosting, how long can I leave it in room temperature before decorating on cake.
I recommend refrigerating it until you’re ready to frost your cake. Just make sure to allow time for it to come to room temperature.
Hi,
Instead of powdered sugar can I use confectioners sugar?? Will it be okay??
Yes, they are the same.
Have you ever added more heavy cream to get a more whipped like icing ? I want to try but dont want to waste ingredients lol
I haven’t tried it. You could possibly whip some heavy whipping cream separately and fold it in, but I’m not sure how much you would need to use.
Thank you , ill try doing that with a small batch and let you know how it turned out 🙂
Can I substitute heavy cream used for frosting to water?
Using water instead of heavy cream?
I would recommend using milk instead of water.
Can I use regular whipping cream instead of heavy whipping cream and it’ll turn out the same?
That would be fine for this recipe.
Can I use for decorating sugar cookies? and if so, what size tip would you use for this recipe?
Yes, absolutely! Just keep in mind that it won’t harden like sugar cookie icing, so you won’t really be able to stack them. You can use any kind of piping tip, but a smaller one may work better. If you’re looking for an icing that hardens, I have a sugar cookie icing recipe here.
Excellent! Just made the basic vanilla one and used it to pipe over a cake for my 1 year old. Also appreciate the fact that is not super sweet. Thank you!
hi !! how many cups does this make roughly ? tysm 🙂
About 2 and 1/2 cups.
Hi, Danielle
My buttercream comes out grainy and sticks in the nozzles. if you rub some between your fingers it feels gritty. Why? what can I do to stop this. Can your buttercream be used to cover and decorate novelty cakes successfully?
Hi, Avril! Are you making sure to use powdered sugar? If so, you could try super fine powdered sugar and see if that helps.
Hi! Does the buttercream frosting stiffen up or dry out a little so that it doesn’t mess up when the slightest thing touches it or if it gets placed against something else? Or does it stay as cream texture {ex shaving cream) even when sitting out for a while? Thanks!
It will dry out slightly to the touch if you let the cupcakes sit at room temperature, but you do still need to be careful.
1/4 c of Smuckers PB also make an amazing frosting. I whipped it like crazy. Soooo good.
I used this recipe for the marbled look frosting. When I heated it as recommended in the instructions the frosting seemed to separate some. Is this normal or should I do something different?
I’m not quite sure what you’re referring to? There’s not a marbled frosting and I don’t state to heat the frosting in the instructions? Are you referring to another recipe?
There is a restaurant here that uses butter cream frosting on cookies. I adore them because the icing is not hard. Would it be best to leave frosted cookies out for sometime so frosting will harden a bit and I can decorate cookies? I don’t want it so soft that I can’t stack gently.
It would be fine to leave them out so that the frosting will harden a bit.
could i use salted butter or will that make it too salty
As long as your butter doesn’t have a lot of salt in it that would be fine.
Once you put the icing on a cake does the cake need to be refrigerated? Or can it sit at room temperature for a few days?
It’s fine to leave it at room temperature for a day or two. I do prefer to refrigerate my frosted cakes, then bring to room temperature before serving so they stay fresh longer.
If you use 150g butter how much sugar will you need?
About 2 cups (240 grams).