• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to footer navigation
  • Skip to header navigation
  • Skip to privacy navigation
  • Skip to recipes navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • About
  • My Cookbooks
  • Work With Me
  • Shop
  • Contact

The Flavor Bender

Master the Science of Delicious

  • Recipe Index
    • All Recipes
    • Desserts
      • Cakes & Cupcakes
      • Candy & Bite Sizes
      • Chocolate
      • Cookies, Brownies & Bars
      • Frozen Desserts
      • Fruit Desserts
      • Puddings & Custards
      • Dessert drinks
      • No Bake
      • Pastries & Breads
      • Sweet Syrups & Spreads
      • Tarts & Pies
      • Cheesecakes
      • Healthy sweets
    • Breakfasts
      • Tarts, Quiches, & Pies
      • Waffles, Pancakes & Crepes
      • Quick Breads, Scones & Muffins
      • Breakfast Sandwiches
      • Pastries & Breads
      • Eggs
      • Breakfast & Brunch Drinks
      • Make Ahead Breakfasts
      • Healthy Breakfasts
      • Coffee and Tea drinks
      • Breakfast Smoothies & Juices
      • Breakfast Sides
      • Casseroles
    • Courses
      • Main Meals
        • Bread, Sandwiches & Burgers
        • Curries
        • Salads
        • Roasts & BBQ
        • Soups & Stews
        • Casseroles
      • Lunch
      • Beverages
      • Appetizers & Tapas
      • Sides
      • Dips & Condiments
      • Tea Time & Snacks
      • Desserts
      • Meal Prep
      • Cocktails
    • Cuisines
      • American
      • European
      • Australasian
      • Sri Lankan
      • East Asian
      • Mexican
      • Middle Eastern
      • South Asian
    • Sri Lankan
      • Main Meals
      • Drinks
    • Skill Level
      • Easy
        • Easy Desserts
        • Easy Cooking
        • Easy Breads
        • Easy Breakfasts
        • Easy Dinners
      • Intermediate
        • Intermediate Desserts
        • Intermediate Cooking
        • Intermediate Breads
        • Intermediate Breakfasts
        • Intermediate Dinners
      • Advanced
        • Advanced Desserts
        • Advanced Cooking
  • New? Start Here
  • Measurement Conversions
  • How-To Posts
Home Recipes All Dessert Recipes Frosting & Fillings
Posted:3/1/2018
Updated:11/12/2020

Perfect Vanilla Buttercream Frosting (Tips to get Creamy Vanilla Frosting)

25 mins
Easy
Frosting & Fillings
Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
2.4Kshares
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Pinterest

Disclaimer: The Flavor Bender is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program. There are links on this site that can be defined as “affiliate links”. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases (at no cost to you) that will help support this website.

Perfect Vanilla Buttercream Frosting - creamy, fluffy, sweet, buttery, melt in your mouth frosting that is perfect to slather on anything. 

This Perfect Vanilla Buttercream Frosting is creamy, fluffy, melt-in-your-mouth soft and is packed with vanilla flavor without being overly sweet! And it’s simple. I’ve also shared tips and tricks that I have for making consistently great vanilla frosting for all of my baked goods and desserts!

The BEST Vanilla Buttercream Frosting recipe!

Here are more recipes for Easy Creamy Chocolate Buttercream Frosting, Classic Vanilla Swiss Meringue Buttercream Frosting, and Easy Vanilla Swiss Meringue Buttercream Frosting (Cheat’s Recipe).

Perfect Vanilla Buttercream Frosting - creamy, fluffy, sweet, buttery, melt in your mouth frosting that is perfect to slather on anything. 

Today’s recipe for Perfect Creamy Vanilla Buttercream Frosting is deceptively simple, but it’s one that can go wrong in so many ways! So here I’ll be sharing all the tips and tricks that I use to make consistently AMAZING vanilla frosting.

It’s only my second favorite frosting (everything comes second to chocolate!), but I make it all the time, and I’m not at all shy when it comes to slathering it all over any cake!

The cool butter should be whipped first to get perfect vanilla frosting.

It’s important to whip the cool butter until it’s light and fluffy as the first step.

What is Perfect Vanilla Buttercream Frosting to you? For me, it means that the frosting is,

  • Creamy
  • Fluffy
  • Soft but still holds its shape beautifully
  • Melts in your mouth
  • Packed with vanilla flavor and
  • IS NOT sickly sweet!

This vanilla buttercream frosting ticks all of these boxes!

The butter and cream whisked together until creamy and light.
Add the vanilla, salt and cream and whisk/whip the butter further to make it light and fluffy

Why buttercream recipes go wrong!

The main reason why buttercream frosting recipes go wrong for people is actually because they follow the recipe to the letter! 🙂 With buttercream frosting, a recipe is only a guide because the ambient temperature plays a HUGE part in the final result! So you need to learn how to adapt your recipe to get consistently fantastic results!

Most recipes call for room temperature butter for any kind of buttercream frosting. Here’s the problem with that – not everyone’s room temperature is going to be the same, and it’ll be different depending on the season, and so on. So if you make your vanilla buttercream frosting with butter that was softened at a warmer temperature, you’ll end up with buttercream that’s too soft. Then you have to add extra confectioner’s sugar to make it firmer, and that ends up making your frosting too sweet.

All the confectioner's sugar mixed into the frosting and whipped to make Vanilla Frosting
Whisk the buttercream further once the confectioner’s sugar has been added

So here are my tips for making Perfect Vanilla Buttercream Frosting

  1. Cool butter. I don’t mean that your butter needs to have swag. Just that you need to start with butter that’s cool to the touch and very slightly softened. This way you’ll have to whisk it longer to make it creamier, BUT it will hold its shape a lot better than when making frosting with butter that’s warmer and too soft.
  2. Use a 1:1 ratio (weight-wise) of butter and confectioner’s sugar. This gives me the best level of sweetness. Some recipes call for 1:2 ratio of butter to sugar, but I find that to be way too sweet! But if you do like a sweeter vanilla frosting, you can add UP TO twice the amount of confectioner’s sugar as butter, if you like.
  3. Cold cream. cold, whipping cream not only adds a creaminess to the frosting, but it also helps regulate the temperature of the frosting. The cream whips along with the butter, making the buttercream lighter, fluffier and creamier.
  4. Good quality vanilla. I use Madagascar bourbon vanilla in my frosting, but I LOVE using vanilla bean paste too. There’s just something more delectable about seeing those flecks of vanilla bean caviar in the vanilla frosting. Another trick that I like to use with my vanilla frostings is the use of TWO TYPES of vanilla! I like using Madagascar bourbon vanilla for flavor, and then I add a little bit of Tahitian vanilla for that sweet vanilla fragrance. This is completely optional though. Most recipes add vanilla extract at the end of the recipe. There’s no reason for this. You can add vanilla at the beginning AFTER the butter has been whipped if you want. The only reason I would add it at the end , is so that I can taste the buttercream and add more if I want to.
Creamy vanilla buttercream frosting swirled like a rose ontop of a cupcake. The frosting holds its shape but is still creamy and soft.

How to soften butter for this buttercream recipe

The way I make sure that the butter is at the right temperature is pretty simple.

In the summer, I take out the butter from the fridge and let it rest for a little while until it’s slightly soft, but cool to the touch. This could take up to about 30 minutes.

IF it’s an exceptionally hot day, and the butter softens too much – you can put the butter back into the fridge for a few minutes to make it harden a little.

In the winter, I keep the butter out overnight because it’s cooler inside the house (even if your thermostat is set to the same temp. all year, it’s still colder inside the house in the winter due to things like heat radiation and the dry air), so the butter stays nice, cool and perfectly soft until the next day. If you have a sugar thermometer, you can actually measure the butter temp., and you need it to be at about 70°F (21°C). This is optional though, so as long as the butter feels cool and slightly soft to the touch, it should be good.

To speed up the butter softening process, cut the butter into pieces and leave it covered on a plate. Smaller pieces of butter will soften faster.

There is also a trick to cover a stick of butter with a warmed glass to soften the butter. I personally don’t like this because you risk making the butter too soft if the glass is too warm.

Whipping the cold butter in a stand mixer until it’s creamy and turns white in color, does take a bit longer than it would with softer and warmer butter, but it’s certainly worth it because you end up with delightfully soft, creamy vanilla buttercream frosting that pipes beautifully. So it is well worth it!

Perfect Vanilla Buttercream Frosting - You can spread this creamy vanilla frosting on anything, anyway you like. This is one way to frost your cupcake.

Why add cream to the buttercream?

I like to add 1/4 cup of the cream at the beginning with the butter, so that the cream makes the butter lighter and fluffier. However, I always keep some extra cream to add at the end, just in case I feel like that frosting could use a little extra creaminess. During hot, summer days however, I avoid adding extra cream to prevent the vanilla frosting from becoming too soft.

Can I make this Vanilla Buttercream Frosting ahead of time?

You can. You can store this vanilla buttercream frosting for a day or two as well. I usually don’t like to make buttercream frosting too ahead of time, because I prefer the texture of freshly made buttercream instead.

Just cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and store in the fridge until needed. BUT, make sure to let the frosting soften slightly and then whisk it until it’s creamy again, before using it.

PRO TIP – When re-whisking the frosting, use a flat beater to whisk the frosting, rather than the whisk attachment. This will prevent extra air bubbles from forming, and create a smooth frosting. 

Perfect Vanilla Buttercream Frosting - A creamy and delicious vanilla frosting. Easy to create swirls on cakes.

Can I add color to this vanilla frosting?

This vanilla frosting can be colored too! Just add some gel food coloring to get the colors you want.

If you like Vanilla Buttercream Frosting, then you can use it in these recipes

You can make this beautiful pastel colored vanilla buttercream with just a few drops of color! And then make this pastel colored Chai and Vanilla Easter Cake or this Pastel swirled Easter Sheet Cake

Pastel Easter Cake - This gorgeous Easter sheet cake is a cinch to decorate with buttercream decorations and your favourite Easter candy! It's perfect for a crowd and is the best buttery and soft vanilla cake!

If you love Vanilla cake to go with your frosting (Like these vanilla cupcakes or a basic vanilla cake), you can get the recipe by clicking here. I’ve shared all the tips I use to get perfect vanilla cake (or cupcakes) with every step!

The Best Vanilla Cake - A delicious and moist cake that is soft and buttery, with a creamy chocolate frosting! A classic Vanilla cake with Chocolate buttercream frosting.

Or if you prefer chocolate cake, you can make this amazing Classic Chocolate Cake instead!

You may also love these recipes,

Buttery Pound Cake & trouble shooting guide

Creamy Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

EQUIPMENT & TOOLS I USED FOR THIS RECIPE

Stand Mixer – I like using my KitchenAid Mixer for this recipe

Silicone spatula to scrape the bowl while mixing

Offset Spatula – the easiest method to spread frosting on cakes

Looking for more recipes?Sign up for my free recipe newsletter to get new recipes in your inbox each week! Find me sharing more inspiration on Pinterest and Instagram.

Perfect Vanilla Buttercream Frosting - creamy, fluffy, sweet, buttery, melt in your mouth frosting that is perfect to slather on anything. 
5 from 23 votes

Perfect Vanilla Buttercream Frosting

Yield: Makes about 3 cups
Cuisine: American, European, Worldwide
This Perfect Vanilla Buttercream Frosting is creamy, fluffy, melt-in-your-mouth soft and is packed with vanilla flavor without being overly sweet PLUS it's so easy to make! MAKES ABOUT 3 CUPS.
EASY – This recipe is great for novices.
US‌ ‌based‌ ‌cup,‌ ‌teaspoon,‌ ‌tablespoon‌ ‌measurements.‌ ‌‌Common‌ ‌Measurement‌ ‌Conversions‌.‌ ‌‌Weight‌ ‌measurements‌ ‌are‌ ‌recommended‌ ‌for‌ ‌accurate‌ ‌results.‌ ‌You‌ ‌can‌ ‌access‌ ‌metric‌ ‌weight‌ ‌measurements‌ ‌using‌ ‌the‌ ‌toggle‌ ‌button‌ ‌below‌ ‌the‌ ‌ingredient‌ ‌list.‌ 
Total Time 25 minutes
Difficulty Easy
Serves 12 servings (1/4 cup each)
Prep: 20 minutes
Inactive time: 5 minutes
Print Rate

Ingredients:

  • 8 oz unsalted butter (2 sticks) cool, but not cold – about 70°F
  • ½ tsp salt
  • ¼ cup cold whipping cream
  • 2 tsp good quality vanilla extract Madagascar bourbon vanilla
  • 1/2 tsp Mexican vanilla extract optional
  • 8 – 10 oz confectioner’s sugar (in weight) 2 – 2 ½ cups (spoon and level)
US Customary – Metric

Instructions:

  • Place the butter in the bowl of a stand mixer. With a whisk attachment, whip the butter until it’s creamy and white in color – about 3 – 5 minutes on high speed (not maximum speed).
  • Add the salt, cream and vanilla, and whisk further until the butter-cream mix is light and fluffy (for a few minutes).
  • Lower the speed and add 8 oz of the confectioner’s sugar – a little at a time, and incorporate all the sugar into the butter. Make sure to scrape the sides as you go.
  • Once the sugar is incorporated into the butter, increase the speed and whisk on high for 1 minute. Taste and add the rest of the confectioner’s sugar if needed. Whisk for a further 2 – 3 minutes until you have a light, fluffy, soft, spreadable frosting.
  • If the frosting is too stiff, you can add extra cream (1 tbsp at a time) to get an even softer buttercream.

Tips & Tricks

Note – When re-whisking refrigerated frosting, let it soften a little first, and then use a flat beater (instead of your whisk attachment) to whisk the frosting. This will prevent extra air bubbles from forming, and ensure a smooth frosting. 
 
How many cupcakes
It’s hard to say how many cupcakes can be frosted with this buttercream recipe. It depends on how much frosting you will be adding on top of each cupcakes. 
If you’re using only a small amount of buttercream – like 2 tbsp of buttercream per cupcake, then you can frost 24 cupcakes. 
If you want big swirls of frosting, assuming each swirl will be about 1/4 cup – you can frost about 12 cupcakes. 

Nutrition Information:

Serving: 4tbspCalories: 318kcal (16%)Carbohydrates: 43g (14%)Protein: 1g (2%)Fat: 17g (26%)Saturated Fat: 11g (69%)Cholesterol: 47mg (16%)Sodium: 102mg (4%)Potassium: 8mgSugar: 42g (47%)Vitamin A: 545IU (11%)Calcium: 8mg (1%)Iron: 1mg (6%)
Course:Cake Decorating, Desserts, Frosting
Cuisine:American, European, Worldwide
Keyword:Buttercream Frosting, Vanilla
Did you make this?Tag me on Instagram!I love seeing what you’ve made! Tag me on Instagram at @TheFlavorBender or leave me a comment & rating below.
2.4Kshares
  • Share
  • Tweet
  • Pin

More Recipes You'll Love...

  • Creamy Chocolate Buttercream Frosting - fluffy, creamy, melt in your mouth soft chocolate buttercream with deep chocolate flavor! Plus it's super easy to make!
    Easy Creamy Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
  • Chai and Vanilla Cake with soft, fluffy Vanilla Buttercream frosting - A spectacular swirled Easter cake with a gorgeous pastel watercolor effect, decorated with Easter eggs, chocolate bunnies and a caramelized nest on top! A sunny, happy and outrageously delicious cake to celebrate all of life's special occasions and nostalgic memories!
    Chai and Vanilla Cake with Vanilla Buttercream (Pastel Easter Cake)
  • Best Vanilla Cake - Delightfully soft, buttery, classic vanilla cake with a creamy chocolate or vanilla frosting! With heaps of tips to get perfect cakes every single time
    The Best Vanilla Cake (Soft and Buttery Vanilla Cake)

Reader Interactions

Leave a Review Cancel reply

I love hearing from you! Submit your question or recipe review here.

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Made this? Rate this recipe:




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

  1. Monica Cavazos says

    December 17, 2020 at 00:20

    Hi — I’m looking forward to trying this! Would you recommend icing the cake 2 days prior to Christmas Day? I’m not sure I’ll have time to ice it on the day of so my best time would be 2 days ahead. Thank you ~

    Reply
    • Dini says

      December 17, 2020 at 07:46

      Hi Monica
      It would depend on the cake and how you plan to frost the cake.
      If I know I would be storing the cake for longer, and it’s prone to drying out, I would brush the cake with syrup to prevent it from drying out. I would also completely the cover the cake with frosting, so that it won’t be exposed to air – as this will also help keep the cake moist inside.
      I hope that helps.

      Reply
      • Monica Cavazos says

        December 21, 2020 at 08:04

        THANK YOU ❤️

        Reply
        • Ayesha Belal says

          December 21, 2020 at 21:54

          I loved the recipe

          Reply
  2. Varshini Raja Gopal says

    November 12, 2020 at 20:17

    5 stars
    The most easiest buttercream and it was a successful attempt for me. I modified the sugar as i dont prefer too much of sweet but the cream was still at peak.

    Reply
  3. Avni says

    November 5, 2020 at 12:46

    Looking forward to trying this recipe! Sorry if this has already been answered, but what happens if the cream volume is increased?

    Also, what would be good frosting options for layered cakes? Especially for somewhat warm climates? Thanks! Really love your recipes.

    Reply
    • Dini says

      November 8, 2020 at 18:32

      Hi Avni!
      The more cream you add, the softer the buttercream will be.

      American buttercream made with 50% – 100% shortening it the most stable for warm weather because shortening doesn’t melt as readily is butter. But this will depend on the warm weather too. You can read this article for more information.

      Reply
Older Comments

Primary Sidebar

Hey there!

Hi! I’m Dini, a third culture kid by upbringing and a food-geek by nature. I was born in Sri Lanka, grew up in New Zealand and lived in Australia, and then the US, before moving to Canada in 2019! My food is a reflection of those amazing experiences!

Read More
Secret Layer Cakes Cookbook
The flavor bender
cookbook
Buy now on Amazon!

Recipe Basics

Learn how to make Perfect Choux Pastry (Or Pate a Choux!) - The only recipe guide you will ever need to make choux pastry, with perfect results every time. Plus a troubleshooting guide for your choux pastry recipe.  Fool proof choux pastry to make profiteroles, eclairs, cream puffs and more.  #ChouxPastry #Profiteroles #Eclairs #Pastry #CreamPuffs

How to make Perfect Choux Pastry

Classic Chocolate Eclairs - A foolproof recipe for making perfect eclairs that are crisp and puffy and filled with chocolate or vanilla pastry cream. 

Perfect Classic Chocolate Eclairs (Foolproof Recipe)

How to make Marshmallows - Learn the art of making fluffy, soft homemade marshmallows with or without corn syrup! With tips and information to make the perfect Marshmallows in many flavors. 

How to make Marshmallows (tips and tricks for homemade marshmallows)

How to make the best Homemade White Bread that is soft and delicious. An easy to follow recipe for perfect homemade bread with step by step instructions.

The Best Homemade Bread (White Bread Recipe)

Classic Pound Cake - A complete guide on how to make perfect, delicious and moist Pound Cake even if you're a baking novice! Tips + Tricks and Troubleshooting guide. 

Classic Pound Cake (Tips for a Perfect, Moist Pound Cake)

This Classic Chocolate Cake is the only and best chocolate cake recipe you will ever need! It has layers of soft, airy chocolate cake layers, with a creamy, buttery, melt in your mouth Chocolate buttercream frosting. Perfect cake for Birthday cake, or any occasion. 

The Best Classic Chocolate Cake

Chocolate
Cakes
Bread
Sri Lankan
Breakfast
Drinks
Candy
Pastries
All Recipes
Featured On
taste of the World
Free recipe ebook

Get my curated collection of the Top 10 Flavor Bender recipes!

  • 10 delicious chocolate recipes
  • Creative ways to use chocolate
  • Desserts and savory recipes
Download now!

Reader Faves

How to make Instant Pot Short Ribs - This easy recipe makes delicious, tender and succulent short ribs with classic flavors!

How to make the Best Instant Pot Short Ribs

Buttery Lemon Slow Roasted Salmon with Lemon Butter Sauce - Perfectly cooked, juicy slow roasted Salmon with a buttery tangy sauce! Delicious and versatile for any meal and occasion. 

Slow Roasted Salmon with Lemon Butter Sauce

Unbelievably easy Rough Puff pastry - Quick and easy to make and tasted infinitely better than store bought (30 -45 minutes only)! No long waiting times, to make this amazing pastry and NOONE will know you took a shortcut!

Perfect Quick and Easy Rough Puff Pastry

Spicy Sweet Chilli Sauce Easy to make, absolutely delicious, with an extra kick of spice this is the BEST Sweet chilli sauce you will EVER have!

The Best Spicy Sweet Chili Sauce!

The flavor bender

I love baking, and I love cooking. I experiment with flavors, textures and ingredients, and I love passing on all my tips and tricks to you!

Read More
  • About
    • Meet Dini
    • My Book
    • Work With Me
    • Contact
  • Browse
    • Recipes
    • Measurement Guide
    • Baking How-To’s
    • Shop My Faves
© The Flavor Bender
  • Privacy
  • Disclosure
  • Terms
Site Credits Designed by Melissa Rose Design Developed by Once Coupled

Join the flavor bender tribe!

Join my FREE recipe challenge to receive new recipes and dinner ideas straight to your inbox!