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 that’s perfect in everyway!
If you’re looking for chocolate buttercream instead, Click HERE to get the recipe for Easy Creamy Chocolate Buttercream Frosting!
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!
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!
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.
Whisk the buttercream further once the confectioner’s sugar has been added.
So here are my tips for making Perfect Vanilla Buttercream Frosting
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
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!
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.
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!
Or if you prefer chocolate cake, you can make this amazing Classic Chocolate Cake instead!
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.
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
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
Perfect Vanilla Buttercream Frosting
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
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 Madagascar bourbon vanilla
- 1/2 tsp Mexican vanilla optional
- 8 - 10 oz confectioner's sugar (in weight) 2 - 2 ½ cups (spoon and level)
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.
Recipe Notes
PRO TIP - When re-whisking the refrigerated frosting, let it soften a little first, and then 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.
Hi, hoping to try this soon!
Just letting you know it looks like your metric conversion is off with the cream (in US it says 1/4 cup but metric 1/4tsp – I’m pretty sure metric isn’t that different)
Hi Kitty, thank you so much for letting me know. It should’ve read 60 mL. I’ve corrected it now.
Hi
Can i use this under fondant?
Thanks
Susan
Hi Susan,
I haven’t tried to use fondant over this recipe, but you should be able to. However since it has less icing sugar, it might be softer than regular buttercream recipes.
This icing is superb! I made a four layer white birthday cake and iced it with this.I used a block of an American made “farmers reserve” European style butter and Nielsen Massey vanilla paste and followed everything as directed. It was so good. We all loved it. I was pressed for time and did not read your notes and unfortunately my butter wasn’t as cool as you recommended but it still came out so well. I trusted the amount of recommended powdered sugar because I thought it wouldn’t be enough but it was “perfect” with the much lower amount. Thank you so much for sharing. It’s a genius recipe!!
Yaay, I’m so glad everyone loved the frosting Jeanne! 🙂 Thank you so much for letting me know!
Hi I am making an 8 inch 5 layer cake, will doubling be enough do you think?
Hi Millicent
It depends on how much frosting you put in between layers. If you put about 1 cup of frosting between each layer, you have about 2 cups left for the outside. Which wouldn’t be enough for me, as I like to have extra frosting to create decorations. I personally would make about 2 1/2 – 3 times the frosting for a 5 layer cake, because I prefer to have extra leftover frosting than risk running out of frosting. Hope that helps!
Thank you so much! No I don’t want to run out. I’m actually making two cakes, would you make all the icing at once or in two batches? I’m fairly new at this.
Hi Millicent
I would definitely make it in two batches, at least! It depends on your mixer size and strength as well. You want to give it enough room to incorporate air while mixing. If you add too much, then it won’t be able to whip properly.
Good Luck and let me know if you have any other questions!
Just made it thanks, icing came out great. I did 2.5 cups and it wasn’t really enough so next time will do 3!
Hi
Please may I have the recipe in grams cos my scale is in grams that’s if it’s not stressful for you. I want to try something new and I’ve read the comments so I believe your recipe would work for me. Thanks
Hi Ruth
The measurements in grams are available in the recipe. Simply click on the “metric” toggle button at the bottom of the ingredients list. 🙂
Hi,
If I want a crusting buttercream, I replace half of the butter measurement with shortening….
And with this if I want a creamy BC, can I add buttermilk or low fat milk?
Should I add on corn starch?
Hi Amy!
Yes you can substitute half the butter with shortening for crusting buttercream. Crusting buttercream needs to be a stiffer than regular soft buttercream so that they are able to form a crust, so you may have to add extra confectioner’s sugar to make it stiff. You could add a little extra cornstarch instead of the some of the confectioner’s sugar, but if you add too much it will taste starchy – I prefer to add confectioner’s sugar, even if it will be sweeter.
I wouldn’t recommend adding buttermilk, as that will make the BC tangy. You can add low fat milk, but the buttercream can split if you add too much (instead of getting a creamier BC). I prefer to add cream because the higher fat content is less likely to split the BC, and it will give a more creamier consistency.
I do make a crusting cream cheese frosting in this recipe here.
I hope that helps!
can I use this frosting recipe to make roses?
Hi Hannah!
This is pipeable, but not too stiff for roses or flowers. I usually like to use a stiffer buttercream for piping flowers. You can make this buttercream stiff to your liking, by adding more confectioner’s sugar. It will also make it sweeter though. Hope that helps!
I have been so disappointed in buttercream recipes, and this is perfect! Thank you!
So glad you liked the frosting recipe J! Thanks so much for letting me know!
So, just verifying butter and sugar ratio in the recipe. 2 sticks of butter to 1 cup of powdered sugar? Seems like it would be overly buttery and not sweet enough. I am looking for a not too sweet vanilla frosting for my daughters birthday cake …. thanks for sharing the recipe.
Hi Erin,
8-10 oz is 2-2.5 cups of confectioner’s sugar actually. Dry ingredients and liquids measure differently, so that’s why 8 oz of confectioner’s sugar is 2 cups (instead of 1). I have a separate tab on my site here where I list measurement conversions for several key ingredients. I’ve also now included a toggle button in the recipe card here where you can switch between US and metric measurements. I hope that helps, let me know if you have any other questions. And happy birthday to your daughter! 🙂
Hello can i use creme cheese instead of whipping cream
Hi Pam!
Yes you can use cream cheese, but the frosting won’t be as soft then.
Made 10-8-6 ” cakes 4 wedding in 3 days. Frosting in middle. How many cups do I need plz
Hi
I’m sorry but I cannot give you exact measurements for the whole cake. Since this recipe is enough for an 8 inch 2 layer cake, I would make at least 3 batches (2 batches for a naked cake). I like to make extra frosting when making wedding cakes, so that I have enough for a crumb coating and then a proper frosting outside of the cake. Better to have extra than run out of buttercream in the middle.
I also like to make a smaller batch of frosting first, to fill the cake layers and do a crumb coating first. Then when the crumb coating is set, then I make another fresh batch of frosting to frost and decorate the cake.
Hope that helps
How long can this stay out at room temp once it’s made given there is cream in it?
Hi Jen
I have frosted cakes and cupcakes with this frosting and kept it outside for upto 2 days (they never last longer than that because we eat it all!)
Hope that helps,
Dini
Hi, can I use amul cream in India? It’s not the heavy whipping cream available in the US. Basically lesser fat content in the amul one but it’s the only one I have access to
Hi Pooja!
That should be fine! Make sure the cream is chilled, and add a little at a time to make sure the frosting stays creamy. I hope that helps!
Quick question should i double the recipe for 9in layer cake? I made your vanilla cake
Hi Lisa!
This recipe is just enough to frost an 8 inch cake. You could frost a 9 inch cake but it will be a thin layer. I would recommend making 1.5 times the recipe for a 9 inch cake (or double it if you want to do frosting decorations). I hope that helps!
Ive literally never made frosting before. I just your recipe for my cookie stacks and it worked perfectly for me! I used 1 stick of butter and only 1/2 cup and 1 tbsp of confectioners sugar (since the cookies are already sweet), vanilla and almond extract. My mom loved it and she always takes frosting off her cake! Thank you so much ❤️
Hi Dini, thanks a lot for this recipe!
Quick question, I’ve tried adding cold cream to my buttercream, but only after I added the sugar. As a result, the buttercream actually split after further whipping. Is it because I added it after the sugar/should I not use whisk attachment/is it because the butter solidify due to the cold cream? Thank youu, really need your expert insight 😉
Hi Stephani,
Usually frosting splits when the frosting is too warm or it was over-whisked or the butter was too soft. All of these things result in the butter and/or the cream splitting, causing the grainy separation. You can fix split buttercream by keeping the frosting in the fridge for a little while to firm it up a bit, and then take it out and whisk it again (with a paddle attachment). Once the butter in the split buttercream solidifies, it can be re-whisked to an emulsion again. You can also add some extra confectioner’s sugar as well if it doesn’t work.
I have added cream after confectioner’s sugar many times, and it hasn’t split for me, so it shouldn’t matter if you do add the cream at the end. Although, if the frosting seems too soft even after adding confectioners sugar, I don’t add cream to prevent the frosting from splitting.
I hope these tips help. Let me know if they work!
Cheers,
Dini
Looking to try this, but also want to try and make it naturally pink with added strawberries… how do you recommend i do that? Can i just puree strawberries and add it in?
Hi Amanda!
I’ve made strawberry, cherry and raspberry buttercream before – I would add between 1/4 – 1/2 cup of the fruit puree to the buttercream until I get the taste that I like. However, please bear in mind that adding fruit puree does make the frosting runnier too. So you need to add 2 tbsp cornstarch to the frosting and whisk it in, followed by extra confectioner’s sugar until you get the consistency you like. You can add about 1/2 tsp of lemon juice to make the berry flavor more vibrant too.
Hello,
How many cupcakes does this ice? I need to ice 12.
Hi Isabelle,
It depends on how you want to frost your cupcakes. If you want big swirls on your cupcakes, you may need 1 1/2 – 2 batches of this frosting. If you only want a thin layer of frosting, then this will be enough for 12 cupcakes.
I hope that helps!
If I frost a birthday cake the night before, and we eat it around lunchtime the next day…is it ok to leave out? I’ve had bad results refrigerating homemade cake, it gets very dense in texture and not springy like when I baked it.
Hi Erica,
Yes, if you’re having it the next day, then it’ll be totally fine to leave it out. The frosting will also help keep the cake moist and springy.
Hi there! I’m looking forward to trying this recipe 🙂 Should the powdered sugar be sifted? Thanks! 🙂
Hi Cindy,
I do sift the confectioner’s sugar after I’ve measured it. This is to prevent any lumps from the confectioner’s sugar getting into the buttercream, so that it ensures a smooth, airy vanilla buttercream. 🙂
Is the whipped cream necessary or can i substitute it with something else.
Hi Derlyne,
I personally don’t make vanilla buttercream without cream (unless I want a crusting buttercream or a stiff buttercream). The whipped cream makes the buttercream that much creamier.
But if you want, you can substitute with some coconut cream (but less than the amount of whipped cream). Or if you prefer to opt out of it completely, then I would recommend adding less confectioner’s sugar to prevent the buttercream from being too sweet or too stiff. I hope that helps!
Okay, I’m fairly new to baking and I have been using shortening to make my buttercream and find that within a few hours my buttercream is stiff and cracking. I will do as you suggest and use the whipping cream.
Hi Derlyne,
Buttercream made with shortening will crust. When crusting buttercream is called for certain cakes, I always mix shortening with my butter to get a crusting buttercream. Using butter for your buttercream will add more flavor, and will be creamier (and softer) than a shortening buttercream. The addition of cream will make it even more creamy. But with no shortening, it will not form a crust or be stiff.
But if you DO want a crusting buttercream, I recommend substituting at least half of the butter with shortening, and reducing the amount of cream you add. I hope that helps! 🙂
It does, thank you :).
Is this a crusting buttercream?
Hi Jennifer
This isn’t a crusting buttercream. To make it into a crusting buttercream, you will have to replace at least 1/2 of the butter with shortening. The more shortening in the buttercream, the more likely it is to form a crust.
I hope that helps!
Thank you so much for these valuable frosting tips. I always kind of “winged it” when it came to making frosting, but this post taught me a lot! Love the vanilla flecks here, delicious frosting.
This is the best frosting recipe i have used.
I love that it is creamy but not so sweet that you can only eat a tiny bit.
Thank you for a great recipe.
Hi, i’m hoping to use this to fill and ice a three tier 8 inch cake, is this enough or would i need to double?
Hi Alice!
I made this recipe to generously cover a two tiered 8 inch or 9 inch cake. You may need a little more frosting to generously fill and cover a 3 tiered 8 inch cake. You could make a double batch, and use the extra to decorate the cake, or make 1 1/2 batches.
Thank you!