Easy Buttercream Frosting

With just four simple ingredients and five minutes of your time, you’ll have a velvety smooth buttercream frosting that’s perfect for cakes, cupcakes, cookies and more. Get ready to elevate your baking game with this quick and delicious recipe that pipes like a dream!

Chocolate cupcakes are topped with a swirl of vanilla buttercream frosting sprinkled with round rainbow sprinkles. The cupcakes are arranged on a round wooden tray, with a pitcher of milk and dish of sprinkles in the background.

This Buttercream Frosting Is:
Ingredients
How to Make Homemade Buttercream Frosting
Homemade Buttercream Frosting Video Tutorial
Kelly’s Recipe Tips
Ways to Use Vanilla Buttercream Frosting
Storage Tips
Frequently Asked Questions
More Frosting Recipes
Easy Buttercream Frosting Recipe

There are a few recipes that every cook needs in their arsenal: The perfect mac and cheese. A classic roast chicken. A recipe for buttermilk pancakes that you can make with your eyes closed. And a buttercream frosting that comes out perfectly every time you make it.

When it comes to frosting, this classic American buttercream is sure to become your go-to for birthday cakes, cupcakes (it’s perfect with these chocolate cupcakes!), or even Christmas cookies. It’s incredibly simple to make and requires just a few basic ingredients.

So what makes this frosting so irresistible? None other than a velvety smooth blend of butter, vanilla, and powdered sugar that whips up in minutes. The secret is in the proportions of each and the methodology. Once you’ve mastered the technique, you can play around with the consistency, add different flavorings and even tint it with food coloring for bakery-worthy results every time.

Say goodbye to store-bought frosting loaded with artificial flavors and preservatives—this homemade version is the real deal!

This Buttercream Frosting Is:

Ready in five minutes. You’ll have plenty of time to whip this up while your cake cools.
Made with just four ingredients.
Beater-licking delicious. Heavy cream gives this buttercream a silky texture and a generous splash of vanilla extract makes it so flavorful.
Versatile. Adjust the consistency for spreading or piping, tint it with different colors, or add flavored extract to make this frosting recipe your own.
Silky smooth and luxuriously creamy.

Ingredients

The grocery list for this creamy buttercream frosting is super short, so make sure you start with fresh, high-quality ingredients.

Butter: Use unsalted butter to control the salt content, and make sure it is soft to the touch – you should be able to press a finger into it and leave an indentation.
Vanilla extract: Use the real stuff, not artificial vanilla which can give a chemical aftertaste. I like to show off my homemade vanilla extract in this recipe. You can also use vanilla bean paste, either jarred or scraped from the inside of vanilla beans, as I do for the frosting for my vanilla bean cupcakes recipe. The speckles will show up in the frosting.
Heavy cream: Thick, rich heavy cream gives this frosting its luscious texture and decadent flavor. As with my recipe for piped cream cheese frosting, look for a milk fat content of 35 percent.
Powdered sugar: The fine powdery texture of powdered sugar is the foundation of most frosting recipes, it is key to the smooth, creamy consistency. If you don’t have a sifter, use a fine mesh sieve, which helps break up lumps and aerate the powdered sugar.

See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.

How to Make Homemade Buttercream Frosting

Five minutes and three steps are all that’s needed to make this frosting.

Beat the butter. A stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment is the ideal tool to whip the ingredients into a creamy consistency. Beat the butter for about a minute, until it’s light and creamy, before beating in the vanilla extract.
Add the powdered sugar and cream. Beat in half of the powdered sugar, then the heavy cream. Using a medium or high-speed setting will help aerate the heavy cream for fluffy, spreadable frosting.

Pro Tip: Between additions, use a flexible plastic spatula to scrape down the sides and the bottom of the mixer bowl to integrate all the ingredients.

Mix in the remaining powdered sugar. Add the other half of the powdered sugar and beat for about a minute. You can adjust the consistency if needed by adding more powdered sugar or heavy cream to make it thicker or thinner.

A vanilla cupcake is topped with vanilla buttercream and rainbow sprinkles. It sits on a white surface with another cupcake in the background.

Homemade Buttercream Frosting Video Tutorial

Step into Kelly’s kitchen as she whips up the creamiest buttercream frosting you’ve ever tasted and shares her insider tips and tricks for achieving frosting perfection.

Kelly’s Recipe Tips

Mix ingredients in stages. Beating the frosting in between each addition of the powdered sugar lightens the color of the frosting and will make it more white in color (rather than yellow).
Adjust the consistency. If the frosting is too thin, add additional sifted powdered sugar ¼ cup at a time, or if it’s too thick, add additional heavy cream 1 teaspoon at a time until the frosting reaches your desired consistency. If you plan to pipe the frosting, you’ll want a thinner consistency so that it squeezes out of the piping bag smoothly.
Tint the icing. When the frosting is at the consistency you want, beat in food coloring, a few drops at a time, to tint the icing to the desired color. For multiple colors, divide the frosting into smaller bowls and use a spoon or small spatula to stir the food coloring into each batch.
Don’t overmix! If you work the frosting too much, it could get grainy or greasy, especially if your kitchen is hot. Mix the frosting just until it’s light and fluffy, and set the bowl in the refrigerator or in a cool area until you’re ready to use it.

Ways to Use Vanilla Buttercream Frosting

Once you’ve whipped up your vanilla buttercream, it’s time to put it to delicious use! Here are a few of my favorite cakes and cupcakes that pair perfectly with this creamy frosting:

Storage Tips

This buttercream frosting can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to five days. Let it come to room temperature before using, and give it a few stirs with a spatula or spoon to bring it to a spreadable consistency.

Buttercream frosting also freezes well. Put it in an airtight container or a freezer bag and freeze for up to three months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight and beat it for a moment or two with a hand mixer or stand mixer before using.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much frosting does this recipe make?

The recipe makes about 2 ½ cups of frosting. That’s plenty for 24 cupcakes or a 9 x 13-inch sheet cake. If you need to frost an 8- or 9-inch layer cake, double the recipe.

What is the best butter for buttercream frosting?

With so few ingredients, you’ll really taste the flavor of the butter. Use newly purchased, unsalted, high-quality butter for the best flavor. Butter that’s been in the refrigerator for awhile may have picked up other flavors or odors.

What if my frosting is too thick or too thin?

This recipe is easy to adjust to the consistency you need. If the frosting is too stiff to spread, add about a tablespoon of heavy cream at a time until it is the right consistency. If the frosting is too thin, add about ¼ cup of powdered sugar at a time.

Can I flavor this frosting?

Yes! To customize the flavor, add a half-teaspoon of flavored extract, such as lemon, maple, strawberry or almond. I recommend still using half or all of the vanilla extract. If you want chocolate frosting, check out my recipe for 5-Minute Chocolate Buttercream Frosting.

A close-up of a chocolate cupcake topped with vanilla buttercream frosting and rainbow sprinkles, in the hands of a little boy.

More Frosting Recipes

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