Easy White Vanilla Buttercream for Cakes and Cupcakes [Recipe]

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This is my classic, go-to, easy vanilla buttercream recipe. I have used this for thousands of cupcakes and many many many (did I say many?) cakes!

For those who don’t know, I started a cake decorating company when I was 16 years old as a part of my homeschool education. That was the beginning of a long, wonderful journey that taught me many lessons and gave me a lot of perspective.

If you’re interested, you can read more about that part of my story on the About Me page of my website!

What is buttercream frosting?

Buttercream is a sweet, rich, butter-based frosting that holds up well in most weather conditions and makes a perfect decorating frosting for most cakes and cupcakes. It’s sweet, creamy, and smooth, and is the typical cake and cupcake icing you’ll find in most North American cake shops and bakeries.

I’ll be honest, I’m not a big fan of cakes that are, in my opinion, too sweet. Buttercream is one of the sweeter frosting options out there, which kind of automatically gives it a lower rank of my list of favorite treats. That said, I also know the value of a recipe that is reliable and that works; for that, this is my go-to recipe.

Tips for working with buttercream

Buttercream is one of the best icing/frosting kinds out there because the workability is so easy (and frankly, it’s simple to make). There are a few tips I’ll give you, regarding this particular recipe, to help make sure your cakes turn out the best they can.

Measuring

Icing sugar, like flour, settles into your bag or container and becomes much more dense as it sits (making 1 cup much more than it should be, if you scoop it out from that point).

To measure by cup accurately, “loosen” the sugar before scooping it out to make sure your cups are an accurate measurement. 1 cup of icing sugar should weigh about 120-150g.

Consistency

Icing consistency is absolutely key to making sure your cake or cupcakes turn out well. If the icing is too thin, it will melt off the side of your cake. Too thick, and it will tear the edges of the cake when you spread it, making an impossibly crumb-filled mess.

If the icing is too thick, it will also be more dry, prone to cracking/breaking, and just generally not taste as good.

Spreading consistency
Ideal for frosting the sides of cakes

Spreading consistency is key to making sure that the sides of your cake don’t peel off as you add the icing, and also to making sure that the icing can spread smoothly.

To make a perfect spreading consistency for cakes, follow the recipe below but add 2-3 tsp extra milk to make the icing smooth and easy to spread.

For tips on frosting a cake, check out this tutorial!

Piping consistency
For piping borders and swirls on cupcakes

This recipe, as noted below, should be perfect for frosting cupcakes with those big, luxuriant swirls. Use a large star tip to make those beautiful billows… and if you find that your icing is a little stiff, you can add a little milk or water to make it smoother. Just be careful to only add little bits at a time!

Temperature

This icing should be used when it is room temperature. Cold buttercream sets quite hard, and will not be workable. I do recommend storing it in the fridge, but bring it back to room temperature before decorating with it.

Managing buttercream cakes and cupcakes for summer events

This icing holds up quite well in heat, especially if you make it pure white (with shortening instead of butter). That said, it will reach a point of melting, especially on hot summer days.

For any event, I recommend keeping your cake or cupcakes refrigerated until near to serving time. For weddings or special occasions where you want your buttercream cakes or cupcakes displayed for a long period of time, use shortening instead of butter (I know, not the best for flavor or your health… but again, at some point you need to use what’s going to work). Try your very best to make sure the cake is not sitting in extremely hot conditions for too long.

Making a wedding cake?

Check out my ebook, “The Naked Cake” to learn all of the skills necessary to build a wedding cake with good structure and durability + how to safely transport the cake with ease!

What kinds of cakes are best with this frosting

Any butter or oil based cakes with good structure will work well as a base for this recipe. Avoid sponge cakes, angel food cakes, or anything else with a spongey texture or short shelf life.

Cake mixes (boxed cakes) can be a great base for buttercream cakes. Since they tend to be very soft, however, I recommend refrigerating (or even freezing) them before decorating to make them more durable while the cake or cupcakes are decorated.

Some helpful tutorials for beginners

If you’re just getting started with cake decorating, here are some great tutorials that I hope will help you on your cake decorating journey! All of these are essential skills for making great cakes and cupcakes.

Choosing the right frosting for cakes and cupcakes

This recipe is perfect for piping on cakes and cupcakes. It’s thick, keeps its structure, and can hold up well in warm weather (see my notes earlier in this post).

Examples

Rather than making this buttercream recipe and then photographing one set of cupcakes to go with it, I hunted through my years of cake decorating photos to showcase a few different cupcakes decorated with this recipe. And… wow. So much to look back on! I’m thankful for all of the experience I’ve had. This morning was definitely a stroll down memory lane.

I didn’t want to overwhelm you with cake/cupcakes pictures, so I just picked a few simple cupcake designs to show you how well this icing keeps its structure.

To make this recipe, you will need:

Handy extras:

Print

Easy Vanilla Buttercream

A simple, thick, delicious buttercream recipe for decorating cakes and cupcakes

Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Keyword buttercream, cake decorating, frosting, vanilla buttercream
Prep Time 5 minutes
Total Time 15 minutes
Servings 18
Author Naomi

Ingredients

  • 1 c. (227g) butter, softened (If using unsalted butter, add 1/2 tsp (2.5ml) salt to this recipe)
  • 4 c. (600g) icing sugar
  • 1/4 c. (60ml) milk
  • 1 tsp (5ml) vanilla extract

Instructions

  1. Beat the butter in a large mixing bowl until smooth and creamy.

  2. Add the icing sugar and milk alternately until well combined. Mix in the vanilla and continue beating until thick and creamy. 

Recipe Notes

  1. If the icing is too thick, add a little milk until it’s a good spreading consistency.
  2. I recommend gel food colouring for tinting this recipe; liquid food colour will thin the consistency of the frosting, especially if you are going for bold colours.
  3. For a pure white frosting, you can substitute vegetable shortening for the butter and clear vanilla extract for the vanilla.
  4. This recipe is perfect for piping swirls on cupcakes or borders on cakes. For frosting a cake or making find details (dots, lines), add 2-3 tsp milk or water to this recipe to make it a little thinner.

If you like this recipe, you may also like:

Needless to say, this recipe has been tried and true, time and again. It’s a sturdy, classic, great-for-decorating staple recipe to keep on hand.

I hope this gem serves you well! If you make it, as always – please tag me on Facebook or Instagram @naomicakesofficial so that I can see your beautiful work! 

Cheers,
Naomi

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  1. Pingback: Floral Cupcake Cake [How It's Made] | Baby's 1st Birthday Cupcakes

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