I’ve been meaning to add a buttercream recipe to my blog for ages and just haven’t quite gotten around to it. I think part of my reluctance to post was that I’m not the best at piping and so had no idea how to present it to show off it’s yummy deliciousness. However, a couple of day’s ago I came across 3-second buttercream rose tutorial by Toni at This Mama. Unfortunately the site is no longer live but she made it look so simple that I couldn’t resist whipping up some vanilla cupcakes and a batch of buttercream to give it a try.
I was pretty pleased with the results *smug grin* so I decided buttercream finally deserved a place on my blog.
I’ve shown it here as cupcake frosting, but it’s extremely versatile and can be used for all sorts of cakes and desserts – cupcakes, sandwich/layer cakes, macarons and, my favourite, as a delicious buttercream layer beneath the fondant icing on the decorated celebration cakes I make for my family. If you’re making my all-in-one vanilla sponge birthday cake, then this is the recipe I use for the buttercream.
What’s the secret to perfect buttercream?
Buttercream is extremely simple to make. However, to ensure that you can create beautiful cakes with it you need to make sure it’s the right consistency.
At this point I want you to imagine you’re making a sandwich. I’m sure that, like me, you’ve experienced those times when you’ve taken the butter out of the fridge and attempted to spread it onto your sandwich only to find that you end up ripping the bread to shreds instead – butter still in one lump, bread with a great big hole in the middle. Now imagine how soft your butter needs to be to ensure that doesn’t happen. That’s the consistency you want your buttercream – just spreadable, but not runny.
So how do you get your buttercream to the right consistency?
It’s important to ensure that your butter is soft in the first place – just spreadable (like you would use for that successful sandwich). The best idea is to leave it out of the fridge for a little while to soften. However, I find that if I forget, I can cut it into cubes and beat it on a high speed in my Kitchenaid mixer and it softens pretty quickly (this only works because I have a powerful stand mixer. I used to try it with my hand mixer but I found my arm going round and round with the beaters stuck in the lump of butter instead of the butter softening as I wanted).
Unfortunately you start with the butter at just the right consistency and then add a load of icing sugar causing it to thicken up. So you need to soften it a little again.
This is where the milk comes in. Gradually beat in the milk a few drops at a time and check the consistency before adding more. For icing using 250g butter and 500g icing sugar I find about a tablespoon of milk is the right amount, but I add it at no more than ½ teaspoon at a time as other factors such as the temperature of your kitchen can also impact how soft the buttercream gets and it’s easy to add more but impossible to take it out.
How to stop everything getting covered in sugar when you make icing?
I’ve no idea. Whenever I make anything with icing sugar everything gets covered. If anyone has any suggestions on preventing this please, please let me know!
What You’ll Need
Before you start, make sure you have all of the equipment needed.
NOTE – These are affiliate links which means that if you purchase from Amazon after clicking on one the product links below I may earn a small commission. All of the products linked are ones I use in my kitchen.
Weighing Scales- Measuring Spoons
- Knife – to cut the butter
- Electric Mixer (or a bowl and hand mixer or wooden spoon)
- Sieve
- Piping Bags – if you’re planning on piping the cupcakes
- Piping Nozzle – To pipe the cupcakes as shown in the video you’ll need a JEM 1B nozzle. To pipe the cupcakes as shown in the pictures you’ll need a Wilton 2D nozzle.
Easy Vanilla Buttercream
INGREDIENTS
- 250 g unsalted butter
- 500 g icing sugar
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- Approx. 1 tbsp milk - I use skimmed but any is fine
RECIPE VIDEO
INSTRUCTIONS
- Cut the butter (250g) into cubes (about 1″) and beat in an electic mixer until soft.
- Add the icing sugar (500g) and beat until fully combined – I prefer to add the sugar a couple of spoonfuls at a time as this minimises the amount of sugar that flies out all over the kitchen! You’ll find that at first it’ll start to look lumpy but keep persevering and it’ll smooth out.
- Add the vanilla extract (½ tsp) and mix until fully combined.
- (See note about about the required consistency) Take a look at the consistency of the icing, is it spreadable? If not add ½ tsp milk and mix until fully combined. Check the consistency again and repeat until it is just spreadable.
- Once you’ve got the icing to the right consistency – have fun piping, spreading, or just licking if off the spoon!
NOTES
NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION
Any nutritional information provided is the estimated nutritional information per serving. Please refer to my guide to Charlotte’s Lively Kitchen nutritional information if you would like to learn more about how this is calculated.
Fancy trying a different flavour of buttercream on your cakes?
Then take a look at my new recipe for delicious NUTELLA BUTTERCREAM
Free From/Suitable For…
- Suitable for Vegetarians
- Gluten-Free
- Egg-Free
- Tree Nut-Free
- Peanut-Free
- Sesame-Free
- Soya-Free
- Sulphur Dioxide & Sulphite-Free
- Lupin-Free
If you’re looking for a dairy-free buttercream recipe then try my Vegan Vanilla Buttercream.
The ingredients for this recipe are commonly available free from all these allergens. However, please ensure you double-check allergen information for all ingredients.
Saieshni says
Hi there!
Can you add cocoa powder to this and if so, how much? I would like to make chocolate icing for the vegan vanilla cake
Charlotte Oates says
I have a vegan chocolate icing you could try
Sue says
On lockdown and didn’t have enough icing sugar so I did half measures and used it to sandwich my carrot cake sponges together rather than try to cover it all with frosting. Added lemon extract too. Family decided they liked it better that way
Thank you Sue
Bruh boy says
Yeet
Grace says
This is my go-to buttercream recipe, it never fails! Thank you! x
Christine Smeeth says
thank you for this, I’ll give it a go.
Yvette says
What am i doing wrong?? Mixture to runner
Charlotte Oates says
I’m not too sure as I always find mine’s too stiff if anything rather than too runny. Have you watched the video to see if yours looks similar to what’s on there?
My guess would be that your butter is too soft to start with, it should be allowed to come up to room temperature but not be runny. Alternatively, you’ve added too much milk. I add 1 tsp at a time and ensure that it’s fully combined before adding more.
LF says
Ratios worked really well for me. I refrigerated for 36 hours, then warmed it at room temperature for 2 hours, plus a few short bursts in the microwave. Thank you
Samantha says
If you are adding sugar flair colour to the butter cream. How much would I need to add thanks.
Charlotte Oates says
It depends on how dark you want the colour to be. I’d a suggest adding a little at a time and mixing it in thoroughly before adding more. Add the colouring before the milk to ensure you still get the perfect consistency.
Anusha says
Tried it! Best buttercream recipe I’ve tried this week, (ive been on a mission).
Helen says
Hiya I add my icing sugar gradually mixing on slow to start with each time then speeding up before adding the next bit, it stops the clouds. Or get a cover for your stand mixer.
Jennie H says
Thanks. Spot on information. I have a tall but fairly old Tupperware mixing bowl which has a lid with a hole in just the right size for my hand mixer. Hope you can find one because it’s perfect for stopping clouds of icing sugar going everywhere.
Naa Araba says
Thabks for the recipe. Realky easy to make. I have tried to make thise recipe which turned out great, however it fluffy but feels heavy. Could it be that i over best it?
Charlotte Oates says
If the buttercream is too heavy then it probably needs a little more milk to be added. Keep adding milk, 1 tsp at a time until it is a little softer.
Jess says
Hi,
Can you add cocoa to this recipe to make a chocolate frosting? If so, how much?
Thanks
Charlotte Oates says
If you want to make chocolate frosting then try this recipe.
Julie says
Your recipe sounds delicious but what is icing sugar… is that pure cane sugar or is is powdered sugar.
Thank you!! julie
Charlotte Oates says
Powdered sugar
Juie says
Thank you so much for your immediate response!!! Can’t wait to try your buttercream recipe!!!
Liz says
To prevent the icing sugar going everywhere when you start mixing I throw a tea towel over the whole mixer when I start to mix the icing dust in.
Linda says
This is a great recipe but after icing 16 cupcakes I’ve only used about half the mixture!!! will use half quantities next time…
Tracey says
Hi ive found that when I pipe buttercream it melts really quickly as I must have very warm hands, any suggestions?
Charlotte Oates says
Hi Tracey,
This isn’t something I’ve had trouble with before so I’m not too sure of the best solution. However, I asked around a few other baking bloggers and they had these suggestions…
* Use an icing syringe instead of a piping bag
* Wrap your icing bag in a cold damp tea towel. If you find this makes gripping the bag tricky then try putting a second bag on the outside.
* Wear leather gloves
* Regularly run your hands under cold water as you pipe to cool your hands.
* Keep an ice pack nearby and grip it regularly to cool your hands.
* Only partially fill the icing bag and refill it regularly. Keep the rest of the icing in the fridge so it’s cold before you use it and so won’t get as soft as you pipe.
Let me know if you give any a try.
Lucinda says
Hello, I’m planning on making this and then colouring it green, for a grassy background! Would you use the food gel colouring, and if so, instead of the milk? Thank you!
Charlotte Oates says
I would use gel colouring. I’d add it before the milk but as the colouring is quite thick you may find you still need to add a little milk to get tjhe buttercream to the right consistency.
Kerry says
Do you store this in the fridge when sandwiches between two cakes? Or is room temp okay? Thanks.
Charlotte Oates says
Room temp is fine as long as the weather isn’t too hot (what we’re having at the moment in the UK is OK). If the weather gets warmer then store it in the fridge and then allow it a bit of time to come up to room temperature before serving.
Linda Hicks says
I don’t know how much 250 grams of butter is and how much 500 grams of icing sugar is
Charlotte Oates says
I’m assuming you use cups. If you do then click on the big green button above the ingredients list where it says “US Cups/Ounces” and the ingredient list will be converted for you. I hope that helps.
If you’re after another type of measurement, then let me know and I’ll try and help.
Cécile says
Hi Charlotte,
Thanks very much for your recipes!
I made your chocolate cupcakes with the chocolate buttercream on top for my daughter’s birthday at school and they went down a treat with children and teachers.
I’m now making your vanilla buttercream cake for tomorrow’s party, but the buttercream doesn’t harden even when left in the fridge. Instead of butter, I’ve used sunflower margarine. Is it why? Shall I add some Stork or shall I start again and use half Stork, half sunflower margarine? I’m catering for someone who’s dairy intolerant.
Thank you,
Cécile
Charlotte Oates says
It’s because you’ve use margarine. It’s designed to be spreadable from the fridge so is softer than butter. I have a dairy-free version of this recipe here. It uses half margarine and half stark baking block (or another similar vegetable oil block) which adds stability.