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    Home » Desserts » Cakes and Cupcakes » Easy Buttercream Icing Recipe

    Published: May 26, 2020 · Modified: Nov 21, 2020 by Kemi · This post may contain affiliate links

    Easy Buttercream Icing Recipe

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    Jump to Recipe - Print Recipe

    Looking for the best buttercream icing recipe? Look no further. This easy buttercream frosting is light, fluffy, simple, delicious, and perfect on cupcakes, birthday cakes and any type of cakes. Learn how to make buttercream icing from scratch.

    buttercream icing inside a mixing bowl and on hand mixer blades.

    Buttercream icing is the first frosting I learned to make because of its simplicity and versatility. It's the easiest frosting to make, goes with most types of cakes and it's inexpensive.

    This easy buttercream frosting recipe is what I've used for many years for piping on cupcakes, in sponge cake, filling birthday cakes, for crumb coating and covering before putting fondant on a cake and much more. It's just so versatile.

    It's my most used type of icing next to cream cheese frosting which I'll be giving you the recipe soon.

    I have never used store bought buttercream as I always make mine at home and I get light, fluffy, perfect buttercream that holds up even in hot weather.

    This smooth buttercream recipe is very simple and any beginner baker or professional should learn how to make it. It's suitable for homemade cakes like madeira cake, coconut cake, pound cake and any other type of cakes. It's egg-free and suitable for vegetarians.

    fluffy buttercream frosting in a glass bowl with white spatula inserted in the bowl.

    Buttercream Icing Recipe (Buttercream Frosting)

    This Vanilla buttercream frosting recipe is easy, quick and failproof. It's one you can use as a home baker or professional baker.

    I can confidently say this is the best buttercream icing recipe because it has never failed me. Here are other reasons why I think it's the best:

    • You only need 3 simple ingredients plus any flavoring of choice.
    • Cheap homemade frosting that won't break the bank. Inexpensive and delicious.
    • Its quick, easy and you can whip it up in just 10 minutes.
    • Made with ingredients you can pronounce, you know what goes in it and no artificial preservative or sweetener in this homemade buttercream frosting.
    • You don't need heavy or expensive equipment to make it.
    • You can make ahead and store for later.
    buttercream in a mixing bowl with spatula and handmixer blades inside the bowl.

    Tools You'll need

    Weighing Scale- To measure the ingredients for accuracy.

    Mixing bowl - Use deep one big enough to fit the frosting.

    Electric mixer - Hand or stand mixer.

    Spatula- To scrape down the sides of the mixing bowl.

    Ingredients for Buttercream Icing

    Butter - Salted or unsalted. Bring it to room temperature before use as soft butter makes buttercream comes out nice and fluffy.

    Icing Sugar - Also called powdered sugar or confectioners sugar. Caster or granulated sugar will not work for this recipe unless made into powdered sugar first.

    Flavoring - You can use vanilla extract, lemon, strawberry extract or any flavoring of your choice.

    Milk or heavy cream (optional) - Either of the two works fine. When I am not using heavy cream, I like to use whole milk.

    How to make Buttercream Icing

    It takes less than 10 minutes to make this simple buttercream frosting. Here's how:

    Measure out all the ingredients and leave the butter to soften or bring to room temperature.

    icing sugar in a bowl placed on a red digital kitchen scale.

    Add the butter in a mixing bowl then use hand or stand mixer to whip on high speed for about 1 minute or till butter is light.

    butter in a pyrex mixing bowl mixed until light.

    Add half of the icing sugar and mix on low speed for a minute till it comes together then add the remaining icing sugar.

    Mix at low speed till it comes together then add flavoring and milk. Whip on high speed for 5 minutes until light and fluffy.

    It's ready to use.

    ready to use buttercream frostin in a mixing bowl.

    Variation

    Lemon buttercream icing - Use lemon extract instead of vanilla extract. You can also add a teaspoon of lemon zest for citrusy lemon frosting.

    Strawberry buttercream icing - Substitute strawberry extract for vanilla extract. For colour, add pink food coloring.

    How to use buttercream

    This frosting can be used on cupcakes and cakes such as

    Carrot cake

    Banana cake

    Vanilla cupcakes

    Coconut cake

    You can use for crumb coating, filling, and covering cakes before applying fondant.

    2 cupcakes with buttercream piped on them and raspberry placed on the frosting on each of them.

    How to store

    Buttercream keeps well in the fridge and in the freezer. If you make it ahead or have leftover, put in a freezer bag, label, and store in the fridge for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.

    When ready to use, bring to room temperature, add to a mixing bowl and mix with a hand or stand mixer for 3 minutes or until it's fluffy.

    If you put in the freezer, put in the fridge to thaw first before re whipping.

    Tips

    • If the icing sugar is lumpy, sift it before use.
    • Use a deep mixing bowl that is big enough to fit in the buttercream.
    • Whip the butter till light before adding the icing sugar. 
    • Use a bowl cover guard or towel to cover the bowl to trap in the icing dust and prevent it from going all over the place.
    • Start mixing on low speed then increase to high speed after all ingredients are in the bowl.
    • To make it lighter, add a teaspoon of milk at a time and whip till you get the consistency you desire.
    • If you add too much milk to the buttercream and it gets runny, add a bit more icing sugar to thicken it.
    • Adding food color? add it before adding milk especially if using liquid coloring.
    buttercream icing inside a mixing bowl and on hand mixer blades.

    BUTTERCREAM FROSTING FOR HOT WEATHER

    To make stiff buttercream icing that will hold up in hot weather, this is the recipe I use and it works. I use this under fondant when I need stable buttercream to work with in hot weather and I get sharp fondant edges.

    What I do is use a mix of Trex and butter at ratio 1:1. So if the recipe calls for 100g butter, I do 50g butter and 50g Trex.

    Add Trex into the mixing bowl, mix with a hand or stand mixer for a minute then add butter, mix for another minute or two before adding powdered sugar and flavoring. Mix till fluffy and it's ready to use.

    FAQ

    Can I use margarine 

    Butter will produce the best buttercream because of its low water content and high fat however you can use margarine but do not use reduced fat margarine as it has more water content.

    Can I double this recipe? 

    Absolutely. You can double or triple this recipe to get the quantity you want.

    How to thicken buttercream?

    If you want a thicker frosting, add more powdered sugar, add a little at a time till you get the consistency you desire.

    How much buttercream for 8 inch cake?

    This recipe will cover 8 inch cake that is 4 inch tall.

    buttercream frosting inside a bowl with white spatula.

    More Simple Recipes on the Blog

    Chocolate buttercream frosting

    Cereal pancakes

    Strawberry lemonade

    Carrot juice

    I hope you love this recipe as much as I do. If you find this post helpful, rate it 5 stars and leave me a comment below. I love reading from you.

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    buttercream icing inside a mixing bowl and on hand mixer blades.
    Print Recipe
    5 from 7 votes

    Easy Buttercream Icing Recipe

    Looking for the best buttercream icing recipe? You're in the right place. This buttercream frosting is light, fluffy, simple, delicious and perfect on cupcakes, macarons, birthday cakes and any type of cakes. Learn how to make buttercream icing from scratch.
    Prep Time5 mins
    Mixing8 mins
    Total Time13 mins
    Course: Dessert
    Cuisine: American, British, Canadian
    Keyword: buttercream, buttercream frosting, buttercream icing, easy buttercream icing recipe, how to make buttercream icing
    Servings: 12
    Calories: 281kcal
    Author: Kemi

    Equipment

    • Weighing Scale
    • Mixing bowl
    • Hand mixer or stand mixer
    • Spatula

    Ingredients

    • 220 g Butter
    • 455 g Icing sugar powdered sugar or confectioners
    • 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract lemon, strawberry or flavoring of choice
    • 1.5 tablespoon Milk or heavy cream
    Metric - US customary

    Instructions

    • Measure out all the ingredients and leave the butter to soften or bring to room temperature.
      icing sugar in a bowl placed on a red digital kitchen scale.
    • Add the butter in a mixing bowl then use hand or stand mixer to whip on high speed for about 1 minute or till butter is light.
      butter in a pyrex mixing bowl mixed until light.
    • Add half of the icing sugar and mix on low speed for a minute till it comes together then add the remaining icing sugar. Mix at low speed till it comes together then add flavoring and milk.
      buttercream icing inside a mixing bowl and on hand mixer blades.
    • Whip on high speed for 5 minutes until light and fluffy then it's ready to use.
      fluffy buttercream frosting in a glass bowl with white spatula inserted in the bowl.

    Video

    Notes

    Use on cupcakes, sponge cake, coconut cake, and other types of cakes.
    Like chocolate? try my chocolate buttercream frosting.
    For stiff buttercream that will hold up in hot weather, use 110g butter and 110g Trex instead of 220g butter. Read notes in the post.
    • If the icing sugar is lumpy, sift it before use.
    • Use a deep mixing bowl that is big enough to fit in the buttercream.
    • Whip the butter till light before adding the icing sugar. 
    • Use a bowl cover guard or towel to cover the bowl to trap in the icing dust and prevent it from going all over the place.
    • Start mixing on low speed then increase to high speed after all ingredients are combined in the bowl.
    • If you want the buttercream lighter, add a teaspoon of milk at a time and whip till you get the consistency you desire.
    • If you add too much milk to the buttercream and it gets runny, add a bit more icing sugar to thicken it.
    • If adding food color, add before adding milk especially if using liquid coloring.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 281kcal | Carbohydrates: 38g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Cholesterol: 40mg | Sodium: 132mg | Potassium: 4mg | Sugar: 37g | Vitamin A: 458IU | Calcium: 7mg | Iron: 1mg


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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Chinonso says

      April 15, 2022 at 7:05 am

      This recipe was very helpful because it was my first time, thank you very much 🥰🤩

      Reply
      • Kemi says

        April 16, 2022 at 12:59 am

        Glad to know this. You're welcome:)

        Reply
    2. Robert Conrad says

      April 16, 2022 at 10:12 pm

      Have a problem here in America, don't know metric system! So how many sticks is 220 g? And how many cups is 455 g?

      Reply
    3. Jessica says

      November 12, 2022 at 12:13 am

      5 stars
      Been watching the Great British Baking Show lately and felt inspired! First time making buttercream, made it blue with food coloring! It is delicious!

      Reply
      • Kemi says

        November 12, 2022 at 2:04 am

        Well done and thanks for the feedback:)

        Reply

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    277 shares
    277 shares