Baking · Global
Vanilla Buttercream
Butter, sugar, vanilla, a splash of milk. Low speed first, or enjoy your new sugar cloud.
- Hands-on
- 10 min
- Hands-off
- 45 min
- Total
- 55 min
- Makes
- 24 cupcakes' worth (about 3 1/4 cups / 770 ml)
- Serves
- 12
Mixing takes about 10 minutes. Softening the butter on the counter takes 30-60 minutes; we count 45.
- easy
- vegetarian
- frosting
- birthday
- make-ahead
Verified against at least two trusted test kitchens or food-safety guides · Last checked · What this means
Scaling? Scales cleanly. A half batch frosts 12 cupcakes; a stand mixer may need the extra minute of beating for a full or double batch. Some items (like eggs) don’t halve neatly: beat them, then measure out half.
Ingredients
You need: medium bowl · electric hand or stand mixer (or a sturdy spoon) · rubber spatula · measuring spoons
Contains: milk
Method
Soften the butter
Leave 227 g (1 cup) butter on the counter for 30 to 60 minutes, until a finger leaves a dent easily.
Butter + sugar, slow then fast
Put 565 g (5 cups) powdered sugar and the soft butter in a medium bowl. Mix on low speed until combined, then turn the mixer to high and beat about 1 minute until light and fluffy. A less powerful mixer may need another minute.
Otto tried this firstOtto starts the mixer on high with all the sugar in the bowl. Powdered sugar everywhere. Begin on LOW until it's combined, then speed up.Flavour it
Add 2 tsp vanilla, 2 tbsp of the milk and a pinch of salt. Mix on low for 30 to 60 seconds, scraping the bowl now and then. It will be a bit smoother but still thick.
Adjust to spreadable
Beat in the last 1 tbsp milk about 1/2 tsp at a time until smooth and spreadable. Too stiff? Add milk a few drops at a time. Too soft? Beat in powdered sugar about 1 tbsp at a time. After any addition, mix about 1 minute more.
Swaps
- Instead of unsalted butter + pinch of salt: salted butter, no added salt
- Instead of whole milk: any milk, or heavy cream Whole milk is the standard; half-and-half also works.
Make ahead, store & reheat
- Make ahead
- Make it up to 5 days ahead and keep it in the fridge, or freeze it up to 1 month (see storage). Bring it back to soft before using.
- Storage
- Fridge: in a covered container with plastic wrap pressed onto the surface, up to 5 days; leave on the counter 30 minutes, then stir well or re-whip. Freezer: same packing plus a foil wrap, up to 1 month; thaw overnight in the fridge, then 30 minutes on the counter and re-whip. Don't microwave it to soften - it turns runny fast.
If something goes wrong
- Grainy or lumpy Why: Butter too cold, lumpy sugar, too much sugar, or under-mixed.
Use properly soft butter, sift lumpy sugar, spoon-and-level the sugar, and beat a few minutes more. - Too sweet Why: Taste preference.
Use 1/4 to 1/2 cup (28-57 g) less powdered sugar, and a little less milk. - Won't spread / won't hold a swirl Why: Too little or too much liquid.
Thin with milk (or half-and-half) a few drops at a time; thicken with powdered sugar 1 tbsp at a time.
Good to know
- Forgot to soften the butter? Microwave it on Medium (50%) in 5-second bursts, turning it each time, so it softens without melting.
- For extra-fluffy frosting, beat the butter alone at medium speed for 8 to 10 minutes before adding anything else.
- Use gel or paste food colours: they're concentrated, so you need only a little.
Safety
- Keep spatulas, fingers and hair away from moving beaters; stop the mixer before scraping the bowl.
- Kids can measure and scrape; an adult runs the electric mixer.