The Perfect Recipe for Buttercream Frosting
Ever since I shared my recipe for mini vanilla cake for two, the comments about how delicious the frosting is have been flooding in. It’s super rich, thick and heavy on the vanilla. Yet, it’s still perfect for piping and holding shape of any designs. Truthfully, that recipe makes a bit too much frosting for that small cake, but I love decorating and making roses with the vanilla buttercream, so I kept it. Before we get into making this recipe, let’s talk about some basics when it comes to buttercream in general.
Buttercream Frosting ingredients
Butter. Let’s use salted butter for supremely delicious buttercream frosting. The butter needs to be softened at room temperature for 30-45 minutes. When its ready, you will be able to make a fingerprint indention in it, but it will not go all the way through the stick. No overly warm or melty butter here! The best way to get the perfect temperature is to open the stick, slice it into tablespoon pieces and let it rest exposed to room temperature air. Powdered Sugar. Also called confectioner’s sugar. There is no substitute for this; do not use granulated sugar. Vanilla Extract. Amazingly delicious, super fragrant high-quality vanilla bean extract is the best here. You will taste it! Heavy Cream. I really recommend heavy cream for ultimate fluffiness; however, you can use regular milk and your frosting will be just fine. You can also use a small amount of sour cream, since it contains 40% fat.
How to make Buttercream Frosting
- Using a hand mixer, beat until very fluffy. However, do not over-beat and create bubbles in the buttercream.
- Scrape the buttercream into a piping bag, or simply spread it on any kind of cake or cupcake using an offset spatula.
Buttercream Frosting Recipe tips
With such few ingredients, preparation is key here! Make sure your butter is at the proper temperature, and have everything pre-measured and ready to go. You will need a stand mixer or hand-held electric mixer to make fluffy vanilla buttercream. I like this smaller profile stand mixer (since I typically cook for two-three people), and this hand mixer has lasted me over a decade. Please also note you can cut this recipe in half if you only need a small amount. Or, you can double it for a full-size 8 or 9-inch layer cake.
What to pair this Buttercream Recipe with
This small batch vanilla cupcakes topped with buttercream and sprinkles makes a great birthday gift. These wedding cake cupcakes have this frosting, but with a splash of almond extract. I think vanilla buttercream goes well with lemon cake. Perfectly sweet and tart. If you’re not a cream cheese frosting fan, try vanilla buttercream on red velvet cake. Break the rules and put vanilla buttercream on mini chocolate cake.
Now that you’ve made a delicious bowl of fluff, you might have some questions! Give your creation a taste before piping or spreading it onto a dessert and let’s dig into some frequently asked questions. Also, check out my recipe for chocolate buttercream, just in case you’re wondering if you can add chocolate to this.
How to store Vanilla Buttercream Frosting
If you won’t be using your frosting right away, place plastic wrap over the surface of your mixing bowl, and store it in the fridge until needed. It will last here for up to 3 days, but you will need to let it soften at room temperature and re-whip to use.
How long can Buttercream sit out?
Buttercream can sit out at cool room temperature for up to 2 days. This is because the sugar acts as a preservative and allows the dairy product to last significantly longer. **To store desserts frosted with buttercream, it’s best to store them in the fridge. Remove them from the fridge and allow to sit at room temperature for 30-60 minutes before serving so the frosting softens. Since buttercream has butter, it shouldn’t sit out at room temperature for very long. Butter: Salted butter is my choice here.. The butter needs to be softened at room temperature for 30-45 minutes. When its ready, you will be able to make a fingerprint indention in it, but it will not go all the way through the stick. No overly warm or melty butter here! The best way to get the perfect temperature is to open the stick, slice it into tablespoon pieces and let it rest exposed to room temperature air.Powdered Sugar: Can also be called confectioner’s sugar. Do not substitute granulated sugar.Vanilla Extract: Use the most fragrant, delicious vanilla bean extract you can find. If you want to use a vanilla bean, use half of a bean, with the vanilla caviar scraped out of it. Drop the seeds (also called vanilla caviar) in the bowl, and beat with everything else.Heavy Cream: I really recommend heavy cream for the fluffiest frosting. You can use regular milk or half and half, in a pinch. You can also use a small amount of sour cream, since it’s 40% fat. You might need slightly more or slightly less than 2 tablespoons of heavy cream total. Add more if your frosting seems dry. Start with 1 tablespoon and work up from there.
