Buttercream frosting is fluffy and delicious and is great spread on your favorite cakes or cupcakes. For bakers, it is the most decadent of toppings second only to chocolate ganache. We have listed the ingredients below so you can learn how to make buttercream frosting to use for cake decorating. It is easy to make and an excellent choice of topping for cakes and cupcakes.
Vanilla Buttercream Frosting
Ingredients:
- 1 cup butter, softened to room temperature
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 2-3 Tbsp heavy cream
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- A pinch of salt
Directions:
For this recipe, you will start with two sticks or 1 cup of softened butter. Let it sit out on the counter until it is soft but not melted. You will then put the butter in a mixing bowl and beat on medium-high for one minute. Next, you add the powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time and mix until smooth. The last step is to add in the cream, vanilla, and salt and mix until smooth.
Substitutions:
You can substitute milk for heavy cream but it may make your frosting a little thin. You can also substitute lemon, almond, or orange flavoring for the vanilla if you want a different flavor for your frosting. Any flavoring can be used as a substitute for the vanilla.
Tips:
Frosting can be made 1-2 days in advance and stored in the refrigerator. Before using it to decorate your cakes or cupcake, let your frosting come to room temperature. It also freezes well and can be kept frozen for 3 months at a time. To use, that in the refrigerator overnight and let it come to room temperature before using it.
It is finished. It is easy to make and very delicious. You can use it right away or keep it in the refrigerator until ready to use. You’ll need to keep it cold so the butter doesn’t start to break down in warmer temperatures.
Now you know how to make buttercream frosting. It was simple to make and you can use it to decorate your favorite layer cakes and cupcakes. If you need to frost a larger cake simply double the recipe to make a larger batch.
Decorating using buttercream frosting is as easy as making the frosting was. It can be used as a filling between layers of cake, on the sides and on top to completely cover your cake in a layer of sweet, yummy frosting.
For some fancy decorating, take a small bit of frosting and add a few drops of food coloring. Scoop the frosting into a pastry bag and pipe a decorative border around the bottom of your cake.
