Often the most beloved element of a cupcake is the frosting. A good frosting can elevate a simple cupcake to a delicious, rich dessert. Classic American buttercream is surprisingly easy to make, and can be adjusted to your personal preferences using added flavorings, and adjusting the ratio of the ingredients. American buttercream is simply a combination of butter, powdered sugar, vanilla (or other flavoring), and usually a bit of milk or cream- that’s pretty much it! The frosting I love to use the most often is my Cream Cheese Frosting, which is simply a variation on American Buttercream, with some cream cheese added. Free free to play with this recipe and adjust it to your palate. This is a very sweet, classic frosting that pairs well with most any flavor of cupcake.
American Buttercream Frosting
1 cup (2 sticks) Challenge butter (salted, or unsalted)
1/4 teaspoon salt (if using unsalted butter)
4 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract (best quality available)
2-3 tablespoons heavy cream, half and half or milk.
*Optional- As mentioned above, I like a cream cheese version of this frosting best. The cream cheese adds to the creamy texture, and cuts down on the sweetness just a bit. If desired, for a very light cream cheese flavor add 1/2 block (4 oz). cream cheese, leaving the other ingredients (as listed above) the same. For a more traditional cream cheese flavor, reduce the butter to 1/2 cup, and add 1 block (8 oz.) of cream cheese. If using a full block of cream cheese, you can reduce the cream or milk to 1 tablespoon total.
Flavoring options– An almost unlimited number of flavoring options can be added in addition to, or instead of the vanilla. Orange and/or lemon zest, citrus extracts, mint extract, coconut extract or the seeds of a vanilla bean are all wonderful options. In most cases I’ll still add 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla, then 1/2 teaspoon of the other flavoring. For zest, add about 1 teaspoon fresh zest. For chocolate buttercream, add 1/2 cup (good quality) unsweetened cocoa powder.
Directions-
* In the bowl of an electric mixer, fitted with the whisk attachment, beat butter (on medium speed) until completely smooth (30 seconds to a minute). (If you are adding cream cheese, add it now, then beat until smooth)
* Add salt (if needed).
* One cup at time, add 2 cups of powdered sugar, beating after each addition.
* Add vanilla, or other flavorings and beat to combine.
* Add about 1 tablespoon of cream, and continue beating.
* Add the remaining 2 cups powdered sugar, one at a time.
* Add an additional 1-2 tablespoons cream until desired consistency is reached. If you want to pipe the frosting on cupcakes, the frosting should be nice and thick. Continue to beat another minute or so. The frosting should now be smooth and fluffy.
Troubleshooting-
* If your frosting is not smooth, it is likely because the butter was not fully smooth before adding the other ingredients.
* If your frosting will not hold up when piped on cupcakes, your frosting has too much liquid or is too warm. Put entire bowl of frosting in the fridge for 15-20 minutes and it will stiffen up. If it is still too thin, then add 1/4 to 1/2 cup powdered sugar, beat well.
Recipe Source- American buttercream first appeared in cookbooks in the early 1900’s (here’s a little buttercream history) Countless sources since then have included very similar versions, always using some combination of butter (or shortening), powdered sugar, milk and flavoring. The recipe above is simply the proportions I like to use.
Try this classic frosting on top of my favorite Vanilla Cupcakes or Chocolate Cupcakes.
Happy frosting!
How to Make American Buttercream Frosting
American Buttercream Frosting
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter 2 sticks (salted, or unsalted)
- 1/4 teaspoon salt if using unsalted butter
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract best quality available
- 2-3 tablespoons heavy cream half and half or milk.
Instructions
- In the bowl of an electric mixer, fitted with the whisk attachment, beat butter (on medium speed) until completely smooth (30 seconds to a minute).
- Add salt (if needed).
- One cup at time, add 2 cups of powdered sugar, beating after each addition.
- Add vanilla, or other flavorings and beat to combine.
- Add about 1 tablespoon of cream, and continue beating.
- Add the remaining 2 cups powdered sugar, one at a time.
- Add an additional 1-2 tablespoons cream until desired consistency is reached. If you want to pipe the frosting on cupcakes, the frosting should be nice and thick. Continue to beat another minute or so. The frosting should now be smooth and fluffy.
Just made this last night, absolutely LOVED it. Before it was even on the cupcakes, my boyfriend and I couldn’t stop eating it by itself 🙂 This will be my go-to buttercream recipe now for cupcakes. I used milk instead of cream, and a little less cream cheese, but the consistency was perfect to decorate Easter cupcakes with. Thank you!!
I made this frosting yesterday and used it on cupcakes, it’s great! So delicious and it didn’t have that greasy feeling from the frosting made with shortening. It held up perfect through the evening and I received many compliments on it. Thanks for a great recipe!
Such a beautiful butter cream recipe! Those photos make me want to have a lick!
Just made this for my daughters birthday for cupcakes, probably the best recipe I have found! Pipes beautifully! And tastes great!! I love this recipe!
What is the food color formula for the aqua frosting on the glorious cupcakes?
hi I live in aruba. will the buttercream hold as in aruba it is very very hot. I have to make 100 cupcaks but I want to make something diffrend because here they only decorate with icing sugar but I want to make something diffrend. can you please help me. I want to make 3 diffrend flavors of cupcakes. these are for charity. pls can you give me some urg advice. thank you very mutch
Made this this morning … flavored with mint, added half block cream cheese – needed about another 2/3 cup sugar to be stiff enough (and only used 2T whole milk)… bright teal atop my daughter’s birthday cupcakes for school!
Thanks to this and the perfect vanilla cupcakes, my search for the perfect combo is complete!!! THANK YOU! We’ll come back to this over and over through the years!
Great tasting recipe! I was searching for a buttercream recipe that was easy to make…this was it. Everyone at my daughters 12th Bday raved about it:) It is definitely a keeper. Thank you!
Hi there! I know this is an older post of yours but I am so excited to try this for an icing for my daughter’s 1st birthday cake! What did you use to accomplish that gorgeous sky blue color? I was thinking of purchasing gel colors but didn’t know if it’s worth the extra dough! 🙂
Hi Ashley, The blue color is from Americolor brand and called sky blue. Generally you can purchase the little bottles of Americolor colors for $1.50 or so each.
Hi Glory, the measurement you indicated for the powdered sugar is 4 cups, what is the equivalent value in grams? And if I do not want to use heavy cream can I use milk or water? What do you mean by half and half? Thanks
Hi Joy, Feel free to use google to find a good conversion chart to convert the measurements. I use American measurements and I’m not sure what the metric conversion would be. Half and half is sold just as that “half and half” and is half milk and half heavy cream. If you do not have cream, feel free to use milk, although it is much thinner, so you will likely not need as much.