Vanilla American Buttercream Frosting

4.95 from 73 votes

Vanilla American Buttercream Frosting

Using only one bowl and four ingredients, you can whip up a batch of this easy and classic vanilla American buttercream frosting in just 10 minutes so try it today!

Total Time10

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Servings:

Calories: 147kcal

Author: Sophia Assunta

Equipment

Ingredients

1 cup unsalted butter 2 sticks, softened
16 oz powdered sugar 1 pound, about 3.5-4 cups
1-2 tbsp milk or heavy whipping cream up to 1/4 cup, optional
2 tsp vanilla extract
pinch of salt optional

Instructions

Using a hand held mixer or standing mixer, cream the butter using a paddle or whisk attachment on medium high until pale yellow, about 4-5 minutes. If necessary, half way through scrape down the sides of the bowl and continue mixing.
Turn off the mixer and add powdered sugar and vanilla. Mix on low for a minute until it incorporates and starts to look crumbly.
Once crumbly, turn up the speed and continue mixing on medium to medium high, about 3-4 minutes until light and fluffy.
Gauge the consistency. If the frosting is too thick, you can mix in a few tablespoons of milk or cream, 1/2 tbsp at a time, until it reaches the desired consistency.

Notes

If using salted butter, omit the added salt in the recipe.
Make sure your butter is at room temperature or slightly cooler. If using a mix of butter and shortening, make sure they are both at room temperature so they combine easily.
Mix the butter for a good 3-4 minutes before and after adding the powdered sugar. Mixing the frosting for so long makes for a very light and fluffy buttercream, and helps cut the graininess of the powdered sugar.
If your powdered sugar is hard or has lumps, sift it to get a smooth lump-free frosting.
Start mixing the powdered sugar on low so it doesn’t spill and make a mess. You can mix ½ or ⅓ at a time until it is incorporated.
Test the consistency. If the vanilla frosting is too thick add milk or cream 1/2 tbsp at a time and mix until it reaches the desired consistency. If you add too much liquid, add a few more tablespoons of powdered sugar and remix.
You can easily color with frosting with food coloring. I recommend gel food coloring because it brighter and more vibrant than the liquid kind .
The frosting will keep up to two weeks in the fridge or up to 3 months in the freezer in an airtight container.
This recipe makes about 3 cups of frosting and can be doubled as needed.

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