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Mar 25, 20203 min read

The Best Vanilla Buttercream

I love to bake with all my heart. Actually, I don't like the clean up part, but I love everything else. One crucial skill in baking is to master the art of buttercream frosting. It may not seem important, but it's in everything: macarons, cake, cupcakes, etc.

A lot of people say it's one of the most fool-proof things to make. Warning: not true, not true, not true. Before today, I have never made a perfect buttercream.


Here are some things that could go wrong:

  1. It might melt if you're environment is too hot (a.k.a. Miami)

  2. It could be too stiff and not spread

  3. It might not look white and be yellow from the butter

  4. It could turn out too sweet, this usually happens when you add more sugar to reduce runniness

  5. It might be completely bland

  6. It might taste like butter

  7. I could go on forever...


Here's what you need for a great vanilla buttercream:

  1. A good amount of sweetness (whatever tastes good to you)

  2. Spreadable, but holds its shape

  3. The vanilla flavor is identifiable

  4. It looks white, not yellow

  5. So good you want to lick it off of the spatula


One fantastic thing about learning how to make a good vanilla buttercream is that after, you can add anything you want; for example, raspberries or chocolate can be super fun. Buttercream recipes are really just guidelines, I find the best results when I adjust them to my liking. For example, if it turns out to runny I add more sugar and if it's too powdery I add more milk. This is my new and improved recipe.


The Best Vanilla Buttercream

Prep Time: 5 mins

Total Time: 5 mins

 

A smooth buttercream with just the right amount of sweetness and vanilla flavoring. Takes almost no time and works great with any baked treat.

 

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup butter, softened

  • 2 cups powdered sugar

  • 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

  • 1 tbsp milk

 

Instructions

  1. Add butter to a large bowl and with a hand mixer, beat until white and fluffy (about 2-3 mins).

  2. Beat in half of the powdered sugar, the mix will look very powdery.

  3. Mix in your vanilla extract.

  4. Beat in your second half of the powdered sugar, the mix should be smooth but stiff.

  5. Mix in the milk until combined, now the mix should have a good taste, an improved smoothness but also hold its shape.

 

Tips

  • When softening butter, you don't want it to be soft the whole way through. The very center should still have some firmness, this helps the buttercream to hold its shape and not melt.

  • Whipping the butter until there's almost no yellow left makes sure that your buttercream is bright white. The fluffiness also adds to the structure of it.

  • A good way to test if your buttercream has good texture is to pick it up on the edge of a spatula. If when you turn the spatula over, it falls off, you might need to add more sugar.

  • Remember these things when something goes wrong: milk makes it more runny, sugar adds sweetness and support, vanilla adds flavor. Oh, and butter is what makes it a cream and not an icing.

 

Important

  • This recipe makes a very small amount of buttercream, a quantity that is good for cupcakes. If you are making a ton of cupcakes or a cake, you should double or even triple the recipe.


 

This was actually very exciting for me, when I made this and nothing went wrong, I freaked! The picture up above is of the cupcakes I used the frosting on. This really is a delicious recipe and pretty easy to do. Thanks a ton for reading and don't forget to subscribe.

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