American Buttercream Frosting Recipe
I have been trying to add an American Buttercream Frosting recipe to this blog forever! I don’t know what happens. Well, yes I do. Every time I make it I put it on a cake or cupcakes and either give it away or we eat it. I have also been known to play with the frosting to see what kind of flower or pretty designs I can make. Practice makes perfect but I am here to say “perfect” practice makes perfect. If you practice things the wrong way you will always do it wrong. So I guess you can say that I have been practicing a lot so I will learn the proper way to use this wonderful frosting.
Right now my favorite way to add a frosting to cupcakes is to create this buttercream frosting rose swirl. It is super easy and it looks impressive. I am in the process of making a video to show you a few fun and simple ways to decorate cupcakes. I think you will have as much fun decorating with this frosting as I have had.
Now back to the American buttercream frosting. I know there are over a million (maybe a zillion) American Buttercream Frosting Recipes on the world wide web and you may already have a favorite. If you do have a favorite don’t change what ain’t broken. Keep it. Use it. Don’t change just because you see a new recipe. For those of you who do not have a buttercream frosting recipe you can try this one. I will warn you, it is a little on the sweet side. If you don’t like sweet frosting, you may want to reduce the powdered sugar by 1/2 a cup.
Supplies for American Buttercream Frosting Recipe:
2 Sticks (8ounces) of unsalted butter, softened
4 1/2 – 5 cups of Confectionary Sugar (powdered sugar) 1.25 lbs
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
3 tablespoons of milk
American Buttercream Frosting Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 Sticks 8 ounces of unsalted butter, softened
- 5 cups 1.25 pounds of Confectionary Sugar (powdered sugar)
- 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 2-3 tablespoons of milk
Instructions
- Once your butter is room temperature, place it in the bowl of a KitchenAid mixer and whip it with the whisk attachment for 3-5 minutes.
- Add 4 cups of the confectioners sugar, one cup at a time, and whip it for at least one minute before adding more.
- Add the vanilla and the milk and whip for 1-2 minutes.
- Add the last cup of powdered sugar and whip for about 3 minutes.
Here is a quick little video to show you how to make this glorious frosting:
Now get ready to make some cupcakes, cakes and other fun thing with this frosting. I have been baking and decorating like a mad woman. I can’t wait to share them with you!
More Frosting Recipes:
Coconut Buttercream Frosting
Crusting Buttercream Frosting
Swiss Meringue Frosting
Italian Meringue Frosting
Chocolate Buttercream Frosting by Add a Pinch
Strawberry Buttercream Frosting by Cooking Classy
Bear hugs,
I am so excited that you are sharing this and I can’t wait to try it. I’ve tried what seems like a thousand different combinations of powdered sugar, butter, milk, and vanilla, and I just can’t seem to find one that doesn’t melt SO fast in just room temperature! Have you found anything that helps this? Extra P.S. or less butter? Thanks!
Hi Melania,
I am completely self taught and don’t have all the answers but, I will help you as best as I can! 😉
I live in a humid climate and this recipe works well for me when the cakes are kept inside. I am not sure that I would feel totally comfortable using the buttercream on a wedding cake for an outside wedding. I am sure people do it all the time but I am not going to try it.
I know people don’t like to use shortening in their buttercream recipes because it takes away from the flavor of the forsting. That being said, if I had to make a wedding cake I would do one of three things.
1. I would decorate the cake on site as much as possible if and only if it was an inside wedding. (Keep in mind I normally do cookies and not wedding cakes.)
2. I would use a recipe that called for half butter and half shortening because the shortening can take a warmer temperature than an all butter buttercream frosting can.
3. Or I just wouldn’t make the cake for the special event so I won’t ruin the couples new beginning! LOL I would refer them to a professional baker.
I am going to post a buttercream recipe that uses half butter and half sortening soon. So maybe one of these will help you.
Also, you can contact Melissa and “My Cake School” and she can help you. My kids got me a membership to her cake school for my birthday and I learned so much! Her site is http://www.mycakeschool.com. Tell her I sent you. 😉
Also if you note, I do use more powdered sugar than most and I think that helps the frosting hold up a little better.
Thanks,
Lisa
I also wanted to mention that you can add 2 tablespoons of cornstarch to this recipe to help make it sturdier.
Hope this helps!
Lisa
Hi Lisa.
I do not like store bought frosting, so I was wondering if you think this would be ok to use as the frosting in cake pops?
Hi there! JUST wondering what brand of confectionary sugar you use?? I rather just whisk the powder but it’s still has lots of lumps in it. I use domino.
Thanks!!!
I use Domino as well. Before you add the wet ingredients, use a whisk to mix it up. I’ll help reduce the lumps. 😉