Classic American Buttercream Frosting: The Ultimate 10-Minute Recipe for Perfectly Decorated Cakes and Cupcakes

Fluffy, stable and pipeable — and you don't need a candy thermometer or a Swiss meringue to get there.

Most "bakery-style" frostings ask you to cook egg whites and sugar to a specific temperature. American buttercream skips all of it: you whip softened butter, beat in powdered sugar and a splash of cream, and you're done in about ten minutes. It holds a piped rosette, it spreads without tearing the crumb, and it keeps at room temperature for a day.

Ingredients

Makes about 5 cups — enough for 24 cupcakes or a two-layer 8-inch cake.

• 1 cup (2 sticks / 8 oz / 227 g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
• 1/4 tsp fine salt
• 1.5 lb (about 6 cups / 680 g) powdered sugar, sifted
• 4 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 3–5 tbsp heavy cream or whole milk

On sweetness: this is a stiff, pipeable ratio (1 part butter to 3 parts sugar by weight). For a less sweet frosting that still holds a shape, drop to 4 cups (450 g) of powdered sugar and start with 2 tbsp of cream.

How to Make It

1. Beat the butter, 2–3 minutes. In a large bowl, beat the softened butter with an electric mixer on medium-high until it's smooth, pale and creamy. Don't rush this — under-beaten butter is the main reason buttercream turns out dense.
2. Add everything else on low, 1 minute. With the mixer on its lowest speed, add the salt, sifted powdered sugar, vanilla and 3 tbsp of cream. Keep it slow, or you'll wear the sugar.
3. Whip it up, 4–5 minutes. Increase to medium-high and beat until the frosting is light and fluffy and the color lightens noticeably.
4. Adjust the consistency. Too thick to pipe? Add cream one teaspoon at a time. Too loose? Add powdered sugar 2 tbsp at a time, or chill the bowl for 15 minutes and re-whip.

Troubleshooting

• Grainy texture. The powdered sugar wasn't sifted, or the butter was too cold. Keep beating — a minute or two on high usually dissolves it.
• Soupy frosting. The butter was melted rather than softened. Chill the bowl for 20 minutes, then re-whip.
• Too sweet. Increase the salt to 1/2 tsp, or replace 1 tbsp of the cream with a squeeze of lemon juice. Still too sweet? A stable cream cheese frosting is tangier and uses far less sugar.
• Air bubbles. Beat on the lowest speed for 2 minutes at the end to knock them out before piping.

Storage

Keep the frosting in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days, in the fridge for 1 week, or frozen for 3 months. Always bring it back to room temperature and re-whip before using — cold buttercream tears the cake.

What to Put It On

This buttercream works on almost any cooled cake or cupcake. It is especially good on something rich and chocolatey — try it on this super moist strawberry chocolate cake in place of the usual glaze.