This is the best Vanilla Buttercream Frosting recipe. Make this easy buttercream frosting recipe and you’ll never want cake without vanilla buttercream again. Or eat it with spoons.
We love using this vanilla frosting recipe on all sorts of cookies and cakes, but my absolute favorite is on top of these perfect sugar cookies!
You guys have to make this vanilla buttercream frosting recipe.
The end.
Okay, not really.
But yes. Really.
So this is a frosting recipe that I first made for these adorable sheep cupcakes. And I made it again for Piper’s cake smash. But it is seriously so ridiculously good that I feel like it deserved it’s own post.
So ironically, my sister in law sent me a text message the day before the sheep post went live and asked me if I had a good vanilla frosting recipe. And I said, “Funny you should ask . . . ” A few weeks later I got this message from her:
“I LOVE it! It makes boxed cake mixes taste like they were made in a bakery. It puts homemade cakes off the charts!”
I love her.
If that testimonial wasn’t enough, yesterday while I was photographing this cake, Gavin asked me if he could have a piece when I was done. Who am I to say no to that cute face? Gavin historically loves cake but doesn’t like frosting at all. Which is just crazy, but kind of awesome because I always get his left over buttercream frosting at birthday parties. #dontjudge
Well, I walked back into the kitchen after giving him some cake and he was eating the frosting!! I said, “Gavin! I thought you didn’t like frosting!”
“I don’t. But, Mom. This vanilla frosting is AMAZING!!”
#truestory
RECIPE NOTES FOR THE BEST VANILLA BUTTERCREAM FROSTING:
- One batch of this vanilla buttercream frosting recipe is enough to lightly cover 24 cupcakes. I needed to double it to frost a three layer cake, with 1/2 cup frosting between each layer and a nice crumb coat.
- This frosting firms up rather quickly, so if you are going to top with sprinkles, you will want to frost your cupcake add the sprinkles, and then move on to the next cupcake you need to frost.
- If you don’t like your frosting as sweet, you can cut back the powdered sugar by a cup. It will result in a less sweet and also less firm frosting.
The Best Vanilla Buttercream Frosting Recipe
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter room temperature
- 5 cups powdered sugar
- 2 tsps vanilla
- 1/4 cup milk
Instructions
- To make frosting, beat the butter until fluffy.
- Then add the powdered sugar gradually, one cup at a time.
- Add in the vanilla and milk.
Eleana N says
This frosting tasted amazing! but it didn’t hold, due to the warmth of my hands while piping :/
Eleana, I’m so sorry this didn’t work for you! And I’m surprised too! I’ve piped this out a bunch of times and never had a problem with it. :/
Deana says
I’m going to make cupcakes for Easter and I cannot wait to try this…is it stiff enough for piping the icing!
In my experience, yes, perfect for piping. If you are putting sprinkles on the cupcakes you will actually need to put them on RIGHT after you pipe. Like pipe a cupcake, sprinkle, pipe, sprinkle. You can see it piped here, here, and here!
Kayanne says
Love this buttercream recipe! I made it last weekend for a bake sale and received rave reviews from everyone who got a cupcake! It has already been requested by my sister and nephew for their birthday treats this week! Looking forward to trying out some more recipes from your blog!
This is so great to hear Kayanne!
Lauren says
I just made this on a whim, cause its 10pm and I wanted frosting. It’s so good and so quick to make. The only issue I had was putting it in the pipping bag, so I just ate it off the spoon. :)
Made my day.
Lauren, this comment totally cracked me up and made my day. Thank you!
Teresa says
Thank you so much for these fantastic buttercream frosting recipes!!!!
Hugs, Teresa
You’re welcome Teresa!
Heather says
I want to use this recipe for my daughter’s smash cake as well as the cupcakes for the adults. I was hoping to frost the cakes a couple days in advance. If I pipe them on Thursday for a Saturday party will they still taste yummy? Also, do you refridgerate the cake once iced?
I have only piped it one day before. And no, once I pipe it, I don’t store it in the refrigerator, just in an air tight container.
Marie says
Hey there! Just made this icing for hubbies birthday cake and I have to say it was the best I’ve ever tasted!! It was a little hard to begin with (I couldn’t even spread it) but in my experience, pure icing sugar can be tricky to work with. Only a few extra drops of milk can make it completely runny, or a few less and it’s far too hard to work with. I just added a couple extra drops of milk and got the perfect consistency you were talking about and it now has that lovely soft crust over the whole cake. Thank you so much! Have been looking for a good recipe for icing for a while now. Will be using this one all the time!
Marie, thank you so much for this comment! Yes! I should add to the recipe that if it is hard to work with or feels too stiff to just add a tiny bit more milk. I’m so glad you liked it!
Teresa says
Hi Lisa, I want to try this recipe to make a birthday cake for my grandaughter. I was just wondering if I’m supposed to sift the powdered sugar?
Hi Teresa! I know lots of bakers who swear by sifting the powdered sugar. I am a very lazy baker so I never sift and it is always amazing :)
Mercedes says
Can I use evaporated milk instead of just regular milk? Thnks.
I haven’t tired it with evaporated milk, so I don’t know how it would work in this recipe. I would stick with regular milk.
Kristi Millner says
I am making my daughters cake for her 2nd birthday party, as I type! I am going to use this recipie. It looks delicious!
Thanks Kristi!