Here’s my recipe for buttercream frosting that’s perfect for cookies and cakes. Once you make homemade buttercream, you won’t go back to store-bought!
Buttercream is a classic choice for decorating cakes, bars, cupcakes, and cookies! It can be tinted and flavored in a myriad of ways. It’s perfect for piping as well as spreading on desserts!
Tonia’s Notes
I use buttercream frosting for so many of my recipes and I realized that I didn’t even have the recipe on my blog. So I am finally getting around to sharing it!
Homemade buttercream frosting doesn't even compare to store-bought frosting in a can. Or even the frosting on some cakes and cupcakes. It's so easy to make and so worth it.
This is a recipe for buttercream frosting that I use on my cakes, cupcakes, cookies, and bars. I used it to decorate this replica of my parents’ wedding cake for their anniversary.
How To Make
Butter and Shortening
Put the butter and shorting into the bowl of a stand mixer. Using a combination of butter and shortening gives you the best combination of taste and stability.
Shortening is 100% fat and doesn’t melt like butter when it gets warm. So, the shortening will make the frosting more stable. This is especially important if you're bringing your dessert somewhere to share and the space might be warm.
On the other hand, shortening doesn’t have the flavor that butter does. You can make an all shortening frosting, but the only flavor it will have is whatever you add to it.
Light and Fluffy
The instructions for this recipe and many other recipes of mine, say to “beat the butter and the shortening together until they are light and fluffy”. That means you beat the mixture until it is light in color and fluffy in texture.
The butter will go from looking yellow to light yellow or almost white. In the photo above, you can see how light and fluffy the butter and shortening look after beating them.
Sift Powdered Sugar
It is super important that you sift the powdered sugar when making buttercream frosting. That is how you eliminate lumps in your frosting. It's kind of a pain to take the time with an extra step but it really does make a huge difference.
Start by measuring out how much powdered sugar you need and then sift the powdered sugar after you’ve measured it. Sifting the powdered sugar is actually faster and easier than you may think.
I use a fine mesh sieve over a large bowl or a sifter. As you can see in the photo above, there are so many small clumps of powdered sugar left in the sieve after sifting it.
Use your fingers or the back of a spoon to press the clumps through the sieve. If you were to just dump the powdered sugar into the buttercream without sifting it first, all of those clumps would end up making the buttercream frosting lumpy.
Powdered Sugar
Gradually add about half of the sifted powdered sugar to the cream butter and shortening, a 1/2 cup at a time. Allow the powdered sugar to mix in a bit before adding more.
Half-n-Half
After about half of the powdered sugar has been incorporated, add the half-n-half mixture. Then, gradually add the rest of the powdered sugar.
You can make your buttercream using milk, half-n-half, or heavy cream. I prefer using half-n-half or heavy cream because they add extra creaminess to the buttercream.
Buttercream Flavoring
A recipe for buttercream frosting can include any kind of flavorings or extracts you want to use. I use vanilla extract 99% of the time when making the buttercream. It has the best flavor and I don’t usually need super white frosting.
If I am concerned about the color of the buttercream being more white, I use clear vanilla flavor because it is clear instead of dark brown like the vanilla extract is. The difference is that the clear vanilla is artificially flavored.
The great thing is that you can use any flavoring or extract you want. Other popular frosting flavorings include peppermint extract, almond extract, and maple extract. When trying a new flavor, start by mixing in a small amount, taste the frosting and then increase if needed.
Don’t forget that you can also add food coloring to your buttercream to tint it any color you desire! Remember that the flavorings, extracts, and food colorings are liquid so they can change the texture of the frosting. If you add too much liquid it will get runny and you’ll need to slowly add more powdered sugar.
Make Ahead and Storage
- Make Ahead: This is a great recipe to make ahead of time because this frosting holds up well in the fridge!
- Refrigerator: Store in an airtight container in the fridge for 5-7 days.
- Freezer: Store in an airtight container in the freezer for 1-2 months. Thaw it in the fridge overnight.
- Rebeat: You can rebeat the frosting after storing it until it is the consistency you want.
Recipe Tips
1. What should I do if my buttercream frosting is too thick? If your buttercream frosting is too thick, you can add more half-n-half, a tablespoon at a time. After beating in the half-n-half, check the consistency before adding more.
2. My buttercream frosting is too thin, what should I do? When you buttercream frosting is too thin, you can add more powdered sugar, a little at a time, until the frosting reaches the right consistency.
3. What can I do about soupy or curdled buttercream? If it is soupy or curdled looking, you either added too much liquid or the buttercream is too warm. First, try chilling it in the fridge for 10-15 minutes (or longer depending on how warm it is) and then beat it again. If it is still too soupy, try adding more powdered sugar (see question 2 above.)
4. How can I fix lumpy buttercream? Lumpy buttercream is usually the result of two things: either the butter wasn’t softened or the powdered sugar wasn’t sifted. Once everything is mixed together and you find lumps, you first need to determine what the clumps are.
If the lumps are butter, you can beat the buttercream longer. Or warm the bowl slightly to help soften the butter and then beat until smooth.
If the clumps are powdered sugar, you can try beating longer but be careful not to overbeat or the buttercream will “break” or separate. Sometimes the only solution for lumps of powdered sugar is to pick them out. Or if that is too much work, just ignore them.
5. Why does my icing have air bubbles? The air bubbles come from beating the frosting. If you notice air bubbles, stir the buttercream by hand with a wooden spoon for a few minutes to remove them.
Here Are Some Ways To Use Buttercream Frosting
Top homemade Sugar Cookies with colorful buttercream frosting and sprinkles.
This Hot Cocoa Cake includes hot chocolate buttercream, chocolate ganache, and mini marshmallows.
Make fun Watermelon Cupcakes topped with a swirl of buttercream and mini chocolate chips for “seeds”.
These Brown Butter Sugar Cookie Bars are delicious with buttercream frosting on top.
Buttercream Frosting
Video
Equipment
- Vanilla Extract
Ingredients
- 8 cups powdered sugar
- 4-6 tablespoon half-n-half (Start with 4 tbsp. and add more later if needed)
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup butter (softened yet still firm)
- 1 cup shortening
Instructions
- Sift the powdered sugar after measuring. Set aside.
- Whisk together the half-n-half, vanilla extract, and salt. Set aside.
- Beat the softened (yet firm) butter and shortening until light and fluffy.
- Gradually add four cups of the sifted powdered sugar a ½ cup at a time. Allow the powdered sugar to mix before adding more.
- Add the half-n-half mixture and stir to combine. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl.
- Gradually add the remaining four cups of the sifted powdered sugar a ½ cup at a time. Allow the powdered sugar to mix before adding more.
- If the buttercream is too thick/dry, add more half-n-half one tablespoon at a time. Or if it is too wet, add more powdered sugar a little at a time.
- Beat the buttercream until smooth.
- Remove the bowl from the stand mixer and stir by hand with a wooden spoon or sturdy spatula to remove any air bubbles.
- Store in an airtight container in the fridge or freezer.
Carole says
I was actually quite pleased with how this frosting turned out for me. It was fairly easy to make, and tasted delicious. I chose to use half and half, not the whole milk, and it had a lovely consistency. This will definitely be my buttercream recipe from here on out.
Tonia Larson says
Fantastic! Thank you for stopping back to let me know!
cristina forte says
Oi ! Moro no Brasi e gostaria de saber o que é half-n-half? Obrigada
Tonia says
Olá! Half-n-half são partes iguais de leite e creme. É amplamente vendido aqui nos EUA. Você pode usar leite integral como substituto nesta cobertura de creme de manteiga, embora possa precisar usar um pouco menos, pois não é tão espesso.
English Translation: Hello! Half-n-half is equal parts of milk and cream. It is widely sold here in the US. You can use whole milk as a substitute in this buttercream frosting although you may need to use slightly less since it isn’t as thick.
Ro says
Hi, I have a question. I recently tried a frosting recipe that had shortening and butter in it. But, every time when I cream the butter and shortening together I noticed there are little lumps in it, even before adding any powdered sugar. I noticed yours looks smooth and creamy. I’m wondering if you might know why that isn’t happening with mine Thanks!
Tonia says
Hi Ro, I’m guessing your butter is what is clumping. There are a couple of things you could try. One option is to soften your butter a bit more before starting. Another option is to keep beating the butter and shortening until the lumps disappear. Or beat only the butter until it is smooth and then add beat in the shortening.
Ro says
Thank you for getting back to me Tonia! I really appreciate you sharing those tips with me and I will definitely have to try them out. Thank you so much!!!