The Best Buttercream Frosting Recipe - Adventures of Mel (2024)

Tips for how to make the best buttercream frosting recipe for cake decorating. Smooth, creamy, and bursting with vanilla flavor, it's the perfect recipe for cupcakes!

While I consider this recipe to be the best buttercream frosting ever, I haven't always had a love relationship with buttercream icing.

In fact, the way I used to make it, using half shortening instead of all butter, was never my favorite way to make it. I never liked the dulled down flavor of buttercream made with shortening.

And that, my friends, is how this lovely frosting recipe came to be. I needed a buttercream icing for piping onto chocolate cupcakes, and I wanted to make it a more flavorful icing.

It turned out to be the best buttercream frosting I've ever tasted,reminding me of scrumptious wedding cake. And it's easy to make, with only 5 ingredients (including absolutely no shortening).

This frosting recipe makes it easy to pipe grass frosting onto Minecraft cupcakes or decorate whatever type of cake/cupcakes you're making.

If you love regular buttercream, you will definitely love butterbeer buttercream frosting.

CAN I SUCCESSFULLY MAKE BUTTERCREAM ICING WITHOUT SHORTENING?

Yes, you can. While shortening does add stability to the recipe, heavy whipping cream can do the same thing.

Using all butter will create a very flavorful frosting, so if you'd rather not have all of that buttery flavor, you can cut the butter in half and substitute shortening instead.

WHY DO I NEED TO USE SALTED BUTTER?

I do recommend using salted butter for this recipe, because the salt in the butter adds a richness and a better flavor to your buttercream. It gives it a zing that unsalted butter just can't do.

And it's so much easier to use salted butter over trying to add salt to a frosting, especially when trying to get a good consistency and texture.

CAN I FREEZE THIS BUTTERCREAM FROSTING?

You sure can! If you think about it, bakeries put their cakes in a cooler to store them for customers.

Freezing won't hurt the texture, consistency, or flavor of your frosting. I always have a little bit of icing leftover, and I usually do freeze it for the next time I need it.

TIPS FOR HOW TO MAKE THE BEST BUTTERCREAM FROSTING

Making homemade buttercream frosting is really easy, and it doesn't require a lot of ingredients either.

• Make sure you soften the butter first. Try to get it out ahead of time and let it soften naturally; don't be like me and use the microwave to soften it, therefore melting it.
• Mix together the softened butter, vanilla extract, almond extract, and heavy whipping cream.
• Then add in the powdered sugar, and let the mixer work its magic for 2 to 3 minutes.

You'll end up with a very smooth, creamy, vanilla buttercream frosting that's perfect for cake decorating, piping onto cupcakes, and more. Plus, it tastes really good.

PAIR HOMEMADE BUTTERCREAM FROSTING WITH THESE DESSERTS:

• Lime Vanilla Poke Cake Cupcakes
• Grass Block Minecraft Cake
• Pig Minecraft Cake Recipe
• Patriotic cupcakes

CAN I CHANGE UP THIS BUTTERCREAM ICING RECIPE?

While I do have a chocolate buttercream frosting, here are a few more ways you can change up this vanilla frosting recipe…

• Add a flavored extract for additional flavor… Think maple, caramel, peppermint, etc.
• If you want a lemon frosting, try adding in a little lemon juice and/or lemon zest.
• If you don't like the buttery flavor of the icing, you can substitute the same amount of shortening for half the butter.

• You can use milk instead of heavy whipping cream, but keep in mind, you may end up with a softer icing, especially at room temperature.
• Add a little food coloring to create any color you want or need for your project.

IF YOU LOVE THIS BUTTERCREAM FROSTING RECIPE, TRY SOME OF OUR OTHER FROSTING FAVORITES:

• Easy Sugar Cookie Icing
• Deliciously Easy Cream Cheese Frosting
• Peanut Butter Cream Cheese Frosting
• Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting

Stand Mixer orHand Mixer– You can definitely mix homemade frosting by hand, but a mixer enables you to get a really smooth texture.

Measuring Spoons and Measuring Cups

Spatula

8 ounce Bowls– These would be perfect for separating your icing to make different colors.

Cake Decorating Kit with Tips and Pastry Bags

THE BEST BUTTERCREAM FROSTING RECIPE

If you love this buttercream frosting recipe as much as I do, please write a 5 star review, and help me share the recipe on Facebook and Pinterest!

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