Homemade Buttercream Frosting

Skip the store-bought frosting and make this Homemade Buttercream Frosting instead. It’s thick and creamy, making it perfect for decorating cakes, topping cupcakes, cookies, you name it. It only takes a couple of minutes to toss together and uses few ingredients. 

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Everyone needs to have a few go to recipes they can always turn to.

For example, if you bake a lot, it’s nice to have a Homemade White Cake recipe, basic Homemade Pie Crust recipe, and a good homemade frosting recipe.

My go-to frosting is commonly buttercream because it’s my favorite for cakes, cookies, and lots of other dessert recipes.

I know it’s really easy to just walk up and grab a container of frosting at the store.

However, I assure you it’s just as quick to make your own perfect buttercream frosting at home.

It takes minimal ingredients and only a couple of minutes. In fact, it’s probably faster to make your own than go to the store and stand in line. Plus, it’s easy to adjust to match other flavors and color schemes. It’s always a win!

How to Make Homemade Buttercream Frosting

Cream - In a large bowl, combine the vanilla, butter, and salt. Cream together until smooth.

Add the sugar - Add in the powdered sugar a bit at a time, thoroughly mixing in between. 

Use or store - You can use the DIY frosting right away or chill it for later use. Enjoy!

Tips and Variations

Storage - Store in the fridge in a covered container for up to 4 days. Do not freeze this vanilla frosting recipe or leave it out overnight. Since it contains dairy, it will need to be kept chilled to not go bad.

Reheating - Do not reheat this frosting as it will melt. If you need it to warm up a bit, simply let it sit outside the fridge for about 30 minutes.

Add other flavors - Swap out the vanilla extract for other extract flavors. If you want to use the homemade frosting to more closely match your dessert, you can use the extract flavor similar to it. For example, for lemon cupcakes, you can use lemon extract in your frosting.

Add cream - If your buttercream frosting is too thick, you can add up to 3 tablespoons of heavy cream. Add only a tablespoon at a time and fully mix it in before adding another.

Make it chocolate - Add in half a cup of cocoa powder in place of half of a cup of the powdered sugar. This will make a delicious chocolate buttercream frosting. 

Chill it before use - For the best results, especially if using the buttercream to frost a cake, chill it for about 30 minutes. If you’ve had it stored in the fridge overnight, you’ll want to let it sit out for 30 minutes before using. 

Make it other colors - The great thing about this easy frosting is that it’s easily turned into any color you like. Just simply use the food coloring combination needed to reach the desired color. 

Use clear vanilla - If you want this frosting to be truer to pure white, use clear vanilla instead of the typical dark brown extract. Even a slight bit of the brown extract will dampen the white of the frosting.

Common Questions About Homemade Buttercream Frosting

What is the Difference Between Icing and Frosting?

Icing is very thin and usually contains powdered sugar and milk as the main ingredients.

It’s often used on top of desserts like donuts and cinnamon rolls. Frosting, on the other hand, is much thicker and is used as a thicker covering on cakes and cupcakes.

Frosting can be used to decorate items since its thickness allows it to be stacked upon as needed. Icing doesn’t stack like frosting, therefore, it can’t be used to decorate in the same manner.

What Can I Use Instead of Buttercream?

If you’re not a fan of a traditional buttercream, you can always try a swiss meringue buttercream or a cream cheese frosting.

Just about any frosting will work in place of buttercream, unless decorating is involved. Whipped topping is always a delicious choice as well.

Kick up your frosting game a notch with this Homemade Buttercream Frosting, then let me know in the comments below if it was a win for you!   

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• Cinnamon Roll Cake
• Raspberry Pound Cake
• Strawberry Shortcake Donuts
• Sour Cream Coffee Cake