Homemade American Buttercream Frosting Recipe

Looking for an amazing frosting to use on your favorite cupcakes, cakes and cookies? This homemade American Buttercream Frosting recipe is so easy to make and takes just a few simple ingredients.

When it comes to baking, one of the most essential elements that can make or break a dessert is the frosting. Among the multitude of frosting options available, American Buttercream stands out as a popular choice for its rich, creamy texture and delightful sweetness.

Homemade American Buttercream

American Buttercream, also known as simple buttercream, is celebrated for its simplicity and ease of preparation. Its primary ingredients – butter, powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and a touch of milk or cream – are readily available in most households, making it a convenient choice for home bakers.

The recipe’s popularity skyrocketed when baking became a cherished pastime for many American families. The simplicity of the ingredients and the uncomplicated preparation method made it a favorite among home bakers and professionals alike.

Over the years, bakers have experimented with various flavors and colors, adding a creative twist to this classic recipe. This recipe is for a basic vanilla buttercream frosting but keep reading for tips on creating other flavors.

What are the different types of Buttercream Frostings?

American buttercream is just one of several types of buttercream frosting that you can make at home. It’s also the easiest type of buttercream to make. The other types of buttercream are delicious but less sweet than American buttercream.

Other types of buttercream frostings include:

Swiss meringue buttercream – this frosting is made from cooked egg whites, sugar, butter and flavoring.

Italian meringue buttercream – this frosting is made from a mixture of whipped egg whites, a sugar syrup and butter.

French Buttercream – this frosting is made with sugar and water which is combined and cooked to the softball stage before egg yolks are slowly whipped it. Butter is then added and the mixture whipped until it’s soft and creamy.

German Buttercream – this is a frosting made from a custard based of heated milk, egg yolks, sugar and cornstarch. Once the custard pastry cream is made butter is then added and the mixture whipped until it has a smooth, frosting like texture.

As you can see, American Buttercream is super easy to make when compared to other types of buttercream. No need to heat or cook eggs and sugar. Just mix, whip and you’ve got a delicious frosting.

Ingredients for American Buttercream:

Butter: Unsalted butter forms the base of American Buttercream. Its creamy texture and mild flavor provide the foundation for the frosting.

Powdered Sugar: Also known as confectioners’ sugar, this finely ground sugar gives the frosting its sweetness and a smooth consistency.

Vanilla Extract: A small amount of vanilla extract enhances the overall flavor of the finished frosting.

Heavy Whipping Cream: To achieve the desired consistency, a small quantity of heavy cream or milk is added.

How To Make American Buttercream:

TIP: Before making this recipe you will want to allow the butter to soften and come to room temperature.

Step 1. Cream the Butter: Begin by placing the softened butter into a bowl of a stand mixer and whipping it using the paddle attachment until it becomes pale and fluffy.

You can also use the whisk attachment of an electric hand mixer to do the same.  Whip the butter until it has a fluffy consistency. This step is crucial for achieving a smooth and creamy texture.

Step 2. Add the Powdered Sugar: Gradually incorporate the sifted powdered sugar into the creamed butter. Start by mixing on low speed to prevent a cloud of powdered sugar from forming when the beaters first begin to spin.

If you are using a mixer on a stand you can loosely drape a dishtowel over the top of the mixer. This will help keep powdered sugar from spreading all over the place. Always start the mixer on the lowest setting until the powdered sugar is incorporated into the butter.

Step 3. Add the vanilla extract and 1 tablespoon of heavy cream or milk.

Step 4. Turn the mixer up to a medium- high speed. Add additional heavy cream or milk, 1 tablespoon at a time, into the frosting while continuing to whip it. How much additional heavy cream you’ll add will depend upon how stiff you want your frosting. Continue to beat the frosting for 3 to 5 minutes so it becomes light and fluffy. This step ensures that the frosting is airy and easy to work with, making it ideal for decorating cakes, cupcakes, and cookies.

Tips for Perfect American Buttercream

While American Buttercream is a forgiving recipe, there are a few tips and tricks that can help bakers achieve the best results:

Use Room Temperature Ingredients: Start with room temperature butter and cream.Cold ingredients do not mix as well and can result in a lumpy frosting.

Sift the Powdered Sugar: Sifting the powdered sugar before adding it to the butter prevents clumps and ensures a smooth texture.

Be Mindful of Liquid Additions: When adding milk or cream, start with a small amount and gradually increase if necessary. Too much liquid can turn the frosting into a thin, difficult-to-work-with consistency.

You don’t want to add too much milk at one time. Add it one tablespoon at a time, mix and check the frosting consistency before adding more.

How to store Buttercream Frosting:

American Buttercream can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week or in the freezer for several months.

When ready to use, bring frozen buttercream frosting back to room temperature and re-whip for a few minutes to restore its creamy texture. You might notice that frozen buttercream has some very small air bubbles in it. See below for more on this.

How to color American Buttercream Frosting:

I prefer to use gel food coloring over water based liquid food coloring. It results in brighter colors and the gel coloring does not affect the texture of the frosting. You can find gel colors in a wide range of colors. 

Add your coloring in slowly until you achieve the desired color. You may notice that the colors darken a bit overnight.

You can also add in cocoa powder to cream chocolate buttercream.

Looking for a fruit flavored frosting? Try adding in powdered freeze dried fruit into the frosting while your mixing it. Powdered freeze dried fruit will also add color to the frosting.

How do I get the air bubbles out of my buttercream?

If you notice small air bubbles in your frosting here’s the easiest way to get them out.

Mixing on low and using room-temperature butter are the first steps to smooth, bubble-free buttercream.

If it still has air bubbles, remove about 1 cup of buttercream and melt it in the microwave for 10-15 seconds. Pour it back into the mixing buttercream to bring it all together.

If you stored your buttercream in the freezer you may notice it has small air bubbles in it when you are whipping it after thawing. To get rid of these air bubbles use a rubber spatula to press the frosting against the side of your mixing bowl. This will help to break up the air bubbles that were trapped in the frosting.

Can buttercream be made ahead of time?

Yes, this American buttercream can last for up to 2 weeks in the fridge or 6 months in the freezer.

Bring it to room temperature and mix it on low to make it smooth again. You can also add a little bit of extra milk to thin it out if needed.

If it still has air bubbles, take about 1 cup of buttercream out of the batch and heat it in the microwave for 10-15 seconds. It will warm up slightly which will help reduce the air bubbles. Pour it back into the mixing bowl and continue to whip the buttercream to make it smooth.

Can I Use Shortening Instead of Butter in American Buttercream?

Yes you can swap out some or all of the butter and use shortening instead. However, you will be missing out on that buttery flavor if you use Crisco or some other brand of solid vegetable shortening.

Using vegetable shortening for some or all of the butter will result in a frosting that is a bit stiffer in texture. It’s great for a cake or cupcakes that will be out in warmer weather. Shortening has a higher melting point than butter so it helps the frosting to maintain it’s texture.

Another reason for using shortening in place of butter is to help keep the frosting pure white.

American Buttercream usually has a faint off white tint. At times the frosting will have a much darker off white color (almost a pale yellow color). This is usually from the butter or the vanilla extract. Both can add a slight tint to your frosting. Some brands will tint your frosting more than others.

If you find that your frosting continues to have an off white color even when using shortening try swapping your vanilla extract out for a clear vanilla extract to make a pure white frosting (see below – Amazon affiliate link):

Why is my buttercream grainy?

If you make your frosting with butter or shortening that is not at room temperature it can result in grainy frosting.

Sometimes the type of powdered sugar can result in grainy frosting. Sifting the powdered sugar before mixing it into the butter can help avoid lumps in the finished frosting.

Use this buttercream frosting for these delicious recipes:

Pumpkin Buttercream Dessert Board

Halloween Skeleton Frosting Board

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