The Best Buttercream Icing

Name: Quick and easy Homemade Buttercream Icing
Prep time: 10 min
Total time: 10 min
Yield: 2
Ingredients: 1 c Butter; 4 c Powdered Sugar; 2 tsp Vanilla; 2-3 Tbsp Heavy Whipping Cream, Half & Half or Milk

by Cooking Up Memories

2 CUPS

10 min

The Best Buttercream Icing is made with just four ingredients and is ready in less than 10 minutes. Let’s face it, there’s nothing better than a good buttercream frosting recipe and this one pipes like a dream. Use it for decorating cakes, cupcakes and cookies.

WAYS TO USE THE BEST BUTTERCREAM ICING

I love icing on pretty much everything. This is a great recipe for cookies, cakes, and cupcakes. Be sure to use every last drop of the icing. If you have any leftovers, grab some graham crackers from the cupboard and make graham cracker sandwiches. So good!

I bet you’ll love my Pumpkin Pecan Cookies. They are a soft, cake-like cookie that is made with pumpkin puree, butter and lots of pecans. So delicious with buttercream icing and a sprinkle of nuts.

INGREDIENTS

1 cup Butter – It’s best to start with room temperature butter.
4 cups Powdered Sugar
2 tsp Vanilla
2-3 Tbsp Heavy Whipping Cream, Half & Half or Milk

You can find more of my recipes here.

The Best Buttercream Icing

You can do it! Saved to your recipes

Recipe details

Yield 2 CUPS
Time spent: Prep time: 10 Minutes Cook time: 0 Minutes Total time: 10 min

Show Nutrition Info

Per serving

% Daily value

Instructions

Beat 1 cup butter and 2 tsp vanilla until smooth.
Gradually add in 4 cups powdered sugar, starting at a low speed working your way to a medium. Continue at medium speed for one to two minutes until everything is well combined.
Scrape the sides of the bowl several times while the ingredients mix.
Add 3-4 Tbsp heavy whipping cream (half & half or milk will work) until you have the consistency you prefer.

Tips

Use salted butter. Many of the recipes you see online will tell you to add a pinch of salt. Instead of adding salt, I use salted butter which draws out the vanilla flavor in the icing. Be sure your butter is room temperature. You’ll get the most luscious creamy frosting when you start with butter that is not cold.

Comments

Ginger hudson on Feb 24, 2021

If you use cream or milk does it need to be refrigerated?

40 Reply
- See 7 previous
- Cynthia T Fenimore on Feb 24, 2021
  
  It sure would! Butter is good a room temperature for a couple of days but not milk or cream.
  
  1
- Erin on Feb 24, 2021
  
  This is pretty much the same recipe we used growing up in the 60s and we never refrigerated a frosted cake. Never had a problem.
  
  19
- Teri on Feb 25, 2021
  
  No it does not need refrigeration. The sugar will override the butter. Plus you can keep butter out on you counter without any problem.
  
  9
- Teri on Feb 25, 2021
  
  I never put my cakes or cupcakes in the fridge with this icing. It is fine because there is not that much cream in it.
  
  13
- Carole on Feb 25, 2021
  
  Sugar, like honey and salt, is a preservative. I think you are perfectly safe. Mine never, ever went bad on the counter.
  
  9
- Lisas Rexstar on Feb 25, 2021
  
  Butter & milk will spoil and melt in the heat
  
  Like
- Rachel's Trash~2~Treasures on Feb 25, 2021
  
  How hot is your house?!
  
  7
- Patricia on Feb 25, 2021
  
  in my house cake never lasts long enough to go bad.
  
  17
Maria on Feb 24, 2021

What if i want chocolate butter cream? How much coco powder should be used and when?

70 Reply
- See 10 previous
- Kim Markey on Feb 24, 2021
  
  I agree, we need flavor ingredients! Mocha butter cream icing would be heavenly too.
  
  7
- Heidi on Feb 25, 2021
  
  I have used this
  recipe at my work for years. Get some good quality flavoring...strawberry, lemon, raspberry...whatever! Just add tIl
  you get the flavor you want. Use food coloring to match your flavor.
  For chocolate, start with maybe 1/4 cult cocoa powder and work from there!
  Yum!!
  
  5
- Naomie Moore aka baileyanddaisey, Castaic CA on Feb 25, 2021
  
  Add befoe the cream, but slowly so you don't end up with cocoa powder all over the kitchen. Amount is up to you. Start with less, you can always add more. You can turn this into any flavor you wish. I have made lemon, mint, strawberry . . . The options are endless.
  
  10
- Teri on Feb 25, 2021
  
  Also mix it together with your powdered sugar before adding it to the butter. Sifting it together to make sure you have no lumps.
  
  10
- Ohiorn on Feb 25, 2021
  
  Try using chocolate milk in place of the cream. I also sift my the powdered sugar when making frosting, it makes the frosting lighter in texture.
  
  3
- Lisas Rexstar on Feb 25, 2021
  
  Start with a small amount and add little by little until you get the taste you want
  
  1
- Rachel's Trash~2~Treasures on Feb 25, 2021
  
  Vanilla IS a flavor 🤦‍♀️
  
  8
- Nathan d on Feb 25, 2021
  
  This butter cream recipe as wilton butter cream frosting. Look up wilton’s chocolate buttercream icing recipe
  
  1
- Sue on Feb 25, 2021
  
  I just made mocha buttercream for the first time. 1/4cup cocoa and a rounded teaspoon of instant espresso powder. It was the best icing I have ever made.
  
  12
- Lorraine on Feb 24, 2022
  
  wow
  
  1
- Kat on Feb 26, 2024
  
  Use melted and cooled unsweetened chocolate for better flavor. Add it halfway through adding the sugar.
  
  Like