Vanilla Buttercream Frosting

This is a simple vanilla buttercream recipe that yields a fluffy, yet creamy, white frosting. This recipe is perfect for cupcakes or frosting a cake when you’re not too concerned with an ultra smooth appearance. While a smooth frosting can be visually attractive, I find it a bit too dense. (However, I do provide the alternative instructions at the bottom of this page for a smoother consistency.)

Yields one batch that will be perfect for coating a 2-layer cake or a dozen cupcakes.

INGREDIENTS

• 4 sticks (1 pound) unsalted butter, room temperature (not European style as it’s too yellow and has a lower melting point)
• 4 cups confectioners (powdered) sugar, sifted or whisked (but I sometimes skip this step with a stand mixer)
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
• 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, to taste
• Heavy whipping cream, as needed

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Ideally using a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, or a hand mixer, beat the room temperature butter on low speed for 1 minute. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl, then beat for 4 minutes on medium speed (or medium high speed with a hand mixer) scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl with a spatula every 1-2 minutes. (The scraping depends on your stand mixer position. I’ve neglected to lower my mixer attachment so sometimes ingredients don’t fully mix on the bottom.*) The butter should have lightened in color.
2. In a medium mixing bowl, sift or vigorously whisk the confectioners sugar to remove clumps. This step is more important for a hand mixer, but I skip it with a stand mixer as it has a stronger motor and seems to remove the clumps on its own.
3. Add the sugar, vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste (the paste if you don’t mind vanilla specks in your frosting), and salt** into the fluffed butter. Mix on low speed for a minute to incorporate the sugar so it doesn’t burst out of the bowl, then medium speed (once again, medium high with a hand mixer) for another 4-5 minutes, occasionally scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl.
4. If your frosting is too thick, add the heavy cream, 1 tablespoon at a time, into the buttercream until you’ve reached your desired consistency. You shouldn’t need to add much as you want to maintain medium stiff peaks to ensure stability when frosting.***
5. Frost your favorite cake or cupcakes!

*NOTE 1: Use the dime test if you’d like to alter the position.

**NOTE 2: Added kosher salt, or increased salt, in my recipes is my trick in baking. I like the added flavor in my baked goods and find the additional salt tends to cut some of the sweetness since I’m not fond of sickly sweet baked goods and frostings.

***NOTE 3: I’ve found during certain times of the year that you may or may not need heavy cream. In the more humid months, such as summer, the humidity/moisture in the air seems to allow for less or no cream. Whereas in the dryer months, such as winter, I may need a little cream. Also, if you’re butter is softened (if you didn’t have time to let your butter come to room temperature and use the microwave to soften it), you will not need cream, but it may be more difficult to achieve frosting stability. As an aside, if you add heavy cream, the frosted cakes/cupcakes cannot be left out overnight and should be refrigerated.

SMOOTH ALTERNATIVE TO THE BUTTERCREAM

• Rather than beating at medium, or medium high speed for the hand mixer, beat on medium low speed in Steps 1 and 3. This ensures the butter and buttercream, respectively, does not have too much aeration.
• As an added step after Step 3 (or 4 if you need cream), fold the frosting with a spatula to continue to remove the air.