Whether it's a cake or cookies you want a recipe that is the best! Let me show you how to make this fluffy buttercream frosting that can be any color you choose and is ready to use in 5 minutes!
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Perfect for frosting Sugar Cookies or your favorite cake!
- Easy homemade frosting recipe with the perfect buttery taste!
- No Fail! I've been making this recipe for decades!
Ingredient Notes
- Shortening - people often want to use all butter instead of adding a little bit of shortening. You can do this but remember that shortening has a purpose. It maintains it's shape and doesn't soften or melt at room temperature which is why it's in this recipe. Decorative frosting needs to maintain it's shape and not melt.
- Butter - I always use salted butter but you can use unsalted butter as well just add an extra pinch of salt. You will also want to use real butter. Plant butters and margarine may not result in the kind of buttercream you want.
- Milk - Any percent of milk will work for this recipe. You can even use evaporated milk, half and half, heavy cream or even almond milk.
- Vanilla Extract - Use pure vanilla extract if you've got it otherwise imitation is fine!
- Food Coloring - My preference is to use gel food coloring. It achieves vibrant colors without thinning down the frosting.
Couple Things You'll Need
Step by Step Instructions
- This frosting can be made in a mixing bowl with an electric hand mixer or in a stand mixer fitter with the whisk attachment. If a paddle attachment is all you have just make sure to mix really well and scrape down the sides of the bowl more frequently.
- The butter does need to be softened or at room temperature for this recipe. Cold butter does not cream or blend well. Melted butter makes a soupy mess.
- Cream the room temperature butter, shortening, salt and vanilla well.
- Add the powdered sugar aka confectioners sugar a cup at a time at a medium speed.
- Beat in the milk.
- Whip frosting at a high speed to until it's light and fluffy.
- Color frosting however you choose.
- Fill a piping bag to decorate or spread on with a frosting knife.
- This easy recipe makes 3 cups of frosting which should be enough frosting to frost 2 dozen cupcakes, 3 dozen sugar cookies or a double layer cake.
- Store leftover frosting in an airtight container in the fridge.
Recipe FAQs and Expert Tips
There are many types of buttercream. This one is an American buttercream recipe.
An American buttercream is the same as frosting. Frosting is different however from icing. Icing does not have a butter base.
Related Buttercream Recipes
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Print
Best Buttercream Frosting
- Prep Time: 5 min
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Total Time: 5 minutes
- Yield: 3 Cups Frosting 1x
- Category: Cake
- Method: Mixing
- Cuisine: American
Description
Whether it's a cake or cookies you want a recipe that is the best! Let me show you how to make this fluffy frosting that can be any color you choose and is ready to use in 5 minutes!
Ingredients
- ½ cup Butter (Not Margarine) (softened)
- ¼ cup Shortening
- ⅛ tsp Salt
- 1 tsp Vanilla (clear vanilla if you want white frosting)
- 3 Tbs. Milk
- 4 cups Powdered Sugar
- Gel Food Coloring
Instructions
- Beat the butter, shortening, salt and vanilla together in a mixing bowl.
- Beat in the powdered sugar 1 cup at a time, beating well after each cup.
- Add the 3 TBS milk.
- Beat until light and fluffy.
- Stir in food coloring.
- Frost your cookies, cakes or whatever else you want!
Notes
- Freezes well.
- Don't substitute margarine for the butter.
Keywords: best buttercream recipe, easy buttercream frosting, homemade buttercream frosting recipe, fluffy buttercream frosting
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Comments suggesting substitutions of multiple ingredients or rewrites of the above recipe to promote different dietary preferences will not be published as they are not tested for accuracy and may inhibit the success of other readers. Thanks!
