• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Mindee's Cooking Obsession
  • Home
  • Recipes
  • About Me
  • Privacy Policy
  • Disclaimer
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Desserts
  • Salads
  • Cookies
  • Breakfast
  • Bread
  • Main Dish
  • Thanksgiving
  • Christmas Recipes
  • Side Dishes
  • Quick Breads and Muffins
  • Appetizer Recipes
  • Cake Recipes
  • Candy Recipes
  • Chicken Recipes
  • Drink Recipes
  • Fish and Seafood Recipes
  • Halloween Recipes
  • Instant Pot
  • Pasta Recipes
  • Pie Recipes
  • Sandwich Recipes
  • Side Dish Recipes
  • Soup Recipes
  • Trending Recipes
  • Nutritional & Safety Disclaimer
  • About Me
  • Privacy Policy
search icon
Homepage link
  • Desserts
  • Salads
  • Cookies
  • Breakfast
  • Bread
  • Main Dish
  • Thanksgiving
  • Christmas Recipes
  • Side Dishes
  • Quick Breads and Muffins
  • Appetizer Recipes
  • Cake Recipes
  • Candy Recipes
  • Chicken Recipes
  • Drink Recipes
  • Fish and Seafood Recipes
  • Halloween Recipes
  • Instant Pot
  • Pasta Recipes
  • Pie Recipes
  • Sandwich Recipes
  • Side Dish Recipes
  • Soup Recipes
  • Trending Recipes
  • Nutritional & Safety Disclaimer
  • About Me
  • Privacy Policy
ร—
Home ยป Recipes ยป Cookie Recipes

Best Buttercream Frosting Recipe

Updated: Sep 29, 2023 by Mindee ยท This post may contain affiliate links ยท 3 Comments

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!

Six different colored buttercream frostings in bags.
Classic Buttercream Frosting!
Jump to:
  • Why You'll Love This Recipe
  • Ingredient Notes
  • Couple Things You'll Need
  • Step by Step Instructions
  • Recipe FAQs and Expert Tips
  • Related Buttercream Recipes
  • Best Buttercream Frosting

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. The decorative frosting needs to maintain its 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 butter and margarine may not result in the kind of buttercream you want.
  • Milk - Any percentage 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.
Ingredients for buttercream frosting.
Simple Ingredients for the perfect buttercream 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 a 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.
First 6 steps to making this frosting.
Cream the butter and shorten well before adding the next ingredients!
  • Whip frosting at a high speed 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.
Adding food color to the frosting.
Beat into a fluffy buttercream frosting and color different colors!

Recipe FAQs and Expert Tips

What type of buttercream is this frosting?

There are many types of buttercream. This one is an American buttercream recipe.

What is the difference between frosting and buttercream?

An American buttercream is the same as frosting. The frosting is different, however, from icing. Icing does not have a butter base.

Related Buttercream Recipes

  • Rich Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
  • Orange Buttercream Frosting
  • Swiss Meringue Buttercream
  • French Buttercream
  • Italian Buttercream

Have you tried this recipe? If so, leave me a rating and a comment below! And don't forget to subscribe to my newsletter to get my latest recipes sent right to your email! You can also follow me on Facebook, Pinterest, and Instagram!

Best Buttercream Frosting.

Best Buttercream Frosting

Mindee
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!
5 from 1 vote
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 5 minutes mins
Total Time 5 minutes mins
Course Cake
Cuisine American
Servings 3 Cups
Calories 932 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • ยฝ Cup Butter Not Margarine (softened)
  • ยผ Cup Shortening
  • โ…› teaspoon Salt
  • 1 teaspoon 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.ย 
  • Add the 3 TBS milk.ย 
  • Beat until light and fluffy.ย 
  • Stir in food coloring.ย 
  • Frost your cookies, cakes, or whatever else you want!

Notes

  • Freezes well.
  • Don't substitute margarine for the butter.

Nutrition

Calories: 932kcalCarbohydrates: 193gProtein: 2gFat: 19gSaturated Fat: 5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 5gMonounsaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 2gCholesterol: 2mgSodium: 311mgPotassium: 49mgFiber: 0.5gSugar: 174gVitamin A: 25IUVitamin C: 0.01mgCalcium: 104mgIron: 1mg
Keyword best buttercream recipe, easy buttercream frosting, fluffy buttercream frosting, homemade buttercream frosting recipe
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Thanks for stopping by! Before you go, be sure to check out a few of my most popular recipes!

  • Whipped Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe
  • Coconut Pecan Frosting
  • Fried Scones aka Utah Scones
  • Black Tie Mousse Cake
  • Easy Lemon Bundt Cake

More Cookie Recipes

  • Four delicious peanut desserts.
    31 Peanut Recipes That Will Make You Go Nuts for Peanut Butter
  • Four delicious oreo desserts.
    37 Oreo Recipes That Will Make You Forget About Store-Bought Cookies
  • Four delicious coconut cream dishes.
    33 Coconut Cream Recipes That Will Satisfy Your Sweet Cravings
  • Four delicious mint dishes.
    27 Mint Recipes That Will Freshen Up Your Meals

Sharing is caring!

3.0K shares
  • Share96
  • Yummly

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Greg

    November 28, 2020 at 6:22 am

    I love frosting. This is the best!!! It is wrong to eat it straight?

    Reply
  2. Hillary

    May 01, 2018 at 1:11 am

    What kind of shortening did you use?

    Reply
    • mindeescookingobsession

      May 01, 2018 at 8:33 am

      Regular Crisco

      Reply
5 from 1 vote

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Primary Sidebar

Hi! I'm Mindee! Not only do I love to try and create all kinds of recipes, I LOVE to share them! Teaching others how to be successful in cooking in their own kitchens is one of my favorite things to do!ย Learn more about meย or jump right in andย check out my recipes!

Follow Me On Social Media

  • Facebook
  • Pinterest
  • Instagram

Top 10 Recipes

  • Coconut Pecan Frosting aka German Chocolate Frosting
    Coconut Pecan Frosting aka German Chocolate Frosting
  • Easy Banana Zucchini Bread.
    Easy Banana Zucchini Bread (with Video)
  • Copycat Italian Cheese Bread.
    Copycat Italian Cheese Bread
  • Easy Lemon Bundt Cake.
    Easy Lemon Bundt Cake
  • Peanut butter cheesecake slice
    Nutter Butter Peanut Butter Cheesecake
  • Homemade French Bread
  • Plate of 3 mini german pancakes.
    Mini German Pancakes
  • Soft "Crumbl" Oreo Cookies
    Soft "Crumbl" Oreo Cookies
  • 4 Ingredient Tartar Sauce with Capers
    4 Ingredient Tartar Sauce with Capers
  • Fried Scones aka Utah Scones

Categories

  • Appetizer Recipes (12)
  • Bread Recipes (25)
  • Breakfast Recipes (41)
  • Cake Recipes (21)
  • Candy Recipes (7)
  • Chicken Recipes (16)
  • Christmas Recipes (21)
  • Cookie Recipes (47)
  • Dessert Recipes (68)
  • Drink Recipes (7)
  • Fish and Seafood Recipes (4)
  • Halloween Recipes (10)
  • Instant Pot (4)
  • Main Dish Recipes (32)
  • Pasta Recipes (10)
  • Pie Recipes (15)
  • Quick Breads and Muffins (19)
  • Salad Recipes (32)
  • Sandwich Recipes (8)
  • Side Dish Recipes (36)
  • Soup Recipes (19)
  • Thanksgiving Recipes (23)
  • Trending Recipes (15)

Christmas

  • Chocolate Dipped Peanut Butter Ritz
  • Candy Cane Cookies aka Peppermint Chocolate Chip
  • Almond Brittle
  • Easy Turtle Pretzels
  • Oatmeal Jam Thumbprint Cookies
    Oatmeal Jam Thumbprint Cookies
  • Peppermint melt away cookies.
    Peppermint Melt Away Cookies

All Christmas Recipes

Footer

โ†‘ back to top

About

  • Privacy Policy
  • Contact

Social

  • Facebook
  • Pinterest
  • Instagram

As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Copyright ยฉ 2023 Mindee's Cooking Obsession LLC.

 

  • 96Facebook
  • Pinterest
  • Yummly
3.0K shares

Rate This Recipe

Your vote:




A rating is required
A name is required
An email is required

Recipe Ratings without Comment

Something went wrong. Please try again.