Creamy and fluffy with just the right amount of sweetness, this classic frosting can easily be spread or piped onto cakes, cupcakes, and cookies for desserts that look as great as they taste!
This recipe will add a glorious final touch to your favorite cakes, cupcakes, and cookies. I most frequently use it to decorate my chocolate chip cookie cake, a decidedly fun and festive alternative to a traditional layer cake.
In the recipe notes, I’ve included the approximate amount of icing needed to frost a variety of other baked goods, so you’ll know if you need to scale the recipe for your favorite batch of cupcakes, layer cake, or 9×13 cake.
A few helpful details:
- Would you like a colored icing? You can use food coloring to tint the buttercream. A gel color (I use Wilton brand) will create the most vibrant color, and remember a little goes a long way.
- Homemade buttercream will develop a light crust as it sits. It will remain light and fluffy inside, but this makes the icing less prone to smearing and easier to cover for storage.
- This recipe makes enough frosting to create a generous border and write a message in center of a cookie cake. Again, necessary amounts of frosting for other cake sizes are included in the recipe notes.
- If adding sprinkles, be sure to sprinkle them over the frosting right after away, before the frosting sets.
- If you plan on writing a message with a small, round piping tip, you may wish to thin that portion of the frosting with an additional 1 to 2 teaspoons of milk, taking care not to make it runny (in which case more sugar will correct it!).
What to use for piping the icing?
Inexpensive piping bags and tips (I use Wilton) are available in the baking aisle of most large grocery stores. I have a reusable one, but it’s difficult to clean, so I find these to be preferable.
What’s the best way to get the icing into the piping bag?
To easily fill the bag, fold the top down (like a cuff) so you can get the icing farther down into the bag when scooping. This means less waste due to sticking to the bag.
Then place the bag, tip side down, in a glass. (Make sure you’ve inserted the tip you want to use.) This will hold it upright so you have both hands free to get the job done neatly.
Once you have the desired amount of icing in the bag unfold it and twist to keep the icing from pushing back up the bag. You’ll end up with what feels like a ball of icing in your hand, which enables you to better control how much pressure you apply while piping.
How do I make the piped icing look good?
I am no pro at cake decorating. Given that, I use the star tip on repeat and the round tip for writing names and messages. The star tip is also great for making numbers by repeating stars over and over in the shape of the number you desire.
For the stars, which I think look more like flowers, simply hold the piping bag upright and squeeze until the star/flower is as big as you like: use light pressure for a small star, more pressure for a bigger star. Then stop squeezing and pull straight up.
If you’d like the star/flower to have a little point, release the pressure as you pull the tip up and away.
I use the recipe for Chocolate Chip Cookies in a Jar for the cookie cake. Even if you don’t want to prepare the gift jars, the recipe makes great cookies – and cookie cakes! I have experimented with M&Ms (and a mix of M&Ms and chocolate chips as shown below) which work beautifully.
There is also a terrific gluten-free adaptation for the cookies, which can be found in that recipe post.
A few other details worth mentioning for the cookie cake are that I use a 14” pizza pan (measurement across the top) and I bake it for 16 minutes in my oven. Check a minute or so early and allow for a little extra time, as ovens do vary.
The Best Vanilla Buttercream Frosting is super easy to whip up. It pipes beautifully and is the perfect way to finish cakes, cupcakes, and cookies. Inexpensive piping bags and tips are available in the baking section. I have a reusable one, but it’s difficult to clean, so I find these to be preferable. Helpful hints for filling the piping bag are included above.
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The Best Vanilla Buttercream FrostingPrep Time: 5 minutes Total Time: 5 minutes Yield: 1¾-2 cups (420 grams)
Creamy and fluffy with just the right amount of sweetness, this classic frosting can easily be spread or piped onto cakes, cupcakes, and cookies for desserts that look as great as they taste!
Ingredients
- ½ cup (1 stick) butter, softened to room temperature*
- 2¼ cups (270g) confectioner’s sugar
- 1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt
- 2-4 tablespoons milk or cream
Instructions Beat the softened butter over medium-high speed with an electric mixer until creamy, about a minute. Turn the mixer to low speed and add the powdered sugar. (Helpful hint: To avoid a big poof of powdered sugar, I add the sugar in several additions, stirring with the turned-off beaters to incorporate somewhat before blending.) Stop and scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
Add the vanilla extract, salt, and the milk, one tablespoon at a time, beating on medium between additions, until the frosting is a good consistency to pipe or spread. Increase the speed to high and beat for 2 minutes.
Prep ahead and storage: The frosting may be made in advance. For up to one day, it may be covered (airtight) and stored at room temperature. For longer storage, refrigerate in an airtight container for up to one week. Before using, bring to room temperature and stir well. (I take a dinner fork and whip it to reclaim its full creaminess.) Buttercream frosting may also be frozen for up to three months. It will be safe to eat for longer than that, but the quality can start to degrade.
Notes*I use salted butter. If using unsalted butter, you may add an extra pinch or two of salt if you like. The salt adds a hint of balance to the sweetness and enhances the flavor of both the butter and vanilla.
Troubleshooting:
• If the frosting seems too loose or runny, add more powdered sugar.
• If it looks too stiff, add milk, a tiny bit at a time, until you achieve the desired consistency.
• If adding sprinkles, add them right way, before the frosting firms up.
This recipe yields 1¾-2 cups frosting, enough for piping a border and center decoration/message on a 14-inch cookie cake. If you’d like to decorate the cake more liberally, consider making 1½ times the recipe. Keep in mind that some of the frosting will be lost to the piping bag.
General recommendations for amount of frosting needed:
- For a two-layer cake: 3½ to 4 cups
- For a three-layer cake: 4½ to 5 cups
- For 12 cupcakes: 2 cups (double the frosting recipe if piping)
- For a 13×9-inch cake: 3 cups
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- ½ cup (1 stick) butter, softened to room temperature*
- 2¼ cups (270g) confectioner’s sugar
- 1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt
- 2-4 tablespoons milk or cream
Beat the softened butter over medium-high speed with an electric mixer until creamy, about a minute. Turn the mixer to low speed and add the powdered sugar. (Helpful hint: To avoid a big poof of powdered sugar, I add the sugar in several additions, stirring with the turned-off beaters to incorporate somewhat before blending.) Stop and scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
Add the vanilla extract, salt, and the milk, one tablespoon at a time, beating on medium between additions, until the frosting is a good consistency to pipe or spread. Increase the speed to high and beat for 2 minutes.
Prep ahead and storage: The frosting may be made in advance. For up to one day, it may be covered (airtight) and stored at room temperature. For longer storage, refrigerate in an airtight container for up to one week. Before using, bring to room temperature and stir well. (I take a dinner fork and whip it to reclaim its full creaminess.) Buttercream frosting may also be frozen for up to three months. It will be safe to eat for longer than that, but the quality can start to degrade.
*I use salted butter. If using unsalted butter, you may add an extra pinch or two of salt if you like. The salt adds a hint of balance to the sweetness and enhances the flavor of both the butter and vanilla.
Troubleshooting:
• If the frosting seems too loose or runny, add more powdered sugar.
• If it looks too stiff, add milk, a tiny bit at a time, until you achieve the desired consistency.
• If adding sprinkles, add them right way, before the frosting firms up.
This recipe yields 1¾-2 cups frosting, enough for piping a border and center decoration/message on a 14-inch cookie cake. If you’d like to decorate the cake more liberally, consider making 1½ times the recipe. Keep in mind that some of the frosting will be lost to the piping bag.
General recommendations for amount of frosting needed:
- For a two-layer cake: 3½ to 4 cups
- For a three-layer cake: 4½ to 5 cups
- For 12 cupcakes: 2 cups (double the frosting recipe if piping)
- For a 13×9-inch cake: 3 cups