We often get asked what the best buttercream frosting recipes are, so without further adue we present out comprehensive guide to all things related to making the perfect buttercream frosting recipe.
Below you will find various methods to make the perfect Buttercream to suit you. This includes a variety of flavors and a list of our 10 favorite buttercream recipes of all time.
If you have a buttercream recipe you would like to share, please do so by adding it in the comments area!
How to Make Perfect Buttercream Icing
Basic Buttercream Icing Recipe
Buttercream, that sweet dreamy goodness, its so delicious, so creamy, its to die for!
Buttercream icing or frosting is the perfect topping for your cakes, cupcakes and cookies or pretty much any other homemade goodies you can create.
The ingredients of a basic buttercream icing are butter, vanilla and time.
Once you create this basic butter icing recipe, and see how quick and easy it is to prepare, you wont need to purchase frosting ever again!
Crucial steps to produce basic buttercream icing –
- Soften the Butter – For the basic version of Buttercream icing I recommend you soften the butter. This does not mean you melt the butter, you just want it to soften enough to be easily manipulated without being runny.
- Use powdered Sugar – As we are not using heat and we don’t want to spend to much time whipping the mix, we will use powdered sugar as opposed to granulated sugar.
- Use Real Vanilla – to make sure you get the best flavor ensure you use real vanilla.
Ingredients
- 1 cup of softened unsalted butter
- 3 1/2 – 4 cups powdered sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 – 2 tbsp heavy cream or milk
Full recipe at Kitchn
Perfect Vanilla Buttercream Frosting Recipe
Taking it up a notch from basic butter cream icing is what I call perfect Vanilla Buttercream frosting.
For perfect buttercream frosting, I highly recommend the method of using cold butter that Julianne from Beyond Frosting uses.
Most vanilla buttercream frosting uses softened or room temperature butter, using cold butter requires you to whip the butter longer.
The benefit of using cold butter is it produces a stiffer frosting. The stiffer frosting makes for better and more controlled piping.
Using heavy whipping cream instead of milk is another tip that Julianne uses to ensure you create a creamy, smooth frosting.
To control the flavor of the buttercream use unsalted butter.
Recipe at Beyond Frosting
How To Make Buttercream Frosting Without Powdered Sugar
The secret to making amazing frosting without using powdered sugar, is to use, wait for it… granulated sugar!
A lot of old fashioned buttercream frosting or regular frosting for that matter, the type your grandma used to make used granulated sugar rather than powdered.
So, if you’ve ever wondered how to make frosting without powdered sugar, simply use granulated sugar, but don’t worry you wont be left with a crunchy granular frosting.
The Best Buttercream Frosting Recipes
Check out the best buttercream frosting recipes below.
Simply click the “from” link to be taken to the recipes page, we have no control as to what happens on these pages, at the time of publishing, they were all up and working, please let us know in the comments area if any stop working.
Feel free to pin any of the images / recipes so you can return to them later!
Dark Chocolate Buttercream
If you are a dark chocolate fan, you are going to love this delicious Dark Chocolate Buttercream recipe put togethor by Erin over at The Teatime Baker.
This Heavy on the dark chocolate buttercream is sure to give chocolate lovers their chocolate fix.
The recipe is extremely straight forward and will take you just 10 minutes to prepare.
Tip : This is quite a thick buttercream, if you prefer it to be thinner, then add 1 tsp of milk until it reaches the desired thickness.
From The TeaTime Baker
Butterbeer Buttercream Frosting
If you are a Harry Potter fan, or someone in your life is, you just have to make this amazing Butterbeer Buttercream frosting!
This works perfectly with dark chocolate flavored cup cakes!
Based on the Hogwarts butter beer drink, this Buttercream is made from butterscotch and caramel, its perfect for cupcakes.
Check out our Full Butterbeer Buttercream Frosting Recipe Here
Dulce de Leche Buttercream
This super easy to make 2 ingredient buttercream is super delicious and used throughout Europe for cakes and cupcakes.
The 2 ingredients are simply buttercream and dulce de leche!
It really is quick to make and delightful to taste, try it if you haven’t, you will fall in love with the simplicity and flavour of this amazing style of buttercream
Check out the full Recipe HERE
From Dulce de Leche Buttercream
Perfect Vanilla Frosting
Sometimes simplicity is the best choice, and with vanilla frosting you cant go wrong.
This recipe has a twist in that it uses cold butter! the uses for a perfect vanilla frosting is endless.
From Beyond Frosting
The Best Buttercream Frosting
This easy to follow butter cream recipe from Two Sister’s Crafting, is a method to create the best buttercream!
How To Make Buttercream Frosting – With 4 Different Flavors
Whilst most like to stick with the original Vanilla flavored buttercream, you can make many delicious flavors of buttercream.
I just had to bring you this recipe / link, Daniel from Live Well Bake Often has an easy to follow how to make buttercream frosting tutorial.
It really is a very easy to follow tutorial on how to make 4 different flavors of Buttercream.
From Live Well Bake Often
More Butter Cream Recipes!
Check out another batch of some of the best Buttercream recipes below!
Coffee Butter Cream Frosting
Coffee lovers everywhere rejoice, this awesome buttercream recipe has a delicious coffee flavor and color.
The perfect accompaniment to your favorite caffeine beverage, make sure you enjoy one next time you enjoy a coffee!
From Imperial Sugar
Best Brown Sugar Buttercream Frosting
This is an extremely easy to make, yet equally extremely delicious brown sugar buttercream that will have your friends and family praising you and wanting your recipe.
Whilst basic vanilla buttercream is no doubt our favorite, adding a flavor like brown sugar changes it up and makes a delicious, refreshing alternative / change
From A Table Full of Joy
Italian Meringue Buttercream
From Spices N Flavors
Italian meringue is one of the more exotic, sort after better cream recipes.
This unique frosting is super smooth and creamy.
This is one of the more complex buttercream frosting recipes we have on this page, but it is well worth the time and effort it takes to master this recipe. Once you do, you will impress others with your bakery quality level buttercream.
Dreamy Raspberry Buttercream Frosting
Due it its pretty pink colors, this Raspberry buttercream frosting is perfect for events like mothers day, bridal showers and of course valentines day!
This frosting consists of delicious raspberry flavors, its one of the sweetest and most delightful of our recommended frosting recipes.
Check out our Full Recipe HERE
From QueensLee Appetit
Strawberry Buttercream Frosting
Strawberry buttercream frosting is a classic buttercream frosting made with (surprise) fresh strawberries!
Another gorgeous pink colored frosting that would be perfect for bridal showers, weddings, baby showers, mothers day and Valentines day.
Best when fresh strawberries are available, this frosting is so easy to make, anyone can do this.
Its consistency allows it to be used for intricate designs.
From CupCake Project
Bonus – How to Make Swiss Meringue Buttercream
Lastly we just had to include one of our favorite, smoothest, silkiest Buttercream frosting recipes!
Swiss Meringue buttercream is a little more of an advanced frosting recipe as it can be a bit temperamental.
The Swiss Meringue buttercream is perhaps the simplest of the meringue family of buttercreams and is a great introduction for those looking to create meringue buttercreams.
From Liv For Cake
So there we have it, our guide to all things Buttercream!, have any suggestions, methods or favorite buttercream recipe you would like to share? please let us know in the comments area below 🙂
