If you were like me, you grew up wanting the corner piece of the birthday cake cause it was covered in the most frosting. I love frosting! To me it’s the best part of most desserts. Classic American buttercream is a sweet frosting and is what most people think of when they hear the word ‘frosting.’ It is sweet, creamy, stable in warm temperatures and develops a slight crust on the outside. It main characteristics are how light, fluffy, and sweet it is.
Bonus! It also is seriously the easiest recipe to make. It’s pretty much foolproof, even for beginners. 10 minutes. One bowl. Boom!
American buttercream is great for cakes (try my classic vanilla cake!), cupcakes, using it to make cake pop dough, piping flowers, and even in between macaron shells. This classic frosting can be flavored an unlimited number of ways. If you’re ever in a pinch, you can whip up a batch of this easy buttercream frosting in mere minutes.
To color American buttercream, I prefer to use gel food colors like Americolor and Chef Master because they are very bright and help you achieve vivid color with not a lot of food coloring.
The easiest way to flavor frosting is to add some extract or emulsions and call it a day. Vanilla, mint, lemon, maple, almond extract, if you like it, you can add to American buttercream to flavor it!
The amount of extract will change depending on what type of extract. For instance you can add much more vanilla extract without overpowering powering a frosting than you can mint. Start with a little. You can always add more but you can not take it away.
Create Instnat Buttercream Flavor Options
* Vanilla American Buttercream: Add in 2 tsp vanilla extract
* Chocolate American Buttercream: Add 1 cup of sifted unsweetened cocoa powder
* “Wedding Cake” American Buttercream: Add 1 tsp vanilla extract and 1/2 tsp almond extract
* Lemon American Buttercream: Add 3 TBSP lemon zest and ¼ cup lemon juice. Remove the milk and increase the confectioner’s sugar to 9 cups.
* Strawberry, Raspberry, or Blackberry American Buttercream: Fold in 1 cup of seedless preserves
Tips for the Princess’ American Buttercream Frosting
Does the butter have to be room temperature?
Make sure to let your butter come to room temperature. You don’t want to microwave your butter because it will melt and not mix properly with the other ingredients. Just cut up your butter in little pads or cubes and let it come to room temp on its own.
Do I have to sift the powdered’s sugar?
You don’t have to, but it really helps get the buttercream nice and fluffy if you do.
Can I add more or less powdered sugar?
Totally! You can tailor the recipe to suit your needs and taste. Add more to make it thicker and add less for easy cake frosting. You do not need to change the amounts of the other ingredients. But note, if you do cut the sugar, the frosting will have less volume, be more buttery, and less stable for piping and sitting out.
Can I use salted butter?
Sure! Some people find using salted butter to be too salty. With unsalted, you control the amount of salt you add. Sometimes I even use half salted and half unsalted butter and omitting the additional salt!
Do I need to mix it for that long?
Mixing it for a long amount of time is what will help get it super light and airy.
How can I make my buttercream smooth?
After you are done making the buttercream, mix the buttercream on low speed with a paddle attachment for 5 to 10 minutes. You can also remove air bubbles by mixing the buttercream by hand with a spatula until it is silky smooth.
Should I use a whisk or paddle attachment on my mixer?
That depends! Some bakers feel that using a paddle attachment creates a smoother buttercream. Some recommend using a whisk attachment to make the buttercream lighter. I say try both ways and see what works best for you. Your favorite might surprise you!
Do I have to use a stand mixer?
You can absolutely use an electric hand mixer. I like to be able to multi-task while it’s mixing.
Can I make American buttercream in advance or stored?
Of course! Buttercream can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2 weeks or in the freezer for 3 months. Thaw if by bringing it back to room temperature and then rewhip. It will be good as new! My tip is to tightly wrap the buttercream in plastic wrap and then covered in an airtight container or freezer bag so the butter does not take on flavors from your fridge or freezer.
Can American buttercream and frosted cakes sit out?
Yes, the frosting can sit out at room temperature. Same with frosted cakes and cupcakes, the frosted desserts can sit out rather than being refrigerated. Putting cake and cupcakes in the fridge can actually dry them out a bit, so keeping the frosted dessert at room temperature for up to a couple days is fine. (Technically, according to cake experts, frosted uncut cakes can stay out up to 4-5 days cut cakes 2-3) and they are stable due the amount of sugar in them. Just be mindful of any other ingredients in the desserts that might need to be refrigerated, such as filling a cake with pastry cream that would need to be stored in a fridge. And remember to make sure it’s being stored at a cool temperature so it doesn’t melt or get greasy in the heat.
INGREDIENTS:
1 lb (4 sticks) of unsalted butter (room temperature)
2 lbs of powdered sugar
3 tbsp of milk (you might not need all of it)
1 tbsp of extract (pick your favorite flavor
Salt as needed
INSTRUCTIONS
* Place butter in a stand-mixer with a paddle attachment and cream beat until smooth. Scrape bottom of bowl often.
* Sift the powdered sugar and salt
* Add the powdered sugar a little at a time on low until incorporated.
* Add vanilla extract and milk and mix on low until blended and smooth. Do not turn up the mixer or you will get air bubbles.
* Let it mix on low for 10 minutes so it’s perfectly smooth.
