This is a classic White Buttercream Icing recipe.
Everyone needs a good frosting recipe. Can you think of how many times you’ve had to make emergency cupcakes at the last minute, and you have to pick up a boxed mix and a can of frosting? Well, you definitely don’t have to do that. If you must buy a boxed mix then that’s okay. But make this homemade white buttercream icing to top those cupcakes!
Ingredients Needed:
- powdered sugar
- butter
- milk or cream
- vanilla extract
- salt
How to make White Buttercream Icing:
The full, printable recipe is at the end of this post.
Add drops of food coloring, as desired, to make colored frosting.
Spread the icing onto cake or cupcakes (if you use a piping bag instead of spreading, you may not have enough to ice 24 cupcakes, but you can certainly double the recipe).
This frosting is simple and delicious. It’s a sweet frosting with good vanilla flavor. Enjoy!
How do you make a really white frosting?
When you add yellow butter and brown vanilla extract to a frosting recipe, you will likely end up with a “tinted” white frosting that isn’t so white (like my photos).
But I have a hot tip for you! Go to a craft store like Michaels or JoAnns (or Walmart), and go to their baking section. Buy CLEAR vanilla extract. It’s not pure vanilla extract. It’s artificial. But if you’re looking for a really white frosting, using clear vanilla extract will help with that. You’ll still have good vanilla flavor, even though it’s artificial.
Buttercream Recipes:
- Wedding Cupcake Buttercream
- Chocolate Swiss Meringue Buttercream
- Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
- Italian Buttercream Frosting
- Orange Buttercream Frosting
White Buttercream Icing
Ingredients
- One 16-ounce package powdered sugar
- 6 tablespoons (¾ a stick) butter, softened
- 3 to 4 tablespoons milk
- 1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, with a mixer at low speed, beat all ingredients until the icing is smooth and of easy spreading consistency.
- To color pink, add a few drops of red food coloring, 3 for light pink, 6 or more for dark pink. Same goes for any other color (light to dark).
- Spread the icing onto cake or cupcakes (if you use a piping bag instead of spreading, you may not have enough to ice 24 cupcakes).
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
After you make the buttercream frosting do you refrigerate it before using?
Since there’s a little milk in it, I’d keep the cupcakes refrigerated.
Hi Lori,
Is the butter salted in this recipe since salt is added at the end?
yes.
Hi Lori,
Do you find this recipe to be a good one for decorating a cake?
Yes- definitely! I use it for cakes all the time.