This Wedding Cupcake Buttercream recipe has been featured in an extensive how-to post on The Recipe Girl blog: How to Make Wedding Cupcakes.
This Wedding Cupcake Buttercream recipe was first featured here on RecipeGirl many years ago when I baked cupcakes for my son’s kindergarten teacher’s wedding. She wanted cupcakes and had heard that I might be able to do them for her. I worked for a catering company in college, but this was a little outside my comfort zone and expertise! She loved my blog, and she begged me to help. How could I resist?
I ended up taking on the project, and it was so much fun. Her wedding wasn’t terribly big, but I was tasked with making about 125 cupcakes. My kitchen was covered in cupcakes! It was a lot of work, but it was terribly satisfying to know that I was helping out this sweet teacher.
The wedding cupcakes were a huge hit at her wedding, and everyone specifically noted how much they loved the frosting. This is the frosting recipe! It’s so delicious, and it’s now a big-time favorite for a lot of people.
If you have questions about this icing and wedding cupcakes… it may be helpful to read through the comments/questions/answers below the recipe- many of your questions may be answered there! Also visit this post: How to Make Wedding Cupcakes for all of the details on when to make the cupcakes and how to store and transport them to the wedding.
This Wedding Cupcake Buttercream is my go-to recipe for icing basic cupcakes and wedding cake. Every time I share the recipe on Facebook, I hear from other people who say it’s their go-to recipe too. It turns out perfect every time. It’s so easy to make, and it works through a piping bag well. The recipe will frost 12 cupcakes with a generous swirl. Double, triple, or quadruple the recipe to frost more cupcakes!
Note that this recipe also works wonderfully for layer cakes. It spreads on smoothly, and you can pipe on decorations too. I use it for everything. It has been my go-to frosting recipe for so many years!
A simple swirl on cupcakes creates a beautiful dessert for weddings with little candy pearls sprinkled on top.
This Wedding Cupcake Buttercream is a very popular buttercream recipe- made by thousands who sing this recipe’s praises. I have used this very recipe for all of my cupcakes for so many years now. It’s a keeper recipe!
It does work beautifully for weddings, but it’s not limited to just weddings! This buttercream is a nice one to use for all sorts of occasions. I call it Wedding Cupcake Buttercream because of my original story in using for the first time for the wedding.
There are a few questions that people tend to ask related to this recipe, so I’ll go ahead and address them here.
Do you use salted or unsalted butter?
I like to use salted butter for just about everything, but I definitely use salted butter for this recipe. The salt will tend to cut down on the sweetness a bit. That’s a good thing!
How far in advance should I frost the cupcakes? And should I refrigerate them?
When I make these, I like to frost them the same day if at all possible. If you’d like to frost them the night before, that’s ok too. After adding the frosting, I like to put them in cupcake boxes and refrigerate them until they are ready to serve (overnight is fine). Once you put them out on display, they will defrost nicely and taste just as good as if you’ve made them the same day.
What should I do with leftover Wedding Cupcakes?
Keep leftover cupcakes in a covered container in your refrigerator for a few days. I’ve also frozen them in a covered container and they thaw nicely and taste pretty good that way too!
If you’re looking for more frosting recipes you might also enjoy my Creamy Peanut Butter Frosting or Cookies and Cream Frosting. My Chocolate Buttercream Frosting is another favorite for topping wedding cupcakes. Swiss Meringue Buttercream is a beauty as well.
Wedding Cupcake Buttercream
Ingredients
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (use clear extract, if you really want it white)
- 1 to 2 tablespoons heavy or regular whipping cream
Instructions
- In a large bowl, with a hand or stand mixer, cream together sugar and butter on low speed. Mix until well blended. Increase speed to medium and beat for another 3 minutes.
- Add vanilla and 1 tablespoon of cream and continue to beat on medium speed for 1 minute more. Add more cream if needed for desired spreading/piping consistency.
- Scoop into a piping bag and pipe decoratively onto cupcakes, or spread onto cupcakes as desired.
Notes
- *This recipe doubles or triples well.
- *There is no need to sift the powdered sugar, unless you're worried that your sugar is quite lumpy.
- *Do not try to replace the butter with margarine or shortening- it won't work out well.
- *Add in color, if desired. I like to use colored gel paste instead of liquid food coloring- then you're not messing with adding additional liquid to the perfect consistency of the frosting. Gel paste is sold at craft stores and baking supply shops.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I read the instructions, 3 times, and I don’t see when to add the powdered sugar. Am I missing it?
“In a large bowl, with a hand or stand mixer, cream together sugar and butter on low speed.”
Going to try the frosting recipe this weekend. Can you use Cool Whip instead of homemade whipping cream? Very anxious to try. Thank you.
You need liquid cream for this recipe, not “whipped” cream. Look for it near the milk/buttermilk.
Hello! I am a novice cupcake baker, but I am considering making your vanilla wedding cupcakes for a bridal shower I am hosting. How long in advance can I make them? How should I package them so they stay fresh?
Thanks so much!
Joanna
Hi Joanna, It might be helpful to read through the wedding cupcakes comments to see the various questions asked and answers given. Lots and lots of information on that post and the link to the how-to post too! https://www.recipegirl.com/2007/03/16/white-wedding-cake-cupcakes/
Made 1-1/2 batches today and used tip 2D icing all 36 of the wedding cupcakes with just a little bit of icing left over.
This is the most delicious buttercream recipe! I just made some to ice a batch of cupcakes for an Australia Day party I’m attending and it turned out perfect even in the middle of our hot, humid Australian summer weather. I split the mix in half and used green and yellow colour gel and I am so pleased with them 🙂 Thank you so much! Can’t wait to show them off!
Looking forward to trying this recipe soon. One question though. ” What temperature is the whipping cream when added.”? I know the butter is room temperature, but not sure about the whipping cream. I have read the previous posts and could not find this addressed. I wish to share a comment heard on a television program by a woman in our city who runs a cooking school. In regards to salted vs unsalted butter– she stated — “salted butter has a water content not found in the unsalted variety”. How much water was not mentioned. She preferred the unsalted as she was getting more butter in the unsalted variety.
The whipping cream can come right out of the refrigerator.
Kudos to your patience with repeated questions. You are so sweet. Can’t wait to make these wedding cupcakes, just because I love wedding cake. Thanks!
Best icing ever!!! Perfect on first try and the easiest recipe for icing that I have ever used. Thanks!
This is the best icing recipe I have ever used….. I had no cream last time I made it and so I used 2% milk instead. I was afraid it would wreck it but I didn’t even notice a difference. Although I did only use about one tablespoon. Thank you!!
Excellent recipe…will never use canned icing again! Will try the chocolate buttercream recipe next. I doubled the recipe which was the perfect amount to go along with the white wedding cupcake recipe.