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.
Made the wedding white cupcakes and buttercream today. It is so good. Thanks for the recipe!
Hi! Silly question but can i use this recipe for the buttercream frosting for a rose swirl cake, rather than cupcakes?
It pipes pretty well, so you might just be able to!
Hi,
What kind of whipping cream did you use for this recipe or rather what kind do you suggest I use?
e.g. the already whipped kind like Cool Whip, or the pour and whip kind?
Thanks
Hi Mary- Don’t use Cool Whip! Whipping Cream is sold in a carton (just like milk), and it’s sold near the milk and other dairy products. Use that!
I’d like to address some of the questions regarding this buttercream recipe.
I bake and decorate cakes professionally and I too use a real butter based frosting that is similar. I can tell you that you CAN make and freeze it well in advance of your event. Just put in a container and cover tightly. When you need it, let it come to room temp and then beat it again to get it ready to use. It’s a great time saver.
As a side note you can also freeze cake batter. I’ve done this many times and my cakes and cuppies come out great.
The use of unsalted butter and ‘chemistry’ issues may apply to baked goods but this is frosting people! It’s perfectly fine. I ONLY use salted butter…and sometimes have to add a touch more to cut sweetness.
Cool whip is NOT whipped cream! It is a non-dairy whipped topping. Real cream thins and adds richness. If used sparingly as the recipe indicates, it will not be runny and indeed will whip a bit to create a lighter textured frosting.
Grainy frosting is a result of a bad batch of powdered sugar. Even the top brands can have bad batches…ask me how I know! :). Use only pure cane and test a small amount with a little butter if you’re worried.
If you want a whiter frosting try creaming the softened butter for several minutes to add air, which in turn will ‘whiten’ the butter…then slowly add your powdered sugar. Another trick is to add the most minuscule touch of violet or blue food color to the buttercream to cancel the yellow shade. But use the tip of a toothpick amount.
There is nothing like the taste of a real butter buttercream. Margarine has more water and will make your frosting runny too. If this has been your issue, you probably have used margarine and not real butter. The color yellow is the only thing they have in common.
Sorry this is so long, but I’ve been going crazy reading the same questions over and over so I thought I’d address several issues that I’ve had experience with all at once. This is a yummy recipe and as long as people follow it exactly, they should have no problem. Thanks for posting it!
Thanks so much for addressing so many of the questions in the same place. Much appreciated!
Love this recipe!!! My new favorite!!
I want to make your wedding cupcakes and buttercream frosting for my daughters birthday party. The only problem is that it is a beach party. Do you think it would be okay to put frosting in piping bag, refrigerate overnight, stick in ice chest and quickly frost before eating?
I supposed so- though they’d probably be okay if they’re frosted and in the ice chest. I’d look for cupcake boxes for transport (bakeries and baking supply stores)
Hi there I have what’s probably a really stupid question but I would rather be safe than sorry. So my boyfriends mom wants me to make her daughters birthday cake and I would like to use this recipe for the frosting so I was wondering if the frosting would hold up well on a cake and for a two layer cake should doubling it be enough or should I triple it?
Yes, definitely. I’d probably double it.
My friend wants me to make a wedding cake with cream cheese buttercream frosting. Have you every done that, will it hold up and what measurements do you think would work? Thanks
I would probably feel most comfortable asking you to Google around and look at wedding cake recipes that have cream cheese buttercream frosting to find one that people have used that works well.
Your recipe sounds wonderful!! My friend wants a cream cheese buttercream frosting for her wedding cake. Have you ever done that and what measurements would you use?
I have not- sorry.
How many cupcakes will one batch of frosting cover using the tip you used?
1 dozen