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.
can you make this in a chocolate version?????
@Carl, Would probably be best to look for a chocolate buttercream recipe specifically.
How long does it take to make 100 cupcakes?? Do you bake one night frost the next?? If so how long to bake 100 c.c’s and how long does it take to frost c.c’s?? Trying to figure out times… the wedding is on Sat at 6:30 but I have so much to do prior.. so trying to see when to squeeze them in but still look and taste fresh. I am also the bride. If I ask my mother to do it… she will just run off to Kroger!!
Thanks,
Lori
@Lori Brown, I wasn’t the bride, but I baked the cupcakes the night before… timing depends on how many pans you have and how many you are baking at once. I frosted the day of, but you certainly wouldn’t want to do that on your wedding day. I’d bake the cupcakes 2 days before, wrap them well, then frost the day before the event so you’re not so frantic. If you are able to store them in the fridge in cupcake boxes, they should be fine the day of the wedding. Better than Kroger! Timing all depends on how quick you are with that sort of thing…
ok i tried to make butter cream, i added cream cheese because the last time i made it how it says on here it was too runny, ugh things cant be simple lol. But anyways, it was a better consistancy this time but still not thick enough it didnt swirl like i wanted and kind of slid to the sides of the cupcakes. Does that mean i need to add more powderd sugar to it? if like it pretty stiff to pipe on, these look like they are pretty stiff (not hard) but just the right consistance. I dont understand what im doing wrong.
@Jamie, not too sure. How can it be runny? Are you using regular butter? Not using margarine or tub butter or melted butter, right? There’s nothing in the recipe that would make this runny unless you’re adding too much whipping cream- only a Tablespoon at a time until you get the right consistency.
You can get large, whole sheet cake, boxes at your grocery store for less than purchasing at the baking supply store. They come with the hard card board bottom too. It costs me less than $3. I have priced them, and it’s cheaper. Some may even donate if it’s a one time deal. Doing cupcakes for my daughter’s wedding Jan. 6th. Thanks for the help on recipes!
Would you find the jell color at a baking store? I’m making 150ish cupcakes for my wedding in August and i want to do some pink ones and some white ones but i wasnt sure how much pink to put in. Thanks so much, these are amazing, you truley have a gift!
@Jamie, Yes, you can find the gel color at a baking supply store. Try craft stores like Michael’s too.
Beautiful!! I am making cupcakes for my brother’s baby shower and will be using your recipe for frosting. My cupcakes are baking right now! I have a couple of questions for you. When you make these for an event, how do you transport them? Do you get the white boxes from a craft store? Do you always use plain white liners? Do you think Wilton liners are any better? Thanks so much for sharing your recipes and photos!
@Michele, I bought cupcake boxes at a baking supply store for transporting. I think plain white liners are best for weddings- don’t know about Wilton.
I would like to know if there is any variation on the whipping cream, for instance whipped cream? I live in Mexico and whipping creamis very hard to find. Is it sweetened or just plain cream?? thanks
@Melissa, Not sure- in US we use cream to whip to create whipped cream. If you have cream, that should suffice.
wow, this frosting was so easy, looked good, easy to use and make but most of all it was delicious. thank you for the recipe.
Hi Lori!
Does it matter what kind of coloring you use for this? Gel vs drops?
@Becky, Depends how much color you use… if you use the liquid and you just want to add a few drops then that should be ok. If you’re talking about adding lots and lots of drops, then that will change the texture of the icing. I love the gel!
I am making 250 cupcakes for son’s wedding. What is the sequence for frosting and freezing? Should I freeze plain cupcakes, and then frost when they thaw? Can I freeze after frosting them? Can I refrigerate for 2 days with frosting on? I will be transporting them 1 hr away,but can keep them very cool during the drive.
@Margene, Freeze the plain cupcakes and then frost them later. Don’t freeze after frosting. I’d refrigerate them 1 day w/ frosting on, but two days might be fine too. Good luck!