The icing on the cake . . . is literally the icing on the cake in this third video on our series of how to make a vanilla cake from scratch!
This recipe is for a simple vanilla buttercream icing/frosting, which follows our recipes and tutorials on how to make a simple vanilla cake from scratch, and how to fill/torte a cake with chocolate ganache! Finally in our 3/3 video, we have the blood sugar rising Vanilla Buttercream!
Vanilla Buttercream
Ingredients: (* ingredients updated 2015)
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1 cup (240 grams) butter
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8 cups (1 kilogram) icing sugar
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1 tablespoon (15 milliliters) vanilla extract
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4-6 tablespoons (60 milliliters- 90 milliliters) milk
Procedure:
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In the bowl of a stand mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter until fluffy.
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Add half of the icing sugar and slowly continue to mix.
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With the mixer on low speed, add the vanilla and half of the milk. Mix until no clumps remain.
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Add the rest of the icing sugar, but do not add any more milk until the icing sugar begins to mix together more completely.
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Add one or two more tablespoons of milk until desired consistency is reached. (You will want a thinner buttercream for spreading onto cakes, and a thicker one for piping flowers, or borders.)
- Use immediately or store in a sealed container for 2-3 days in the fridge. If you are storing the buttercream in the fridge, allow it to come to room temperature, and remix it briefly before using.
Thank you for following our series on how to bake vanilla cake from scratch! We hope that you learned something and enjoyed it! If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to ask 🙂
Is this vanilla brcm. a good one for decorating …. By the way you are so awesome
Hi Jen!
I was watching your buttercream transfer. Is this the same buttercream you use?
Thanks! Love watching you!
Janelle
Thanks so much for watching! Yes it is the same buttercream, but thicker, so use less milk.
My question is how to appropriately color the frosting?!?! I am going to make the shopkins birthday cake with the pink, yellow and black frosting. I am worried it will become too runny and I won’t be able to get it to work out.
So, do you have some tips on coloring the buttercream to coat the cake perfectly? Did you use the chocolate recipe for the black or just color the vanilla frosting black?
Thanks!
I use gel paste to get bright vibrant colors, and you don’t need much of it, so it has no affect on the buttercream. To make black BC you can start with chocolate BC and you wont need to add as much paste.
I love this icing recipe but I’m not sure what I’m doing wrong. It crumb coats the cake nicely but when I tried to cover the cake in rose swirls they all just kind of wilted and sagged. What did I do wrong? I’m very new to this and your videos have been so helpful.
Thanks in advanced
Sounds like your buttercream isn’t thick enough…try adding more icing sugar, or less milk.
Hi!
The recipe for the vanilla buttercream, how many cups does that make and how much did you have to make for the wedding cake?
All of that info is in the wedding cake series but you would need at least 3 batches of this
how do i store the buttercream?
Is the butter salted or unsalted?
I use salted, but you can use either.
omw. you are my hero. Seriously I have just discovered your tutorials on YouTube. .ok I think that was few hours ago and have not moved!! I am so amazed /impressed/super impressed/inspired by what you do and how selflessly you share!! I have had a block on baking for 10 years and just resigned that it’s one of those things I can’t and won’t be able to do and you have ignited that spark!! Thank you so so very much. You are so awesome. #fan4ever#
I’m so honoured that you watched for so long! Thank you! Good luck rekindling the spark 🙂
Hi! So, I’m gonna try the rainbow cake for my four year olds birthday next week. The directions look really good, but my question is…what is icing sugar? Do I need to go to a special store to get it? Am I biting off more than I can chew? I started out looking at the Skittle cake, but that looks too complicated for a cake virgin ;ile me, your cake if I replace the jellybeans with skittles would be perfect!!! He loves those things!
Thanks so much!
Icing sugar is confectioners sugar, or powdered sugar. You can get it at the grocery store.
Hi, Jen
I love watching your videos on YouTube! I am going to attemp on making the marbled Easter cake I was wondering how many cups of buttercream you used and how many peeps you used?
Thanks a bunches,
Kylie
It depends on how thick you want the buttercream. I’m not sure how many there were on the cake. You’d have to count them to see.
Hi! My daughters and I love watching your videos!!! I am planning on ‘attempting’ to make the zebra cake for my daughters 10th birthday this coming up week. Could you please tell me what kind of milk is best to use in the recipe (i.e for both the cake as well as the buttercream). Thanks!!
Lisa
2% is usually a safe bet…as is 1%. Good luck!
hi, after watching your video on the vanilla cake i was wondering how many cups did you get out of it?
and also on your 3 series wedding cake, how many cups of buttercream did you use, as well as how many cups your recipe makes?
TIA waiting on a response
It makes 4 cups of batter.
I have spent way too much time on your website today but I love it and cannot pull myself away thank you for sharing all these great ideas! I’m making the Zebra cake for my daughters birthday party next week and taking the mini ice cream cake pops to her class at school, they are going to love them!!!
I hope you had fun with it!
I tried making this buttercream but the consistency did not come out correctly. Too soft. I was trying to mix with cake for the teenage mutant ninja turtle pops. I used real butter with no salt. I also researched that icing sugar was powdered sugar. Did I miss something?
If you’re finding the icing too thin, you can add more icing sugar to thicken it up. Hope that helps!
Hey is it vanilla extract or just vanilla flavor
Vanilla extract is best for this. Enjoy!
I am trying to make the Tiger Cake. Why is 1 cup of butter listed for ingredients, but on the tutorial, you say to add 1/2 cup? do I use 1 cup or half of a cup? thank you.
Sorry, but I’m not sure what exactly you’re referring to.
Hello! I’ve been trying to find a buttercream recipe that mimics the same texture and flavor as pre made cakes found at grocery stores, would you suggest this recipe? Thanks!
You might want to try a Swiss Meringue buttercream…I don’t have a recipe for that up, but there are lots on the internet. Good luck and I hope it works out for you.
i was wondering how many cupcakes this can frost. i love baking and it would be helpful to know if i should double the recipe or not:)
It depends on how much buttercream you put on each cupcake. I usually get around 8-12.
Okay so I’m making the rainbow cake and I don’t want the icing to be gooo think, how many bathes would you recommend using for that cake. thanks
Hi Jenn,
Will this recipe cover a cake made into the shape of a #2 from a 9″x3″ round pan and pieces from a 10″x2″ square pan? Or how many batches should I make to cover this type of cake? Thanks for any help!
You can always start with one batch, see if it works, and if not, make more.
Is this portion of vanilla buttercream sufficient for filling b outside frosting of your pink zebra cake?
It should be. It just depends on how thick you put the icing on.
Hi Jenn! Do you have an estimate on how much this buttercream recipe makes? I need enough to ice about four dozen cookies!
Thanks!
Probably it is, but it depends on how much you put on, and how big the cookies are.
I tried to do this and I followed your instructions exactly but it came out really runny and grainy. What did I do wrong?
Try adding more icing sugar, to thicken it.
Hey Im gluten intolerant by any chance could you make a gluten free cake/cupcake?
I’ll add it to my list! Thanks for watching.
Can we use white sugar instead of using icing sugar?
No, it won’t work properly.
Hi, I have tried multiple times to make the buttercream icing and every time, it comes out runny. What could I possibly be doing wrong?
If you need to thicken it up, add more icing sugar to it…and that should help! Good luck.
Hello !!!
I am making your funfetti bday cake in a 9-inch pan… should i double the recipe for the frosting as well?
thanks!
Hi there, whether you choose to double the buttercream recipe depends on how much icing you want on your cake. Some people complain when there’s too much!!! -crazies-
Can a whisk be used instead to mix the ingredients?
Yes, or a wooden spoon will work too.
Does it make a difference if the icing sugar is substituted for a different sugar? Or it would it just be the same?
Hi Melissa!!
To make frosting/icing, Powdered Sugar is mandatory. Cannot use regular sugar or any other type of sugar to make frosting/icing !
Good Luck! 🙂
Hi Melissa You can make a Italian Meringue Buttercream
This recipe is flavored vanilla, but you can add flavors like fruit puree, melted chocolate, caramel sauce, peanut butter, etc. Omit the vanilla and incorporate other flavor to taste. Recipe from Chef Amy Noelle she has a class on Cake Made.
Does the butter have to be room temperature ?
For cakes, butter usually works best when it is at room temperature. Enjoy!
For this recipe do you have to use unsalted butter or just regular butter?
You can use either one.
Hello,
I am going to attempt to make the rainbow cake for my sons second birthday, if I cook two round cakes in the oven at the same time does the cooking time change?
thank you
Good for you!! No, putting 2 cakes into the oven at one time doesn’t change the baking time…but if you are putting more than 2, then your time will probably have to increase. Have fun!
Thank you so much for your tutorials and this site! This has been SO helpful the past few weeks with allowing me to experiment in the cake decorating world! 🙂
I’m glad I’ve been able to help you out! Thanks so much!
Hi! I have 2 questions about the butter cream.
1) does it get compleatly dry? like the icing we use for cookies or like wilton fondant?
2) can I make butter cream and put it in the freezer for a later use. Can I freeze the hole cake?
Thank you! sorry for my poor english, kisses from Uruguay!
Hi there….no, buttercream does not dry hard, that is royal icing that does. Yes, you can put the buttercream in the freezer for later…you’ll want to allow it to thaw and then mix it again. Yes, you can freeze the whole cake, bring it out a couple of hours before serving.
Do you freeze or chill your cake before applying the butter cream icing. I note no crumbs were picked up when you smoothed out your buttercream icing. I ALWAYS pick up crumbs and it is getting frustrating … lol.
I always freeze my cakes before the buttercream. I do it before and after the crumb coat. Hope that helps!
Hi I am making a three tier wedding cake that I square. I always have problems getting my cake out of the pan in one piece also the cake is very fragile and falls apart. What am I doing wrong?
It sounds like you are not properly prepping the pan. You can use a non-stick spray or butter to cover it entirely. The other step that I find essental is to cover the bottom of the pan in parchment paper or wax paper. It ensures nothing sticks to the bottom. Run a sharp knife around the edges of the pan once it has cooled for about 10 minutes, and then turn the pan upside down to get the cake out. Hope that helps!
I am going to make this buttercream to go on your zebra cake. Do I need to put white food coloring in it to make it more white? I thought it looked a little off-white or ivory in your video. Thank you!
I use white colouring in this recipe for the zebra cake. Enjoy!
Since the buttercream contains milk, do you refrigerate the cake after it’s frosted? I’m always unsure what to do about that!
Thanks and love your blog!!
Yes, I always keep my cakes in the fridge once I’m finished them. It’s better to be safe than sorry.
Hi, I love watching your video. I am new to baking. My question/concern is, I am not a huge fan of vanilla, but I made your buttercream frosting today and it came out really runny and the really strong flavor. I saw a previous post where you said to use less milk to make it a little bit thicker, but for the flavor, how can I make it to where the vanilla taste isn’t too strong?
Please help!! Thank you!
Hi there…the same goes with the vanilla…if you don’t like the taste of it, you can lessen the amount that you put in, or you can use a different extract if you wish. Good luck!
If you use the butter cream recipe to frost cakes, can you use the royal icing for flowers? Or should you use butter cream for flowers as well
Traditionally royal icing is used to make flowers, but you can also use buttercream for them as well.
where do you purchase icing sugar?
I get it wherever it is on sale! All grocery stores carry it, so it’s really easy to find.
is it the same as powdered sugar?
Powdered, confectioners and icing sugar are all basically the same product and can be used interchangeably.
Thank you so much for clarifying this!
Hi again! Do you use salted or unsalted butter with this recipe? Is there a big difference in taste? Also, I’ll be making a 2 layer 9×13 cake, so how much would this recipe yield approx. because in your video, it looked like there was only enough to frost the cake and not use it for a filling. I’m making the pink zebra cake, and I don’t want the cake to be tooooo sweet that it’s not edible. For a cake this size would you recommend a filling, like your chocolate ganache, and then frost with the buttercream?
Hope to hear from you soon. Thanks!
I always use salted butter but you can use whichever you prefer. You will want to make a double batch if you are going to be making a double layer 9×13.
Hey Jen ! Was wondering how much of this icing I would need approx with a regular amount of frosting would I need for a two later 16×16″ square cake !
I’d greatly appreciate any help !
Thanks !
I would probably want to double or triple this recipe for that size of a cake.
How long can you keep the basic buttercream after you make it?
2-3 days for optimum freshness.
hello , can you help me please? what is the ingredient in gram please?
Thank you