Perfect Fluffy Buttercream Frosting recipe is the best white, vanilla frosting you’ll ever taste! Not overly sweet, light-tasting frosting tops and decorates layer cakes, sheet cakes, and cupcakes beautifully!
Fluffy Buttercream Frosting Ingredients
Light and fluffy vanilla frosting uses simple ingredients to make the fluffiest whipped buttercream frosting! Most buttercream recipes use a simple combination of butter, powdered sugar, and milk. However, I find these frosting recipes to be heavy and overly sweet.
Using a combination of butter and shortening lightens the flavor and helps with stability. All butter frostings have a richer taste and don’t hold their shape as well since butter has a lower melting point.
The addition of heavy cream cuts the sweetness and is key for making frosting extra fluffy. After beating for several minutes, the frosting will turn into the consistency of whipped cream and be very stable.
- Butter – unsalted, softened butter
- Shortening – white vegetable shortening
- Confectioners Sugar – helps with stability and adds sweetness
- Heavy Cream – key ingredient for making the fluffiest frosting
- Vanilla Extract – for vanilla flavoring, see alternative buttercream flavors below
- Salt – cuts sweetness and enhances flavor
How to make Easy Fluffy Buttercream Frosting
The most important thing to remember when making vanilla buttercream is to mix on high speeds for extended period of time. Adding air to the ingredients lightens the frosting to a whipped cream consistency.
- Cream the room temperature butter and shortening together until fluffy and well combined.
- Add the powdered sugar, vanilla extract, salt. Mix until well blended. The frosting will be very stiff at this point.
- Slowly mix in the heavy cream. Once it is fully mixed in, increase the speed to high and beat for 5-7 minutes, scraping down bowl occasionally. The frosting should be very white and fluffy, like a bowl of whipped cream.
How to Make Buttercream Frosting Less Sweet
I find this frosting recipe the perfect amount of sweetness due the addition of salt and heavy cream. To make the buttercream frosting even less sweet use about 1/2 cup less powdered sugar, but add 1-2 ounces more heavy cream.
Make sure to beat the frosting the entire 7 minutes so the heavy cream becomes stiff and stabilized. This will counteract the lessened powdered sugar amount.
If you are looking a lightly sweetened frosting try the whipped cream frosting on fluffy banana cake recipe or this chocolate whipped cream frosting recipe.
How to Frost a Layer Cake with Buttercream
Frosting a cake does not have to be complicated! Follow these easy directions to frost a cake like a pro!
- Set the first layer on a cake stand. If the top is slightly domed, use a serrated knife to trim the top evenly or flip it over so the domed side faces down.
- Place strips of wax paper under the edges of the cake to catch any drips and keep cake platter clean.
- Spread on 1- 2 cups frosting on first layer all the way to edges.
- Top with second layer. Spread 1/2 the remaining frosting on top the cake spreading all the way to the edges.
- Use an offset spatula to bring around the remaining buttercream around the edges of the cake and smooth top and sides.
- Decorate with sprinkles, if desired, then gently pull out strips of wax paper.
Storing Fluffy White Frosting
After mixing together the frosting keep it at room temperature until ready to frost, pipe, or decorate. If you refrigerate the buttercream it will resolidify the butter and harden.
Buttercream can still be made ahead of time and stored in an airtight container at room temperature up to two days, according to the USDA. The high amount of sugar acts as a preservative so it doesn’t need to be refrigerated immediately.
If you have leftover frosting, or want to store it longer, buttercream may be refrigerated up to two weeks or frozen for 3 months. Before using to decorate, though, it will have to be brought to room temperature again to soften.
How to Keep Vanilla Buttercream Frosting Soft and Fluffy
When storing cakes and cupcakes with buttercream frosting most people choose refrigeration because of the butter. However, this can dry out the cake and solidifies the whipped frosting so it’s no longer soft.
Alternatively, cakes and cupcakes can be covered and kept at room temperature up to 2 days if there are no custard or cream cheese fillings.
If you need to refrigerate or freeze a decorated cake, let it sit out for 5-7 hours to come to room temp. The cake texture will soften and the frosting will have a light, fluffy texture again.
Sometimes, if the cake is too cold, I will slice it and use the defrost setting on my microwave to soften the icing. Check every 10-15 seconds to make sure it doesn’t overheat and melt the butter.
Flavoring Fluffy Buttercream Frosting
White buttercream can take on many different flavors to compliment cakes.
- Vanilla Buttercream – Use a good quality vanilla extract. For pure white frosting, use clear vanilla extract. Vanilla bean paste may also be used for a more pronounced vanilla flavor.
- Lemon Buttercream – Instead of vanilla extract, substitute lemon extract and add 1 teaspoon freshly grated lemon zest.
- Strawberry Buttercream – Mix in 1/4 cup pureed strawberries. For extra stability and strawberry flavor add crushed freeze dried strawberries.
- Peanut Butter Buttercream – Add 1 cup creamy peanut butter with butter and shortening. Use additional milk or cream for desired consistency.
How to Color Buttercream Frosting
When coloring white buttercream for birthday cakes, cookie bars, cupcakes or sugar cookies, use either food coloring or gel colors.
Food coloring is water based, so you will generally need more to tint frosting. This works best when turning white frosting into pastel colors.
Gel colors are more concentrated and thicker so less is required for bright, vibrant colors.
Wilton Color Right System includes all the basic food colors with a very handy formula chart to make any color desired.
Alternatively, Food Network also published a thorough guide for how to make frosting colors. It tells you exactly how many drops you need for any chosen color. Note that 100 drops equals one teaspoon of food coloring.
Tips for Making the Best Buttercream Frosting
- Butter and shortening should be at room temperature, while heavy cream is kept cold.
- To soften butter quickly use 20% power on the microwave for 30 seconds – 1 minute.
- It’s best to use a stand mixer with paddle attachment, since they are more powerful and the frosting beats for an extended period of time. A hand mixer may also be used, but it will have to mix a little longer to reach the right consistency.
- This recipe makes enough to frost a 2 layer cake or piped onto 24 cupcakes. Please note piping on frosting will use more than simply spreading on.
Decadent Cake Recipes to go with Fluffy Vanilla Buttercream Frosting!
- Moist Gluten Free Chocolate Cake
- Fluffy and Moist Gluten Free White Cake
- Lemon Blueberry Cake
- Pineapple Carrot Cake
- Pumpkin Pie Cake
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Fluffy Buttercream Frosting Recipe
Ingredients
- ½ cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- ½ cup shortening
- 4 cups confectioners sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup heavy whipping cream
Instructions
- In a large bowl or stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, cream together softened butter and shortening until fluffy and well combined.
- Add powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and salt. Mix until well blended. The frosting will be very stiff at this point.
- Slowly mix in the heavy cream on low speed. Once it is fully mixed in, increase the speed to high and beat for 5-7 minutes, scraping down bowl occasionally. The frosting should be very white and fluffy, like a bowl of whipped cream. Use to frost a moist chocolate cake, vanilla cake, or fluffy banana cake!
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Recipe Notes
Tips for Making the Best Buttercream Frosting
- Butter and shortening should be at room temperature, while heavy cream is kept cold.
- To soften butter quickly use 20% power on the microwave for 30 seconds - 1 minute.
- It's best to use a stand mixerwith paddle attachment, since they are more powerful and the frosting beats for an extended period of time. A hand mixer may also be used, but it will have to mix a little longer to reach the right consistency.
- This recipe makes enough to frost a 2 layer cake or piped onto 24 cupcakes. Please note, piping on frosting will use more than simply spreading on.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container up to 2 weeks in the refrigerator or freeze up to 3 months.
Flavoring Buttercream Frosting
- Vanilla Buttercream - Use a good quality vanilla extract. For pure white frosting, use clear vanilla extract. Vanilla bean paste may also be used for a more pronounced vanilla flavor.
- Lemon Buttercream - Instead of vanilla extract, substitute lemon extract and add 1 teaspoon freshly grated lemon zest.
- Strawberry Buttercream - Mix in 1/4 cup pureed strawberries. For extra stability and strawberry flavor add crushed freeze dried strawberries.
- Peanut Butter Buttercream - Add 1 cup creamy peanut butter with butter and shortening. Use additional milk or cream for desired consistency.
How to Color Buttercream Frosting
- When coloring white buttercream for birthday cakes, cookie bars, cupcakes or sugar cookies, use either food coloring or gel colors.
- Food coloring is water based, so you will generally need more to tint frosting. This works best when turning white frosting into pastel colors.
- Gel colors are more concentrated and thicker so less is required for bright, vibrant colors.
- Wilton Color Right System includes all the basic food colors with a very handy formula chart to make any color desired.
- Alternatively, Food Network also published a thorough guide for how to make frosting colors. It tells you exactly how many drops you need for any chosen color. Note that 100 drops equals one teaspoon of food coloring.
Nutrition
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Items used to make this recipe*:
Stand Mixer Offset Spatula Clear Vanilla Extract
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Julia says
I am so happy that I came across your recipe!
I was looking for a quick recipe of frosting to go with my carrot cake and then saw this one and was like: Yeah! This match was made in heaven! Vanilla flavor with nutty taste of carrot cake makes it next level!
Highly recommend!
Melissa says
Thank you so much for sharing and I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
Best,
Melissa