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The BEST Vanilla Buttercream Frosting

4.99 from 68 votes
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posted: 06/08/15

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy
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This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy

This is the best Vanilla Buttercream Frosting recipe. Make this easy buttercream frosting recipe and you’ll never want cake without vanilla buttercream again. Or eat it with spoons. 

We love using this vanilla frosting recipe on all sorts of cookies and cakes, but my absolute favorite is on top of these perfect sugar cookies!

the best vanilla buttercream frosting recipe on a beater

You guys have to make this vanilla buttercream frosting recipe.

The end.

Okay, not really.

But yes. Really.

So this is a frosting recipe that I first made for these adorable sheep cupcakes. And I made it again for Piper’s cake smash. But it is seriously so ridiculously good that I feel like it deserved it’s own post.

BEST Vanilla Buttercream Frosting - the easiest buttercream frosting recipe

So ironically, my sister in law sent me a text message the day before the sheep post went live and asked me if I had a good vanilla frosting recipe. And I said, “Funny you should ask . . . ”  A few weeks later I got this message from her:

 “I LOVE it! It makes boxed cake mixes taste like they were made in a bakery. It puts homemade cakes off the charts!”

I love her.

Layer cake iced with the BEST Vanilla Buttercream Frosting. Give it a try, you'll never want cake without it again. Or spoons.

If that testimonial wasn’t enough, yesterday while I was photographing this cake, Gavin asked me if he could have a piece when I was done. Who am I to say no to that cute face? Gavin historically loves cake but doesn’t like frosting at all. Which is just crazy, but kind of awesome because I always get his left over buttercream frosting at birthday parties. #dontjudge

Well, I walked back into the kitchen after giving him some cake and he was eating the frosting!! I said, “Gavin! I thought you didn’t like frosting!”

“I don’t. But, Mom. This vanilla frosting is AMAZING!!”

#truestory

This is the BEST Vanilla Buttercream Frosting. Give it a try, you'll never want cake without it again. Or spoons.

RECIPE NOTES FOR THE BEST VANILLA BUTTERCREAM FROSTING:

  • One batch of this vanilla buttercream frosting recipe is enough to lightly cover 24 cupcakes. I needed to double it to frost a three layer cake, with 1/2 cup frosting between each layer and a nice crumb coat.
  • This frosting firms up rather quickly, so if you are going to top with sprinkles, you will want to frost your cupcake add the sprinkles, and then move on to the next cupcake you need to frost.
  • If you don’t like your frosting as sweet, you can cut back the powdered sugar by a cup. It will result in a less sweet and also less firm frosting.
This is the BEST Vanilla Buttercream Frosting. Make this easy buttercream frosting recipe and you'll never want cake without vanilla buttercream again.
4.99 from 68 votes

The Best Vanilla Buttercream Frosting Recipe

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This is the best Vanilla Buttercream Frosting recipe. Make this easy buttercream frosting recipe and you’ll never want cake without vanilla buttercream again.

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter room temperature
  • 5 cups powdered sugar
  • 2 tsps vanilla
  • 1/4 cup milk

Instructions

  • To make frosting, beat the butter until fluffy.
  • Then add the powdered sugar gradually, one cup at a time.
  • Add in the vanilla and milk.
Author: Lisa Longley
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
This is the BEST Vanilla Buttercream Frosting. Make this easy buttercream frosting recipe and you'll never want cake without vanilla buttercream again.

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The Best Vanilla Buttercream Frosting Recipe

I’d love to see what you made! Tag me @lisasimplejoy and hashtag it #simplejoyrecipes!

 

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Hi! I'm Lisa Longley, and I am committed to giving you simple dinner ideas and recipes that are easy to make; recipes that will fill your home with joy. I am the owner and author of SimpleJoy.com and I'm so glad that you are here.

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  1. Laurieleem says

    Salt. There can be no perfect frosting
    Without it. I’d love to have a ‘frosting
    Off’ using my recipe against yours.

    • Lisa Longley says

      I love my frosting recipe :)

  2. Audrey says

    Super tasty! A little too sweet and turned a light brown because of vanilla, so I added 1/4 cup of butter and it’s still kinda sweet but still good!:)

  3. Yesenia says

    Not quite sure what happened but mine was a little runny. Wouldn’t hold it’s shape ???? and I didn’t even add all the milk.
    Anything I could’ve done wrong?

    • Lisa Longley says

      How was your butter when you added it? That’s the most likely culprit. You want to be able to just dent it with your finger, if you press down and your finger goes through it’s too soft.

  4. Victoria says

    I’d I frost a cake with this does it need to be refrigerated?

    • Lisa Longley says

      Victoria, because of the butter and milk in the frosting, you are safest refrigerating it. That said, I don’t.

  5. Jessica says

    I just made this and it was fine until I started to pipe it on the cake. I made this in the past without any problems.

    • Lisa Longley says

      Hi Jessica, I’m so sorry you struggled with it this time. Was the butter too soft?

  6. Denise says

    Do you have to refridgerate? if so, for how long?

    • Lisa Longley says

      I don’t refrigerate but the FDA would advise that you do since it has butter in it. It will keep in the refrigerator for a few days, about three.

  7. Milly says

    Hi

    Can’t wait to try this frosting but wanted to know if you could give me measurements in grams please.

  8. ODETTE says

    WHAT BUTTER DO YOU USE. AND OR WILL MARGARINE DO.

    • Lisa Longley says

      Please for the love of cupcakes do not use margarine. I use a nice unsalted butter :)

  9. Holly says

    Can i make the vanilla icing ahead of time and keep in the fridge?

    • Lisa Longley says

      Yes! I would only go about two days ahead, but yes.

  10. Kim says

    How well does it crust?

    • Lisa Longley says

      It crusts so well that if you are making cupcakes you want to do the sprinkles right away before you frost the next cupcake.

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