The best vanilla bean buttercream frosting recipe that’s rich and buttery, made with a unique blend of salted and unsalted butter, and the full flavor of vanilla bean paste. Perfect for cakes and cupcakes.
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I’ve been making American buttercream for years, and I truly believe this is the perfect ratio of butter to confectioner’s sugar. It’s not overly sweet, and it stays smooth without feeling grainy.
If you’ve ever struggled to find a buttercream that tastes great and works well for decorating, this is the one! I find that it’s absolutely perfect for cakes and cupcakes, filling layer cakes, and even piping beautiful designs.
What You’ll Love About this Buttercream
- Perfectly Balanced Flavor – The mix of salted and unsalted butter keeps it from being overly sweet and adds a rich, creamy taste.
- Great for Piping & Decorating – This frosting holds its shape beautifully, making it ideal for piping swirls on cupcakes or decorating cakes.
- Smooth & Fluffy – You can make this buttercream smooth or fluffy depending on how you mix it.
- Versatile – Use this for birthday cakes, cupcakes, or as a filling for layered cakes.
- Customizable – Adjust the consistency for spreading, piping, or super smooth finishes.
Pro Tips
Use Quality Confectioner’s Sugar – A good brand makes a difference. I find that the store brands sometimes have lumps in them and they seem to make a grainier frosting.
Sifting is Optional – If your sugar is clumpy, feel free to sift it, but it’s not absolutely necessary.
Mix on Low for Silky Buttercream – If you mix on low, this can help reduce air bubbles for ultra-smooth icing. (See this quick video for an easy way to smooth your buttercream frosting – Trick to Get Smooth Buttercream)
Mix on High for a Fluffier Buttercream – If you mix on high for a couple of minutes, you’ll get a light and fluffy buttercream.
Recipe
Best Vanilla Bean Buttercream Frosting
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature (2 sticks)
- 1 cup salted butter, room temperature (2 sticks – salted tastes better, but if you don't have it, just use unsalted here and add in a pinch of salt)
- 6 cups confectioner’s sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste (or vanilla extract)
- 2-3 tablespoons milk
Instructions
- Add the room-temperature butter to a large mixing bowl and mix with an electric mixer on medium to medium-high until very smooth.
- Add three cups of confectioner’s sugar and mix on low until incorporated, then on medium-high until well mixed.
- Add one tablespoon of milk, the vanilla bean paste or extract and the last three cups of confectioner’s sugar and mix on low until combined, then on medium-high until well mixed.
- Check the consistency. If it’s too thick, add another tablespoon of milk. If it's too thin, add another cup of confectioner's sugar and mix well. Once the desired consistency is reached, mix on medium-high speed for a couple of minutes to make it fluffy, or mix on low speed to make it smoother.See notes on how to get this buttercream a whiter color.
Notes
Nutrition
How to Share
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Video
Steps to Make this Buttercream with Process Images
(The detailed and printable instructions are in the recipe card above.)
Step 1
First, cream the room-temperature butter until smooth. You can use a hand mixer or a stand mixer. If you use a stand mixer, the flat beater attachment works the best.
Step 2
Next, add in three cups of confectioner’s sugar and mix on low at first, then mix on medium-high until mixed well.
Step 3
Add one tablespoon of milk and the last three cups of confectioner’s sugar and mix well.
Step 4
Scrape down the sides of the bowl and the bottom and mix again.
Step 5
Add another tablespoon of the milk plus vanilla paste or extract, and mix until everything is smooth.
Step 6
Check the consistency. If it’s too thick, just add another tablespoon of milk and mix well. If it’s too thin, add another cup of confectioner’s sugar and mix well.
Once you get the consistency you want, mix it on medium-high speed for a couple of minutes to make it fluffy or mix on low speed to make it smoother.
Step 7
Check the color. All-butter buttercream (buttercream without using vegetable shortening) will have a slightly yellow or cream color to it.
If you want it to be super white in color, you can add a very tiny speck of violet food coloring to cancel out the yellow. It works, just use a tiny amount at a time and mix well.
Step 8
Add the buttercream to cooled cake or cupcakes.
Ways to use this buttercream
- Cake Fillings and Toppings – Great between cake layers.
- Cupcakes – Perfectly piped swirls on top of your favorite cupcakes.
- Decorating – Holds its shape for piping.
Tips & FAQs
Oh yes! You can use regular vanilla extract in place of the vanilla bean paste and it will still taste delicious. You can use the same amount, no need to adjust the measurement.
This recipe is most flavorful if you use both unsalted and salted butter, but if you can’t get either, follow these instructions:
To use only salted butter, just use two cups of salted butter.
To use only unsalted butter, use two cups of salted butter and add a pinch of salt.
The salt helps to cut the sweetness and it brings out all the flavors.
Make sure that the butter is at room temperature before you start. Don’t microwave it though, that will heat it unevenly. Just set the butter out on the counter and let it come to room temp on its own.
Since this buttercream is made with all butter and no shortening, it will have a slightly yellow or cream tone to it. If you want it to be very white in color, you can add a very tiny speck of violet food coloring to cancel out the yellow. Just use a very tiny amount at first (just a speck of it), then mix to check the color.
Also, make sure to whip the buttercream for several minutes once it’s mixed. Whipping it seems to lighten the color a bit.
Alternately, you could also add clear vanilla extract instead of regular vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste and that will lighten the color although the vanilla taste will not be quite as strong as if you’d used vanilla bean paste.
This buttercream makes enough to cover a two-layer, 8″ round cake or about 24 cupcakes.
Yes! I’ve frozen this buttercream many times. After it’s mixed up, add mounds of it on plastic wrap and wrap it up well, then place the bundles into a freezer bag.
For the full tutorial on freezing buttercream, check out this post: Freezing Buttercream
Buttercream can last in the freezer for several months.
Store this buttercream in an airtight container at room temperature for about 4-5 days or in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week.
Here are some options:
Nielsen-Massey Vanilla Bean Paste
LorAnn Natural Vanilla Bean Paste
LorAnn Madagascar Vanilla Bean Paste
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Supplies
- Nielsen-Massey Vanilla Bean Paste
- LorAnn Natural Vanilla Bean Paste
- LorAnn Madagascar Vanilla Bean Paste
- Large mixing bowl
- Hand mixer or stand mixer
- Silicone Spatula
- Violet gel food coloring (to make the buttercream white)
Christina Kyriakidou
Hi
I don’t have a paddle attachment.
Does it affect how it turns out if I use the whisk attachments?
Thanks!
Kara Jane
Hi Christina, It will be fine to use a whisk attachment. The paddle attachment just lessons the amount of air bubbles in the final product. If you use a whisk attachment, after you’ve mixed up your buttercream you may just need to mix it with a rubber spatula a little if there are any air bubbles in it.
Christina Kyriakidou
Thanks so much!
Stephanie
I have been making and selling cakes out of my home for three years now the entire time been searching for the perfect recipe is for all my flavors to maintain my reputation for not just beautiful but delicious cake. I just want you to know your vanilla bean cake is the best I’ve ever had and I’ve decided it’s definitely a keeper for my portfolio. I have even begun swapping out the vanilla for different emulsions and/or the milk for fruit purée and the search is over! This will be may base recipe thanks so much for sharing!!
Kara Jane
Thank you so much! That’s wonderful to hear! I have to say that cake is my favorite and I’m so glad you love it. Your comment has just made my day! ?
Q
Does this recipe stack well? If I had a 3 tiered cake can it hold its own weight?
Kara Jane
I use this buttercream or a flavor variation in almost all my cakes. I’ve used it for stacked cakes many times as well. As long as you make sure and not make the buttercream too thin, and make sure to dowel between the cake tiers, it will be fine.
Chioma
Wow! I must say thank you so much for all here ! 1st time to comment on any blogger or page.?
I love to read comments.
Based on your reply above on tiers. To stack (usual with fondate )the butter cream in between makes the fondate soggy and ‘unkept’. Though lightly applied (better cream in between) placed in the fridge after spreading on the cake and so on. What’s the best to do please?
Kara Jane
Hi Chioma! Are you wanting to cover your cake in fondant? If so, buttercream really doesn’t make the fondant soggy, but if you add too much buttercream, then it could cause the fondant to be lumpy. I like to fill my cake layers with buttercream, cover the cake and then let the layers settle for a couple hours or overnight before icing the entire thing with buttercream or ganache. I do this because ‘settling’ will help prevent any air bubbles or icing ridges in your final cake. I don’t refrigerate my cakes though…unless it’s a perishable filling (American Buttercream is fine to sit out). Refrigerating has always caused me issues with blow outs, but each person has the preference as to how they like to do things. We’re all different! Anyway, if I’m covering the cake with fondant, I either do a thin layer of buttercream on the outside of the cake or I usually use ganache, since it will firm up a bit and seems to look better under fondant. I hope this helped answer your question! If not, let me know if you need clarification. 🙂
Qh
Hi there need to know that ratio would u suggest if i want to add shortening along with butter in the vanilla buttercream? Bcoz of heat issues in summer i want somethinh that can hold up to high temp easily.thx
Kara Jane
You can do one of two things: You can substitute half of the butter with shortening, or you could substitute all of the butter for shortening. You get a better taste if you do half butter and half shortening. If you go that route, just use the unsalted butter with the shortening and add a pinch of salt when you mix it up.
If it’s going to be really hot and you’re really concerned about it, you might go with all shortening. Just substitute it cup for cup when the recipe calls for butter. So if you’re making the recipe as it’s printed, instead of using two cups of butter, just use two cups of shortening and add a pinch of salt. It’s not going to taste as good as all butter, but sometimes ya just gotta do it if it’s super hot outside.
If you can get your hands on some high ratio shortening from a restaurant supply store…do that. It’s much creamier and works better than store bought. Also, I’d wait as long as possible to set the cake out. Even when using straight shortening, it can still only take so much sun and heat. Hope this helps.
Qh
Yeah i hear u thats ok but wat im concerned about ur recipe that u hav added half salted n half unsalted butter thats the key…..so if im using 1 cup shortening thats the sustitute of one cup butter…would that butter i omit be the salted one or unsalted one?or would b half salted n half unsalted? Like as u said that i can add a pinch of salt that i already do in my buttercreams but wat if i want to add salted butter one cup n 1 cup shortening…..would that b fine?
Kara Jane
Ok, gotcha. I usually just use the unsalted butter if I’m going to add shortening. Salted butter has a little bit more water content in it and I just feel like the unsalted butter will mix better with the shortening. I want the buttercream to be as creamy as possible. It may not make THAT huge a difference, but usually I just go for the unsalted butter.
Miranda Khzym
My question is regarding your vanilla buttercream . Can you please tell me if this is a crusting buttercream, and how long can you store it on the counter, fridge ,and freezer ?
Kara Jane
Hi Miranda, I really wouldn’t consider this one a crusting buttercream, mainly because it’s made with all butter and no shortening. If you want to substitute shortening for half the butter, or even use all shortening, then it would be a crusting buttercream. You can store this on the counter at room temp for several days. You can also store in the fridge for a week or so. Honestly I’ve eaten it after it’s been in the fridge about a week and a half and it was fine, but I say a week just to be safe. As far as freezing it goes: Use a piece of saran wrap and place a mound of the buttercream on it, then roll up the saran wrap around it. You may need to do this several times if you’ve got alot of buttercream to freeze. Pop the saran wrapped buttercream ‘packets’ in a freezer bag and then into the freezer. It should be good for a couple months in the freezer. Hope this helps!
Patricia
Hi Kara,
Can this recipe be used for piping rosettes? Which way works best? All butter, all shortening, or half and half?
I can’t wait to make the vanilla bean cake and the frosting for a birthday and a wedding!
THANK YOU!
Kara Jane
Hi Patricia, it should be just fine for rosettes. If you were piping actual roses and other complicated buttercream flowers, I’d go with a shortening base buttercream, but for rosettes, it’s normally fine to use an all butter buttercream. I do it all the time. 😉
Patricia
Awesome!
Thank you so much Kara. I’m making my first cake next weekend for a birthday celebration. I’ll let you know how the cake and rosettes turn out.
Kara Jane
Yes I’d love to know how it all works out!
Ashley Crane
Do you ever add almond extract or emulsion to this buttercream; I usually add a little to my vanilla buttercream recipes.
Kara Jane
Oh yes…and it’s really good. I usually only add in about a 1/4 teaspoon though. I like just a slight hint of it, but you could always add more if you prefer a stronger taste.
Rosy
Can you use only unsalted butter and add a pinch of salt to replaced for the salted butter for the Vanilla Bean Buttercream? If yes, what would be the amount of salt?
Kara Jane
Yes you sure can. For some reason, the taste of the salted butter just tastes better to me, but if you can’t find it or don’t have the salted butter, it’ll still taste good. Just add in a pinch to about a 1/4 tsp of salt and do a taste test. If you need more, just add in another small pinch, but I think that should be enough.
Rosa DiMarco
Hello! Thanks so much for your response and time! I bought the butter from Costco and didn’t want to get an additional package of the salted one if it was not totally necessarily. Now I can’t wait to bake the cake and taste it!
Kara Jane
No worries! It’ll still turn out great. Let me know how you like it! 🙂
Tabitha
Delicious!!!!
Kara Jane
So glad you liked it!
Shy
Hi Kara. I’m making a black cake and want to use this recipe. Will it be ok to just add a few tablespoons of black gel and cocoa powder to this recipe or is it better to use a chocolate buttercream recipe?
Kara Jane
Yes you can do that. If you want more of a chocolate taste though, you could use my double chocolate buttercream recipe and add black gel coloring to that. Either way should work though, you may just have to add more food coloring to the vanilla one. Here’s my chocolate buttercream recipe link if you’d like to look at it: https://iscreamforbuttercream.com/double-chocolate-buttercream-recipe/
Sana
One unsalted and one salted butter is written here,, if I use unsalted how many cups do I need?
Kara Jane
I use one cup unsalted and one cup salted, but if you only want to use unsalted butter, then use 2 cups. (You’re just replacing the cup of salted butter with unsalted butter.) You’ll want to add a small pinch of salt to your buttercream though to help the flavor and cut the sweetness a bit.
Kathy
Will meringue powder stabilize this instead of substituting shortening? I love the taste of all butter icing but I need something more stable.
Kara Jane
Yeah I’m right there with ya.
Meringue powder could help a bit, but I don’t think it would help as much as using shortening. You could possibly use half shortening and half butter, then add in about a tablespoon and a half or so of meringue powder…That way you get a little more butter flavor in there and it’s not all shortening.
Rita
My husband has recently started requesting that we use Kerry Gold Butter, which is fine for some things because it tastes great, however, I still like to use standard “American” butter for some recipes as it melts much easier. So . . . I was thinking, maybe, because it doesn’t melt as easily, that the Kerry Gold, might make a more stable buttercream. Do you have any thoughts on this?
Kara Jane
Hi Rita, I haven’t tried KerryGold, but I can’t see any reason why it wouldn’t work. Seems like it’s super quality natural butter, so I’m thinking it would make a really tasty buttercream. You could just try making a 1/2 batch of buttercream first to see how it turns out. That way you’re not wasting much if it doesn’t work. It’s going to be more expensive using it instead of the American butter, but it might taste amazing. Does it take longer to come to room temperature? Just make sure it’s room temp, before mixing it up so you don’t get any chunkiness in the buttercream. I say go for it…just start off with a small batch and see how it goes. I’ll be curious to know how it turns out and if it makes a thicker (more stable) buttercream.
Megan
Looks delicious! I’m thinking about making this with your vanilla bean cake for my daughter’s first birthday smash cake. I’m having a small surgery 2 days before her birthday and I’m wondering if you have any experience or tips for freezing a cake for a short time? Thank you!
Kara Jane
Hi Megan, this buttercream plus the vanilla bean cake is my absolute favorite combination…it’s so good! I’ve frozen both the buttercream and the cake a ton of times and they’ve been just fine. If you wrap them well, even freezing them for a couple days would be fine. I just don’t like to freeze them longer than about a month. I’ve got a post on freezing cakes and freezing buttercream. I don’t know if you’ve seen those posts, but I’ve included links here in case you haven’t. Freezing Cakes: https://iscreamforbuttercream.com/freezing-cakes-and-cupcakes/ Freezing Buttercream: https://iscreamforbuttercream.com/freezing-buttercream-plus-what-to-do-with-leftover-frosting/
Jeremy
I have never tried making frosting before, but will definitely give it a go. Thanks for the recipe.
Kara Jane
Hey Jeremy, I hope you love it!