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This is THE original salted buttercream frosting recipe that went viral and has been shared by hundreds of thousands of people – and this recipe has been read tens of millions of times!
Millions Have Enjoyed this Recipe
Millions Have Enjoyed this RecipeThis was my very first viral recipe here on The Kitchen Magpie! If you like this, you should try my Lemon Buttercream Frosting recipe. This recipe is the best thanks to sweet and salty mixing together!
When I first wrote this recipe 9 years ago, no one was using salted butter in their frostings – or at least there weren’t any posted online that I could find.This recipe made it in to my cookbook, that’s how amazing it is! This recipe was one of the first on my website and has been viewed by tens of millions of people over the years! Isn’t that crazy?
This buttercream icing is still is amazing, melt in your mouth, whippy, ultimate swirly cupcake worthy. It was fantastic on the homemade chocolate cake I made to go with it the very first time I whipped it up. The cake was dense and moist, and paired with a light as air buttercream icing… heaven. Angels dancing on your taste buds. I’ve tried it on every cupcake that you can imagine and it’s even amazing on vanilla. Salty vanilla icing on a vanilla cupcake is heaven for vanilla lovers!
Please go and have a read of my Buttercream Icing FAQ which answers a lot of the questions about this recipe asked in the hundreds of comments on this post below!
The most important is How to Fix Broken Buttercream, that’s a whole post in itself!
Frosting Ingredients
There are four basic ingredients for this buttercream frosting and I have kept it simple and straightforward for years now:
- Salted butter – a good quality, tastes-good-off-the-spoon butter is important!
- Vanilla – You need that classic vanilla taste
- Icing sugar – This is also known as powdered sugar or confectioners sugar
- Coffee cream – This is literally called coffee cream here in Canada but what it is is a cream that is 18% milk fat and up
Commonly Asked Frosting/Icing Questions and Answers
Do I have to refrigerate a cake with buttercream?
This buttercream has butter and it has whipping cream in it. I personally leave it out all day and it’s fine ( butter is always fine at room temperature) but the whipping cream? That’s a personal call for you. I have left it out overnight, but I honestly have to tell you to refrigerate it instead of leaving it out. But it’s really a personal decision. Apparently because of all the sugar you can leave a cake with buttercream frosting out for 2-3 days.
How long can you leave a cake with buttercream icing out?
I leave mine out for a day, not in the hot sun at all and it’s fine. According to the US food and inspection agency, you can leave a cake with buttercream frosting out for 2-3 days.
What is the best butter to use?
Salted and organic butter is literally the best butter that you can use. It is the salt that really makes this the best buttercream frosting ever. It’s actually a myth that salted butter is an inferior quality – it’s not. It’s the same quality.
How do I make the frosting stiffer?
You will want to use less cream in order to make the frosting stiffer. Start out with only a small amount of cream and add it until you get the consistency that you want.
How do you thicken up frosting?
This buttercream frosting is thick to start without adding in the cream! To start, beat in the icing sugar and see what the thickness of the frosting is. Then you can add a little bit of cream, a little at a time, until you reach the desired consistency. IF you go too far, you then can add more icing sugar/powdered sugar to thicken it back up.
How do you soften buttercream?
This one is easy, leave it out on the counter at room temperature for 45-60 minutes and it will be soft! If that doesn’t work and your frosting is too thick, then you might have to beat it again and add some more cream.
Can you store butter based frostings in the refrigerator?
You bet! Buttercream frosting/icing can be stored in the refrigerator for a week or two, as long as the whipping cream that you use wasn’t going to expire soon.
Can you freeze butter based icings?
I freeze it all the time! Simply defrost, mix and use as normal.
Tips and Tricks for the Best Buttercream Frosting
- Always use salted butter. When I first wrote this recipe in 2010 there weren’t many people that were food blogging compared to today, so I literally couldn’t find a SINGLE buttercream frosting recipe on the internet that used salted butter! Now I am sure that if I looked there would be tons of recipes similar to this one. Oh, how times have changed! So I had discovered that salt and sweet are a match made in heaven for icing and I never looked back. You can also read about the difference between salted and unsalted butter.
- Whip that butter, with a paddle beater if you have it, if not, don’t worry. You can also use the beaters on your handheld mixer just fine to beat the buttercream frosting! You want the butter to be smooth and creamy before you add the icing sugar.
- Fresh icing sugar makes all the difference. Icing sugar/powdered sugar/confectioners sugar goes stale, and you can sure taste it when it does! Crack open a fresh bag for icings, you won’t be sorry! Over the years many people have agreed that this is another trick to making great buttercream frosting.
- You can make this frosting as light or as heavy as you want by adjusting the amount of heavy cream that you use.
- Read this if you are looking for piping techniques.
Some More Frosting Recipes:
- Cream Cheese Buttercream Frosting
- Chocolate Buttercream Icing
- Pistachio Pudding Buttercream Icing
- Vegan Buttercream Icing
- Candy Bar Buttercream Icing
Happy baking everyone!
Love,
Karlynn
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The Best Buttercream Frosting Recipe
- Prep Time
- 5 minutes
- Total Time
- 5 minutes
- Course
- Dessert
- Cuisine
- icing
- Servings
- 16 servings
- Calories
- 223
- Author
- Karlynn Johnston
Ingredients
- 1 cup of salted butter
- 3 teaspoons of vanilla
- 4 cups of icing sugar
- 4-5 tablespoons of coffee cream 18% and up
Instructions
- Get out the salted butter! Trust me and use salted butter, it's the secret ingredient!
- Beat the butter until it is light and creamy. This is important as you are adding the icing sugar next. If the butter isn't creamy you can get lumps in the icing.
- Add in the icing sugar. Again, if you are like me and can taste stale icing sugar, you will need a fresh bag.
- Add in the cream.. I used 4 tablespoons for my preference, you adjust to what you want.
- Stiffer icing = less cream. Lighter icing = more cream. Adjust the amount to your liking by adding one tablespoon at a time until the desired consistency is reached.
- Add the vanilla then keep mixing it until fluffy and thoroughly combined.
Recipe Video
Recipe Notes
Nutrition Information
All calories and info are based on a third party calculator and are only an estimate. Actual nutritional info will vary with brands used, your measuring methods, portion sizes and more.
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Mep72 says
I made this last night and was good. I used. The Nielsen-Masssey pure vanilla. For cofffee creamer I always have coffee-mate Italian sweet cream on hand. My husband loved the taste n he’s not a big icing person. I actually used two different kinds of butter and let them sit out to room temperature(that was what I had on hand). And always use the dominion powdered sugar. So buttery tasting n smooth. Success for the new go to buttercream icing Thanks Karlynn.
Jane says
Also I made it in a stainless steel mixing bowl, not glass- would that make a difference?? So confused!
Mep72 says
No I did mine in a tuppware bowl. Turn out great
Jane says
How long are you supposed to whip? Mine came out tasting too buttery and not light or fluffy, and I followed the recipe instructions and ingredient amounts to a T! Is it possible I over whipped it? It felt like I whipped it for a long time. Also I made this in my kitchenaid stand mixer with the paddle, the butter was room temp. Should I have used the whisk attachment instead? Any help would be greatly appreciated, I am on the hook for providing 60 cupcakes this weekend!!! \U0001f633 Thank goodness I made a test batch, haha
Meganmcq says
You may nothave added enough cream. I’ve made this icing several times, and the one time it was flat, I fixed it by adding more cream. Don’t give up on this icing -it’s too good!
sansky says
hi, can I ask you what brand you use for butter to make buttercream? can you send me the picture? thank you
jacestar7 says
I have made this icing before and I will be making it again very soon. I LOVE it. It is sooooooo delicious. I whip it just a little longer to make it a little more fluffy. I have had great compliments on it. Thanks for posting it xx
Maryann says
Salted butter may be used freely in icings. It is in pastry making and to a slightly lesser extent in cakemaking that you want unsalted. Something about the way salt reacts with moisture and affects the finished product.
cinthia says
what is icing sugar is that confectioners sugar
ButtahLuv says
I want to make your delicious frosting tomorrow and had a few questions :
1. Do you use cold butter?
2. How do you measure out your powdered sugar?
3. Is the coffee creamer supposed to be at room temperature?
Thanks in advance!
AmyLynBonney says
I want the “buttery” taste in my icing, So using salted butter gives it that buttery taste?
RiahGbaiwonHills says
AmyLynBonney If you want more buttery try making a swiss meringue buttercream! Really simple to make. Youtube it.
debo0106 says
Used this recipe for baby girl’s birthday cake and it was a major hit! Thanks for sharing.
ace says
Is this very sweet? Proportionately it seems to call for a lot more sugar than other recipes (usually I see about 3 cups confectioners’ sugar : 1 cup of butter). But maybe the salt in the butter cuts the sugar a little? This recipe sounds yummy but I’m scared because I find most frosting to be way too sweet.
Peekspastry says
That is what I have always said about using Salted Butter…. It makes all the difference in the world. Our recipes are almost spot on! Yum!!
Crystal says
What if I do not have a paddle beater? How would you recommend mixing this. I do a lot of mixing by hand but what would you do?
eormonde says
I wanna make cupcakes for my sons birthday but wanna do the icing the day before.. so that’s fine? once I am done the icing just refrigerate it until I am ready to ice the cupcakes .. I will need to add food colouring as well but can do that the day of.. ?? and how many cupcakes does it ice ?
Katrina Epperly says
Oh My Gosh!! I am so happy I came across this recipe!!! It is truly the best buttercream icing! Thank you 🙂
Anne says
This is the only butter cream icing I ever use and everyone raves over it. It is amazing! For my daughters birthdays or if I’m making a strawberry cake I sub the creamer for smashed strawberries. Try dipping fresh strawberries in it made this way. It’s SO good!!
Mark Richards says
I made this recipe as directed. Unfortunately it seemed to have way too much vanilla. I made the recipe again with no vanilla and mixed the two batches together and it was perfect – best icing I’ve ever made. So my advice is to put less vanilla in at first and then taste it to see if you need more.
Bran7926 says
Mark Richards all buttercream you make will have at least 2-3 tsp of vanilla. be careful you are not using tbsp.
Family baker says
Great recipe, thank you!!! I substituted the coffee cream for coconut cream, lactose intolerance, and that worked out perfect.
PadriacRiley says
I actually don’t have coffee cream in the house because I most often drink my coffee John Wayne style or with Irish Whiskey and Irish Cream added (you know after dinner and not before driving to work).
That said I used 6 tablespoons of Irish cream and it came out pretty fantastic. Kerry Gold brand Irish cream if it makes a difference. It’s about half the price of Bailey’s here but is every bit as good.
emsim20 says
AMAZING!! I am French, and I happen to be super picky when it comes to dessert. I find North American dessert to be too sugary for me most of the time, so I usually cut on the sugar… but not this time!!!!
I used salted butter, as suggested, and “Nutriwhip” dessert topping product instead of coffee cream, also 5 tbsp. All other ingredients stayed the same as in the recipe.
Used corkscrew (spiral) beater with my mixer since I don’t own a Kitchenaid beater.
I like my frosting somewhat dense, and this recipe definitely met my goal.
The result is fluffy and not too sugary, and I love it!!! Thank you so much for sharing this recipe!!
Kathy says
How many cupcakes would this recipe frost?
Tiff says
Where do u find coffee cream ? And what’s a good brand to use?
DanaHolmes says
@Tiff You’ll find the coffee cream in the milk cooler in any grocery store. It will likely say “Coffee Cream” on the container but if it doesn’t, look for 18% cream written on it.
Jessbear02 says
I usually use half butter, half shortening… But can you pipe roses or other decorations with this all butter recipe and if so, will they hold up?
TinaR says
i am pretty sure you have seen or perhaps used the Russian Icing tips by now..
is this buttercream good for use with the Russian tips??
seems a “good” firm but not crusty frosting is needed along with technique…..
CrystalDay says
I love this recipie, but need a strawberry buttercream. How would you suggest getting that flavor? I feel like extract will taste artificial and a puree will leave it too thin. Help??
AidanDevlon says
Preserves or jams are great for frosting – just add it a tablespoon at a time until you achieve your desired result.
Ashley says
Buy a bag of freeze dried strawberries from Target. Use a rolling pin to smash in the bag until dusty then sift through sifter/strainer. Put large pieces back into bag and smash /soft again. Repeat process until almost all the pieces have been sifted through. You want to use a 12 oz bag and basically just add the powdered strawberries to the buttercream with same amount of vanilla and add 1-2 tsp of lemon juice (I prefer fresh but pre-juiced is just fine). I get tons of compliments every time I make my “real” strawberry buttercream ! Hope this helps ! It also turns the frosting a nice pink color and you can pipe roses and other designs as usual. I’ve used on cupcakes and cakes and it always keeps shape even after being out of the fridge . Enjoy!
Menna says
Hi, I’m new to baking 🙂 can I use this recipe to cover the cake before covering it with fondant ?
Thanks 🙂
Melissa says
Yes, I’ve used this as the thin layer of buttercream under fondant, and it works beautifully.
Heirloom Girl says
Used a recipe like this for over 35 years, it is the best and can be altered such as milk if you don’t have cream, may not be exactly the same. I have added a touch of peppermint, crushed candy canes on top, food coloring depending what the icing is for. There are so many things you can do with this recipe. It was pass to me and i have passed it to my tow oldest children and friends. Better than any store bought poor substitute.Great sharing and teaching, old simple recipes are the best.
Brittany says
I know it says serves six but does that mean six cups of icing?
Feli360 says
AMAZING and DELICIOUS. Thank you
Charleee says
I did not have the same success as everyone else, I found it to be to liquidy even tho I was careful with my measurements. Dang!