Vanilla Buttercream Frosting
April 18, 2010
My friend Alison is well-known around here for her incredible bakery and candy creations — especially her chocolate-covered pretzels. I am glad to have her as a resource when I have a baking question or need a recipe. This is her basic vanilla buttercream, which she jotted down from memory for me many months ago. I’ve used it several times since, and think it’s totally no-fail (unlike a cooked frosting I tried making recently).
Vanilla Buttercream Frosting
Enough to generously frost 1 dozen cupcakes
1 c. unsalted butter (2 sticks), at room temperature
salt
3½ c. powdered sugar
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
milk, if needed
Using a hand or stand mixer, beat butter with a pinch of salt until it is light in color, for 3-4 minutes. Add sugar, 1 cup at a time, beating thoroughly after each addition. Add vanilla and milk, if needed, to thin frosting. Beat for an additional minute.
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Filed under: Dessert
I'm Dara, the Chick in the Kitchen. Living in the suburbs of Manhattan with my two school-aged boys and husband. Feeding my family something more diverse than a different shape of pasta each night. Read more 
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3 Comments
1.
Anna | April 19, 2010 at 7:53 am
Dara, I think you should give cooked frosting another try. if you pick the right recipe, it tastes almost like a buttercream. I haven’t made it in a while, but the recipe that goes with the mock Ding Dong cake on Recipezaar makes a good one. The only problem is it’s all shortening. Maybe you could find a cooked frosting recipe that’s part shortening, part butter? There are lots of them out there.
Or you could try to make an actual buttercream. I made it once and it was pretty good, but I haven’t found the perfect recipe. I have a great cooked chocolate frosting, though. Let me know if you want it and I’ll email it.
I would like to try a cooked frosting again. The one problem with this frosting, I’ve discovered, is that it is rock-hard when refrigerated since the butter just goes back to a solid state. Also, the feedback I got from this cupcake (after I wrote the post) was that it was a little too sweet for adults. I’ve used it before for kids’ cupcakes and they seemed to like it! Please do send me your chocolate frosting! Thanks, Anna. — Dara
2.
Jodi | April 20, 2010 at 7:32 am
Did you make the cupcake in the photo…it’s very pretty!:)
I frosted it myself! Alison had an extra dozen cupcakes from a test batch she was making, which she gave to me to use for this family party. It’s the buttercream frosting in this recipe, piled high and then dipped in chocolate sprinkles. — Dara
3. How to Decorate a Cake : &hellip | April 20, 2010 at 8:02 pm
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