Simply The BEST Whipped Buttercream Frosting Recipe Ever (Must Try!)

Name: Best Whipped Buttercream Frosting
Prep time: 6 min
Total time: 6 min
Yield: 3
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1 cup salted butter (2 sticks), softened; 4 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted; 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract; 3-5 tablespoons heavy cream

Published: Feb 4, 2013 by Tara Kuczykowski · 203 Comments
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Super creamy and fluffy, not too sweet -- this is quite possibly the BEST whipped buttercream frosting recipe ever... A must try!

whipped buttercream piped in a rosette on chocolate cupcakes

Whipped Buttercream Frosting

Call me crazy, but I've never been much of a fan of frosting. More often than not, I scrape as much of it off my cupcake or slice of cake as possible -- kids LOVE to sit next to me at parties!

But this whipped buttercream frosting? Oh, this buttercream frosting... I personally think it is THE best buttercream frosting recipe. EVER. And I don't take calling any recipe "the best" lightly.

whipped buttercream frosting ingredients including butter, confectioners sugar, heavy cream, and pure vanilla extract

Vanilla Whipped Buttercream Frosting Ingredients

Now I realize that there are really only so many ways to make buttercream frosting. A simple Google search yields thousands upon thousands of results.

But a truly delicious buttercream icing is as much about the technique, as it is about the ingredients. We'll talk technique in just a moment, but let's begin with the ingredients for this whipped buttercream (and there are just 4 of them!)...

Start with fresh, high-quality ingredients: softened salted butter, heavy whipping cream, pure vanilla extract, and confectioners' sugar.

Yes, I did specify salted butter -- I prefer to use salted butter in my buttercream icing recipe. However, you should note that the salt content can vary by brand of butter.

My all-time fave is the Horizon Organic brand, but the Kirkland organic butter from Costco is an excellent option, as well. In fact, I strongly suspect that it may actually BE the Horizon brand repackaged for bulk sale. Feel free to experiment to find your favorite, though!

RELATED: Fresh Homemade Strawberry Shortcake Cupcakes

Don't have salted butter on hand? As an alternative, you can also use unsalted butter and add about ⅛ teaspoon of table salt to the recipe.

Also, I stay away from adding shortening. Sure, it's useful for helping the buttercream frosting hold its shape better in warm weather. But I find it creates an oily texture and dilutes the flavor. NOT what we want in a dreamy, fluffy buttercream!

how to make whipped icing like walmart step by step

How To Make Whipped Cream Buttercream Frosting

Now we get to the technique... Whipped buttercream is the name of the game -- super creamy & fluffy and not too sweet!

The key to what I consider the best whipped buttercream frosting recipe ever starts with perfectly softened butter. We're not talking room temperature, but you should be able to leave an impression in it fairly easily.

Allow plenty of time for it to reach this consistency, especially in cooler weather. And whatever you do, please do not use the microwave to soften it -- 99.9% of the time it will get too soft, and it's impossible to recover it at that point.

RELATED: Homemade Caramel Sauce In Your Slow Cooker

Easy Whipped Buttercream Frosting In 4 Steps

Follow these four simple steps to produce a delicious homemade buttercream icing:

butter being whipped in a mixing bowl with a flat beater

Whip Butter

Add your softened butter to a stand mixer and beat it with a flat paddle for about three minutes on medium.

butter and confectioners sugar being whipped together with a flat beater

Add Powdered Sugar

Turn the mixer off and add the confectioners' sugar. Mix on low until thoroughly incorporated.

butter, confectioners sugar, heavy cream, and vanilla being mixed with a stand mixer

Add Vanilla Extract & Cream

When the butter and confectioners' sugar start to create a dough-like ball, you can add the vanilla extract and 3 tablespoons of heavy cream. Whip on medium-high for about three minutes.

whipped cream buttercream frosting with a flat beater in a mixing bowl

Adjust Consistency

Continue to add more heavy cream by the tablespoon until the frosting reaches your desired consistency. Less cream equals thicker frosting and more cream creates a thinner frosting.

Voila! Is this an easy buttercream frosting recipe, or what?! If you've ever wanted to learn how to make whipped icing like Walmart, this is as close as you can get -- but BETTER, in my opinion!!!

vanilla buttercream piped on chocolate cupcakes

Best Buttercream Frosting

For a batch of frosting that's the consistency of what's shown in these photos, I used a total of 4 tablespoons of cream. It was super creamy and fluffy, the perfect consistency for piping with a large tip onto my cupcakes.

Best Whipped Buttercream Frosting

Yield: 3 cups

Prep Time: 6 minutes

Total Time: 6 minutes

Super creamy and fluffy, not too sweet, and just 4 ingredients — this is quite possibly the best whipped buttercream frosting recipe ever… A must try!

Ingredients

1 cup salted butter (2 sticks), softened
4 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
3-5 tablespoons heavy cream

Instructions

Using a paddle beater, beat the softened butter on medium speed for about 3 minutes or until it's a pale yellow color.
Add sifted confectioners' sugar and stir on low until incorporated.
Add pure vanilla extract and 3 tablespoons of heavy cream. Beat on medium-high for 3 minutes or until light and fluffy, stopping to scrape the sides once or twice.
If a thinner frosting is desired, add additional heavy cream 1 tablespoon at a time until desired consistency is reached.

Notes

I used regular pure vanilla extract in this batch, which is why the frosting has a creamy color to it. If you prefer a truer white buttercream, you’ll want to look for clear vanilla extract.

If you would like to add color to this fluffy buttercream frosting, I recommend using a good quality soft gel paste food coloring.

Whipped Buttercream Icing Recipe Variations

I've had a number of requests for variations on this whipped buttercream frosting recipe, so I thought I'd start listing them here for easy access as I publish them. If you have a request, please contact me or leave a comment below!

Caramel Buttercream Frosting
Strawberry Buttercream Frosting
Chocolate Buttercream Frosting -- coming soon!
Cream Cheese Buttercream Frosting -- coming soon!
Lemon Buttercream Frosting -- coming soon!
Coconut Buttercream Frosting -- coming soon!
Peanut Butter Buttercream Frosting -- coming soon!
Almond Buttercream Frosting -- coming soon!

Above all, have fun with this recipe!

One last note -- I used regular pure vanilla extract in this batch, which is why the frosting has a creamy color to it. If you prefer a truer white buttercream, you'll want to look for clear vanilla extract.

hand holding snowflake cookie piped with royal icing and pearl sprinkles

Ridiculously Easy Royal Icing Recipe

Looking for a stiffer icing for your sugar cookies? Try this ridiculously easy royal icing recipe! No egg whites, no meringue powder, just four ingredients whipped up with a hand or stand mixer, means you can get down to decorating cookies with your kids with less mess and fuss…

Did you make this recipe?
I'd love to see how your whipped buttercream frosting turns out... Tag me @Unsophisticook on Instagram or use the hashtag #Unsophisticook so I can check it out. Enjoy!

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