How to Make the Best American Buttercream Recipe

This classic American Buttercream recipe is a staple frosting for all cakes, cupcakes, and even cookies! With only a few simple ingredients and some basic knowledge, you will have the best homemade frosting in no time!

There are several buttercreams out there for you to try such as Swiss meringue buttercream, Italian meringue buttercream, or French buttercream. But American buttercream is by far the easiest and most stable of the bunch. I will confess, that it is also the sweetest. 

I recommend testing out the different types of buttercream until you find one that you like the most. 

The great thing about making your own buttercream is that you can control what you put into it. You can play with the types and amounts of butter, extracts, or powdered sugar. I truly think this is the perfect buttercream for all home bakers to try first!

Why You’ll Love This American Buttercream Recipe

• A Few Ingredients. This simple recipe only requires a few ingredients, most of which you already have right at home. 

• Quick & Easy Recipe. It takes less than 20 minutes to prepare a batch of American buttercream and can be made ahead of time too.

• The Perfect Frosting. American buttercream is great for frosting cakes, cupcakes, sugar cookies, cookie sandwiches, brownies, and macarons. It is the best base to try out different flavors as well. 

Key Ingredients for American Buttercream 

Unsalted Butter – This is what puts the “butter” in buttercream, obviously. It is best to go for a high-quality butter, that has a higher butterfat content. I love using Plugra but feel free to experiment here.  

Powdered Sugar – Also known as icing or confectioner’s sugar, this is what gives that sweetness and thickness needed for an American buttercream. 

Hot Water – While you can use heavy cream, I prefer using boiling hot water. Adding a few tablespoons of hot water to the buttercream helps to thin and smooth out the frosting. In my experience, it also helps to cut the sweetness just a little. 

Vanilla Extract – It is best to use clear vanilla when making buttercream to help maintain its white color. But if you plan on dying the buttercream anyway, then you can use pure vanilla or vanilla bean paste, which is always my preference. You can also use different flavored extracts if you’d like.   

Salt (optional) – I normally leave this step out, but adding a pinch of salt cuts down the sweetness and adds some dimension to the frosting. 

Pro Tips for The Best American Buttercream

Sift the powdered sugar. This step isn’t totally necessary but sifting the powdered sugar can help to avoid any lumps and grainy buttercream. 

Use room temperature butter. Make sure the butter is at room temperature. It should be soft enough to make an indention with your finger. Cold butter will leave you with a lumpy buttercream and if it’s too soft you will get a soupy buttercream. 

Low and slow. The best way to avoid tons of air bubbles in your buttercream is to mix on low speed throughout the entire process. If you mix on a high speed it will incorporate much more air, resulting in lots of tiny air bubbles. This is also why I like to add boiling hot water to smooth most of those out. 

Use a paddle attachment. Instead of the whisk attachment, I like to use the paddle attachment. This will avoid beating too much air into the buttercream and of course, will help with reducing air bubbles and give a smoother texture. 

How to Make This Easy American Buttercream

Step 1: In the bowl of a stand mixer, fitted with a paddle attachment, add the room temperature butter. Mix the butter on medium speed for 8-12 minutes, until the butter is lighter in color and has a smooth and silky texture. (You can also use a large mixing bowl and an electric hand mixer). 

Step 2: Next add all the sifted powdered sugar to the bowl along with 2 tablespoons of boiling hot water. Cover the bowl with a kitchen towel or plastic wrap to avoid a cloud of powdered sugar. Continue to mix on low speed until the texture becomes smooth again.  

Step 3: Using a rubber spatula, scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl.

Step 4: Add in the vanilla extract until incorporated.

Step 5: Add more boiling hot water, if needed, until you get your desired consistency. Note: The more water you add, the less sweet the buttercream will be, so add a few teaspoons at a time at this point.

Step 6: Continue to mix on low speed until you reach a smooth consistency and get a fluffy frosting. 

Storage Instructions

American buttercream can be stored at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 3 days. 

If you don’t need it for a few days, you can also store it in the refrigerator for up to a week or in the freezer for up to 3 months. 

When you are ready to use the buttercream allow it to come to room temperature, then re-whip until you reach a fluffy consistency. 

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I get white buttercream?

Most times buttercream will have a slight yellow shade to it because of the butter. Whipping your butter for a long period of time will help get rid of most of the yellow. But if you would like a brighter white, then you can add a tiny drop of purple food coloring to counteract the yellow. 

How do you get vibrant buttercream colors?

Gel food coloring is the best option to get vibrant colors for your buttercream. I like to use Americolor because you don’t have to use a ton of it to achieve your desired shades. 

The longer you allow the color to develop the darker or brighter it will become. 

Can I use this recipe to get other flavor variations?

This American buttercream recipe is the perfect base for all other buttercream flavors! You can play with the additions of Oreos, sprinkles, melted chocolate, or fruit sauces for example. You can even use different extracts or emulsions. 

The possibilities are endless and you can get very creative! 

How much frosting will this recipe make?

One batch of my American buttercream recipe will make about 6 cups of frosting. It is enough to ice 2.5 dozen cupcakes or frost a 6-inch (4-layer) or 8-inch (3-layer) cake.  

If you try this American Buttercream Frosting Recipe make sure to leave a comment and rating. Also, be sure to tag me in your creations on Instagram @itsavemartin !

xoxo, ave

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