Best Easy Buttercream Frosting Recipes

EASY VANILLA BUTTERCREAM FROSTING

Steps:

• In a large bowl, beat butter until creamy. Beat in the confectioners' sugar, vanilla and enough milk to achieve desired consistency.

EASY BUTTERCREAM FROSTING

Steps:

• In a small bowl, using an electric mixer on low speed, beat together sugar, butter and salt until creamy. Increase speed to high and beat until light and fully. Add vanilla, beating until frosting is smooth.
• Spread icing on cooled cupcakes or cake with a knife or transfer to a pastry bag and pipe decoratively over cake or cupcakes.
• Makes enough for over 16 cupcakes.

EASY PEANUT BUTTER BUTTERCREAM FROSTING

Steps:

• In standing mixer fitted with whisk attachment, beat butter and peanut butter at medium-high speed until smooth, about 20 seconds. Add confectioners' sugar and salt; beat at medium-low speed until most of the sugar is moistened, about 45 seconds. Scrape down bowl and beat at medium speed until mixture is fully combined, about 15 seconds; scrape bowl, add vanilla and heavy cream, and beat at medium speed until incorporated, about 10 seconds, then increase speed to medium-high and beat until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes, scraping down bowl once or twice.

EASY CHOCOLATE BUTTERCREAM FROSTING

Steps:

• Beat the butter in a medium mixing bowl.
• Add powdered sugar and cocoa alternately with milk, beating to spreading consistency.
• Stir in vanilla.

EASY KID-PLEASIN' STRAWBERRY BUTTERCREAM FROSTING

Steps:

• Butter must be highly softened but NOT melted. I'd recommend leaving it out in a safe area for about 20 minutes.
• With an electric mixer, cream the butter with 1 cup confectioners sugar and the milk.
• Beat in the Nesquik and vanilla extract.
• In small increments, beat in the rest of the confectioners' sugar. For a stiffer frosting, add a little more confectioners sugar.
• This will ice about 24-36 cupcakes assuming you use about 2-3 Tbsp per cupcake. It's best to make this after you've baked and are ready to use it because refridgeration will cause it to set and make it practically unspreadable.

REALLY, REALLY GOOD (AND EASY!) BUTTERCREAM FROSTING

Steps:

• Put butter, milk, and vanilla in the bowl of a stand mixer (if you don't have a stand mixer, a hand mixer will do).
• Mix on low speed until it just starts to come together, about a minute.
• Scrape the sides of the bowl with a spatula. Increase to medium low speed and beat for about another minute.
• Increase mixer speed to medium high and beat for about another or minute or so.
• Add powdered sugar (and cocoa, if using). Beat on low speed until sugar is just barely incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, and increase speed slowly to medium. Beat for about a minute.
• Check your consistency. This is very important because if your frosting is too thick, it will not spread well.
• If your spatula does not glide through the frosting, add about a tablespoon of corn syrup and beat on medium for about 30 seconds.
• When the frosting is just holding its shape, it is too thick (if you are wanting to pipe some decorations on your cake/cupcakes, now would be the time to set a little of this aside in a separate bowl).
• Add another tablespoon of corn syrup and beat on medium for 30 seconds.
• Repeat until the frosting seems to be of a good spreadable consistency (you don't want it too runny, or it will slide off the cake/cupcakes).
• Once you get your frosting to a good, spreadable consistency, increase mixer speed to medium high and beat for one minute. This will get your frosting nice and fluffy.

EASY HOMEMADE BUTTERCREAM FROSTING

Steps:

• 1. Gather ingredients.
• 2. Place softened butter in a mixing bowl.
• 3. With the paddle attachment, beat butter until smooth.
• 4. Add 3 cups of powdered sugar.
• 5. Beat on low until the butter and sugar are incorporated. Then, raise the speed to medium and mix for 2-3 minutes.
• 6. Add vanilla and 2 tablespoons of heavy cream.
• 7. Beat on medium-high and check consistency. Add the additional tablespoon of cream if looking for a thinner buttercream.
• 8. If tinting the buttercream, with a toothpick, add gel food coloring a little at a time.
• 9. Stir well. Add more food coloring if the color is not intense enough.
• 10. Use this buttercream frosting to ice cupcakes, cookies, or your favorite cake.

EASY VANILLA BUTTERCREAM FROSTING

Steps:

• •In a large bowl, cream butter until light and fluffy. Beat in the confectioners' sugar, vanilla and enough milk to achieve desired consistency. Yield: About 3 cups.
• Easy Almond Buttercream Frosting: Prepare as directed above, use 1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon almond extract instead of the vanilla. Yield: about 3 cups.
• •Easy Chocolate Buttercream Frosting: Prepare as directed above, except use 4 cups confectioners' sugar, 1/2 cup baking cocoa and 6-7 tablespoons milk. Yield: about 3 cups.
• •Easy Lemon Buttercream Frosting: Prepare as directed above, except use 5-6 tablespoons lemon juice instead of the milk and 1 teaspoon grated peel. Yield: about 3 cups.
• •Easy Orange Buttercream Frosting: Prepare as directed above, except use 5-6 tablespoons orange juice instead of the milk and add 1 teaspoon grated orange peel. Yield: about 3 cups.
• •Easy Peanut Butter Frosting: Prepare as directed above, except use 1/2 cup peanut butter instead of the butter and use 6-8 tablespoons milk. Yield: about 3 cups.
• •Easy Peppermint Buttercream Frosting: Prepare as directed above, except use 1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon peppermint extract instead of the vanilla. Yield: about 3 cups.

EASY RASPBERRY VANILLA BUTTERCREAM FROSTING

Steps:

• Put freeze dried raspberries in a food processor and pulse till they can't be pulsed no more! Sift raspberries and sugar together in a bowl.
• In a standing mixer fitted with a whisk, cream butter for about 40 seconds. Then on low, add sugar/raspberry mix till well blended . Then increase speed to medium and beat for another 3 minutes. This step was pretty messy for me, sugar dust went everywhere!
• Add vanilla and cream and continue to beat on medium for 1 more minute, adding more cream if needed for spreading consistency.
• Frost cupcakes or use on regular cake.

AMAZINGLY EASY CHOCOLATE BUTTERCREAM FROSTING

Steps:

• Place chocolate in heavy saucepan on very low heat or in the microwave until melted.
• Set aside to cool.
• Combine in a large bowl, with mixer at low speed, confectioners sugar, butter, milk and vanilla.
• Beat at medium speed 1-2 minutes until creamy.
• Add cooled chocolate and beat till combined. (If you want,you may add more milk now to get your desired spreading consistancy! I never need too.).
• Makes enough to fill and frost 2-layer cake, or 13x9x2-inch sheet cake or 24 cupcakes, or 1 bundt cake.

EASY ORANGE BUTTERCREAM FROSTING (COOK'S ILLUSTRATED)

Steps:

• In standing mixer fitted with whisk attachment, beat butter at medium-high speed until smooth, about 20 seconds. Add orange zest and beat mixture at medium-high speed to combine, about 15 seconds. Add confectioners' sugar and salt; beat at medium-low speed until most of the sugar is moistened, about 45 seconds. Scrape down bowl and beat at medium speed until mixture is fully combined, about 15 seconds; scrape bowl, add orange juice, vanilla, and heavy cream, and beat at medium speed until incorporated, about 10 seconds, then increase speed to medium-high and beat until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes, scraping down bowl once or twice.

EASY FRENCH BUTTERCREAM FROSTING

Steps:

• In small mixer bowl, cream butter, egg and vanilla. Gradually beat in sugar. Add enough milk to make a frosting of good spreading consistency.
• Makes enough frosting for an 8 or 9 inch layer cake, or 24 cupcakes.
• Be sure to refrigerate any leftover frosting or frosted cakes because of the raw egg in the frosting.

COCOA CAKE WITH EASY BUTTERCREAM FROSTING

Steps:

• Position the oven racks so that they are evenly spaced and one rack is in the center. Preheat the oven to convection bake at 325°F. Butter or grease a 9 × 13-inch cake pan.
• In a large mixing bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, cocoa, salt, and baking soda until blended. Make an indentation in the center of the dry ingredients and measure in all the remaining ingredients, except the frosting.
• Mix at low speed with an electric mixer, scraping the sides of the bowl with a spatula, until all the ingredients are well blended. Turn the mixer speed to high and beat for 2 to 3 minutes, until the batter is smooth and light.
• Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake in the center of the oven for 35 to 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean and dry. Cool the cake on a wire rack. Frost the cake when it is completely cooled.
• Cocoa Buttercream Frosting
• Melt 8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter in a saucepan. Remove from the heat. Stir in 2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa, 3 cups powdered sugar, 1/3 cup heavy cream, and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, and continue to stir until the frosting is smooth and creamy.

REALLY, REALLY GOOD (AND EASY!) BUTTERCREAM FROSTING

Steps:

• Put butter, milk, and vanilla in the bowl of a stand mixer (if you don't have a stand mixer, a hand mixer will do).
• Mix on low speed until it just starts to come together, about a minute.
• Scrape the sides of the bowl with a spatula. Increase to medium low speed and beat for about another minute.
• Increase mixer speed to medium high and beat for about another or minute or so.
• Add powdered sugar (and cocoa, if using). Beat on low speed until sugar is just barely incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, and increase speed slowly to medium. Beat for about a minute.
• Check your consistency. This is very important because if your frosting is too thick, it will not spread well.
• If your spatula does not glide through the frosting, add about a tablespoon of corn syrup and beat on medium for about 30 seconds.
• When the frosting is just holding its shape, it is too thick (if you are wanting to pipe some decorations on your cake/cupcakes, now would be the time to set a little of this aside in a separate bowl).
• Add another tablespoon of corn syrup and beat on medium for 30 seconds.
• Repeat until the frosting seems to be of a good spreadable consistency (you don't want it too runny, or it will slide off the cake/cupcakes).
• Once you get your frosting to a good, spreadable consistency, increase mixer speed to medium high and beat for one minute. This will get your frosting nice and fluffy.

EASY BUTTERCREAM FROSTING

Steps:

• In a bowl, using an electric mixer, beat together butter, vanilla and salt until creamy.
• With mixer on low speed, beat in powdered sugar, ½ cup at a time. Increase speed to medium-high and beat until light and fluffy.