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This classic vanilla Buttercream Icing recipe takes you step-by-step to achieving perfect frosting for all your cakes and bakes, with just 3 ingredients, 10 minutes of time and a few simple tips.
For me, a few minutes of extra time when I’m baking cakes is always worth it when it comes to adding Buttercream Icing because it adds flavour and looks beautiful, but I can appreciate if you’re not a regular baker, this extra step might seem daunting.
I am sharing my simple Buttercream Icing recipe (also known as Buttercream Frosting outside of the UK) to show just how easy it is to do.
While it is relatively quick and basic, there are still some tips and tricks it’s worth noting to make sure you get it right, and my handy step-by-step videos below show you the way too.
Trust me, I have made all of the mistakes and mishaps when it comes to making buttercream so you don’t have to, from using unsifted icing sugar, to too solid butter, to impatient cake decorating before it’s had a chance to cool!
Why you’ll love this Easy Buttercream Icing recipe
⭐️ Easy and works every time
⭐️ Use basic recipe to customise flavours
⭐️ Elevates simple bakes in flavour and style!
What you can use Buttercream Icing in
It’s that creamy topping on cupcakes and in between cakes, made with butter, icing sugar and vanilla. It’s a little more involved than the icing and water I use in my Fairy Cakes, but it’s also a lot more decadent and impressive.
There’s a slightly different version of Cream Cheese Frosting, which is made with cream cheese too, which goes well with certain flavours like Pumpkin Cake or Courgette Cake.
Buttercream Icing is the more classic version. It’s also, I think, the best frosting for cake decorating generally.
I use this recipe as my base and adapt it for certain bakes. See some adaptations below for examples. It’s perfectly customisable for the type of flavours you’re working with.
Top Tips
If the buttercream is too stiff
If your buttercream is too stiff, add a teaspoon of boiling water, one at a time, until it is a smooth pipe-able texture.
Decorate when cold
You want to make sure that any cake you are decorating is completely cold before adding on the buttercream otherwise it will either slide off or not hold its shape.
Don’t overmix
After you have added the icing sugar, be careful not to mix the buttercream for too long as you may add air bubbles. If this happens, use a wooden spoon or spatula to stir the buttercream, pushing any air bubbles out against the side of the bowl.
Use an electric whisk
Preferably use an electric whisk, but if you don’t have one, you can do this by hand. It will just take longer. If you are mixing by hand, expect it to take about 6-8 minutes longer (with plenty of effort!)
Buttercream Icing Ingredients
- Unsalted butter – Use ROOM TEMPERATURE butter from a hard block. It should be soft enough to scoop easily, but not too runny. Spreadable butter won’t give the same result (and please do not use margarine.)
- Icing sugar – I find that a freshly opened bag of icing sugar gives the best results, so make sure you always seal your icing sugar bags well. Also called powdered sugar or confectioners’ sugar.
- Vanilla extract or paste – I use vanilla paste for this. It’s a bit more of an extravagance than vanilla extract but it adds the most delicious flavour and it will give your icing the little specks of vanilla that take it to the next level. Don’t use vanilla essence! That is synthetic and really doesn’t taste as good.
How to make Buttercream Icing
1. Beat the butter in a large bowl until soft. Sieve in the icing sugar (as per the full recipe below).
2. Beat until smooth, then stir in the vanilla paste or extract.
Storing
In the fridge Keep in the fridge in an air tight container for up to 3 days. When you’re ready to use it you will need to whip it again until light and fluffy.
In the freezer You can freeze buttercream frosting. Pop it in a container or freezer bag and defrost thoroughly before using again. The same applies to whipping it again slightly.
Adapting this recipe
This is a classic Buttercream Icing recipe, but it’s also a base recipe to use for other flavours too.
For example, I swapped the vanilla paste for cocoa powder for decorating my Chocolate Cupcakes. And for my Lemon Cupcakes, I used lemon juice instead, and in my Coffee & Walnut Cake – you guessed it – a little coffee!
You can even change the colour! For my Christmas Cupcakes, I added green food colouring.
Basically, as a rule, the butter and icing are the staples, and the vanilla is the flavouring that can be customised.
More basic baking recipes…
Sweet Things
Easy Fudge Recipe {2 Ingredients, 2 Minutes!}
Sweet Things
Rice Crispy Cakes
Traybakes
Rocky Road {Best Ever Recipe!}
Sweet Things
Easy Cookies {Foolproof Recipe!}
FAQs
This batch of Buttercream Frosting will be enough to decorate 12 cupcakes or one cake filling (for sandwich-style cakes) and the topping.
Yes! That’s what it’s for. I almost always use a Wilton 1M nozzle and disposable piping bags for this job.
When the cakes are cool, pop the nozzle on your piping bag and fill the bag with the fresh icing.
For cupcake decorating, pipe a circle around the edge of the cupcake, continue with another circle on top, slightly smaller, and finally a tiny circle on top. Give the bag a squeeze, stop squeezing and pull the bag away quickly.
Let me know how you got on and what you thought of these recipes. Please rate the recipe using the ⭐️ below.
Also I’d LOVE to see your cooking creations. If you’d like to share yours with me, you can tag me on Instagram (@tamingtwins).
Buttercream Icing Recipe
Ingredients
- 150 g (5 oz) Unsalted butter, Room temperature
- 300 g (2.5 cups) Icing sugar
- 1 tsp Vanilla paste or extract
Instructions
- In a large bowl, use a hand mixer or wooden spoon to beat the butter until soft.
- Sieve in the icing sugar and beat until smooth.
- Stir in the vanilla extract.
Did you make this recipe? Click here to let us know how it went and give it a ⭐️ rating! Your feedback helps us to make more recipes you really want.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation. Nutritional values are per portion unless otherwise stated.
This post was originally published on March 8, 2026 and updated later to make improvements.
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Looking good and has a nice taste
I beat the butter first then added sifted icing sugar. It mixed brilliantly.
Now I need to make another batch to add to it to cover my cake.
Fantastic recipe – this was my first attempt and I was so impressed with how it turned out. Thank you Sarah!