Easy Vanilla Buttercream Frosting Recipe

Easy Vanilla Buttercream Frosting Recipe Easy Vanilla Buttercream Frosting Recipe photo by Taste of Home Rating 4

This basic buttery frosting has unmatchable homemade taste. With a few simple variations, you can come up with different colors and flavors. —Diana Wilson, Denver, Colorado

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Easy Vanilla Buttercream Frosting Recipe
  • Prep/Total Time: 10 min.
  • Yield: 24 Servings
10 10

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup butter, softened
  • 4-1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
  • 1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 5 to 6 tablespoons 2% milk

Directions

  • 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.

Nutritional Analysis: 2 tablespoons equals 124 calories, 4 g fat (2 g saturated fat), 11 mg cholesterol, 40 mg sodium, 23 g carbohydrate, 0 fiber, trace protein.

Originally published as Easy Vanilla Buttercream Frosting in Complete Guide to Baking , p140

Sweet White Wine

Enjoy this recipe with a sweet white wine such as Moscato or a sweet Riesling.

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Reviews for Easy Vanilla Buttercream Frosting

Easy Vanilla Buttercream Frosting Recipe

Easy Vanilla Buttercream Frosting

Tell us what you think of this recipe.
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(31-40) of 50 reviews

Reviewed on Jan. 13, 2012 by Ctink8189

Just tried a practice run of this recipe last night because I plan on using it for my daughter's birthday cake. It was very good but HOLY COW it was so sweet it blew my mind lol Any ideas on how to tone the sweetness down just a little? I am a baking rookie and I am afraid to try any changes on my own lol Any help on this would be appreciated

Reviewed on Jan. 12, 2012 by helloduckie

Can we say amazing? I'm not the type who wants a strong frosting/icing and this is going in the book. It's smooth and the perfect complement to a chocolate cake.

Reviewed on Dec. 20, 2011 by BlueEyes76

GREAT recipe! I used the food coloring gel instead of the liquid so there was no watering down. My Christmas cookies are delish!

Reviewed on Nov. 30, 2011 by lilqueeny

This frosting is soooo good! I wanted to find a frosting for a tonka truck cake that I was making and I tell ya, this was the one! Thank you for sharing your recipe we really enjoyed it :)

Reviewed on Oct. 17, 2011 by eitsim

This is a really simple recipe with a nice flavor. It is the easiest buttercream frosting I've found and one of the best tasting. Easy to decorate with.

Reviewed on Sep. 30, 2011 by lachef1103

This is a very simple, straightforward recipe for frosting. Please dont give poor rates when you dont bother to read the recipe. It states clearly Confectioners sugar, so why would anyone use regular sugar? Who knows... MAke it right then rate!

Reviewed on Sep. 05, 2011 by Haman

I needed to make a quick birthday cake so had to use a cake mix, but wanted a frosting that was home made. This Butter Cream Frosting was just what the cake needed. So easy and I like the different varriations of it. My daughter asked me for the recipe.

Reviewed on Aug. 30, 2011 by izlilumom1

Did you use confectioner's (powdered) sugar or regular sugar? 'crunchy' happens to me all the time with regular sugar...

Reviewed on Aug. 28, 2011 by Kathyg44

Thank you for a delicious basic frosting recipe. I felt that the amounts shown would make too much frosting, so I used 1/2 c I Can't Believe It's Not Butter, 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar, 1/2 cups Hershey's Special Dark Cocoa, and 2T milk. It turned out great and was more than enough to frost 36 cupcakes!

Reviewed on Aug. 28, 2011 by pcortez

If you want a richer, more confectionary flavor use evaporated milk in place of regular milk.

 
 

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