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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
This recipe is:
Quick
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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Reviewed on Apr. 03, 2013 by BoxedIn_Cupcakery
This recipe was amazing! My cupcakes were the talk of the month!
Reviewed on Mar. 29, 2013 by billieboy57
This was good, next time I'll cut butter down to 1/4 cup. I used heavy cream, tad bit of carol syrup (keeps it from cracking).
Reviewed on Mar. 29, 2013 by billsbunch
My family has used this on the Miracle Whip Cake since Moses wore diapers. Be sure to add a pinch of salt to the frosting to cut the sweetness. With the airy taste of the Miracle Whip cake, so, so, yummy. My 26 year old son just asked for this as his birthday cake.
Reviewed on Jan. 28, 2013 by MissedMe
Very good and easy to make. Incredibly sweet though. Will definitely try adding a touch of salt next time to tone down the sweetness. I only used 4 cups of sugar instead of 4 1/2 cups and I used evaporated milk.
Reviewed on Jan. 20, 2013 by JaneVX
This is the same frosting my mom always made. It's really good and so easy to make. Thanks for sharing it!
Reviewed on Jan. 01, 2013 by MissCrystal14
Icing was very good but I followed instructions and had not read all reviews first. I added 6 tablespoons of milk as instructed. Finished product was too thin and I was not able to decorate cupcakes as I had hoped. But overall icing was really good and was a hit and everyone ate them up!
Reviewed on Dec. 17, 2012 by HSteacher
As a busy mom of two and an English teacher with 200 students, I was looking for a quick and easy buttercream frosting recipe for my eggnog cupcakes I made for our annual staff cookie day at work. This was perfect. Quick, easy, and easy to personalize. Instead of milk, I substituted the same amount of Captain Morgan spiced rum. Sooooo yummy. Perfect for the eggnog cupcakes, and just the right amount of alcohol for a frosting. I'm thinking about trying the rum frosting on my shortbread cookies...should be fantastic. Or maybe I'll try it with Bailey's Irish Cream...
Reviewed on Dec. 10, 2012 by skit1130
I like the recipe but i changed it up a bit i used 10 tbs of milk to 5 cups of c. sugar. i thought the peanut butter recipe was to strong so i just added like 5 tbs of peanut butter to the original recipe came out great
Reviewed on Nov. 29, 2012 by abbydo24
I haven't used this recipe yet. I was wondering if it is salted or unsalted butter?
Reviewed on Nov. 29, 2012 by Daisybone
This is essentially the buttercream recipe found in the Wilton cake decorating books, though this recipe has a bit more sugar and as a result is a bit too sweet. Consequently I have given this 4 stars instead of 5. I have been making this for decades to decorate cakes, though I use one pound of confectioners' sugar per 1/2 cup fat (3 3/4 cups sugar). Also, to get a pure white frosting use white Crisco and clear vanilla. Use sifted sugar for the best results, and alternately add sugar and flavoring/milk to the creamed fat. For good consistency I usually use 1 Tbsp liquid per cup of sugar, though this can vary due to weather/humidity conditions. Of note, on very warm and humid days a frosting made with butter can soften and slump - make it with Crisco and it won't do that even on the hottest, stickiest days (believe me, I've done outdoor weddings set up under tenting on humid, 95 degree days). When properly mixed, adding liquid to obtain the right consistency, you should never have to refrigerate this frosting in order to use it. I also suspect the first reviewer who had a "crunchy" frosting used granulated sugar instead of confectioners' sugar - if left out to the air this may get a crust but the frosting itself is never crunchy. Good basic frosting that is endlessly adaptable.
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