This American buttercream recipe is my go-to for “real life” baking. It uses just four everyday ingredients and comes together in a flash, making it the ideal solution for school bakes, birthday parties, or just a treat for the family. No more grainy texture or endless mixing—just a delightful, creamy frosting.
What You Will Need:
- 4 sticks of room temperature butter
- 1/4 cup of heavy whipping cream
- 2 pounds of powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon of vanilla
The Ingredients for the Buttercream Recipe
There are just 4 ingredients for this simple buttercream recipe. Four sticks of butter, two pounds of powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and heavy whipping cream. The butter needs to be at room temperature. You should be able to easily press your finger into it. It should be soft but not oily and starting to separate. The two pounds of powdered sugar that I use comes from Aldis. I am not sure of the weight of any other brand. The vanilla extract and heavy whipping cream are available at most grocery stores.
Mixing
Everything goes into the bowl! The powdered sugar can tend to be tricky because it doesn’t do well at high speeds.
Take the paddle or whisk attachment of your mixer and mix the ingredients together by hand a little bit to avoid a powdered sugar disaster. I use the paddle attachment because it is easier to clean. You will get a fluffier and airy mixture if you use the whisk attachment. Next, start your mixer on the slowest speed to get things going. Once the mixture starts to come together, gradually increase the speed. You will need to stop the mixer and scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl 2-3 times during mixing. The total mixing time should be around 7-10 minutes.
The American buttercream should not be too grainy or gritty when you taste it. The buttercream can be stored covered in your fridge for up to five days or in the freezer for three months. When freezing or refrigerating it, bring it up to room temperature and re-whip it. Whip it good.
Where To Go From Here
Once the buttercream is made, you can go in many different directions. You can make chocolate, salted caramel, or citrus buttercreams. You can add food coloring to make it a special color you like. Separating the buttercream up and making multiple colors for a cake can be done at this point also.
Please try some of my other dessert recipes! Especially my whipped peanut butter frosting recipe!
FAQ’s:
American buttercream is known for being a simple, fast-to-make frosting that uses butter, powdered sugar, and a liquid like milk or cream. Other types, such as Swiss or Italian meringue buttercreams, require cooking egg whites and creating a meringue, which results in a lighter, less sweet frosting.
A grainy texture is almost always caused by powdered sugar that hasn’t fully dissolved. To avoid this, be sure to start mixing on a low speed, then gradually increase it. Additionally, scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl multiple times during the mixing process ensures all the sugar is incorporated.
It can take anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour for cold butter to come to a proper room temperature. The butter should be soft enough that you can easily press your finger into it, but not so soft that it is oily or starting to melt.
Yes, a hand mixer will work just fine for this recipe. Be prepared to mix for a bit longer, and make sure to scrape the bowl frequently to ensure all ingredients are fully combined.
The sweetness of American buttercream comes from the powdered sugar. To make it less sweet, you can try reducing the amount of sugar by a small amount. You can also add a pinch of salt to balance the sweetness, or use a meringue-based buttercream recipe, which is naturally less sweet.
American Buttercream recipe
Ingredients
- 4 sticks of room temperature butter
- ¼ cup heavy whipping cream
- 2 pounds of powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
Instructions
- Place all ingredients into a bowl of a stand mixer or bowl where you will be mixing in.
- By hand using the mixing beater, mix the butter and powdered sugar up a bit to avoid the powdered sugar from causing a mess when turning the mixer on.
- Turn the mixer on at a slow setting to start with then gradually bring the speed up as the mixture comes together.
- Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl 2-3 times during the mixing process. The whole process will take about 7-10 minutes. Mixture should be smooth and not grainy. Any unmixed sugar will cause the mixture to to be grainy.
- If needed, store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
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