Favorite Vanilla Buttercream Frosting

Jul 7

This frosting is luxuriously creamy. The foundation of this recipe comes from one of my favorite bloggers, Sally’sBakingAddiction! Seriously, she’s an incredible baker. The fact that she only bakes from scratch is a bonus. Changes have been made to Sally’s version of this recipe to fit our needs here at Naturally Cake, but the consistency is perfect for any cake decorating tasks you need to do such as piping work and frosting layered cakes.

This is what you need in order for your frosting consistency to be fluffy and smooth:

Room temperature butter: Room temperature butter is butter that is still cool to the touch but “squeezably soft”. You finger leaves and indent and the butter is not shiny and greasy in appearance.
High Quality High Fat Ratio Butter: We use organic butter whenever possible. We always use butter not treated with rBST/rBGH growth hormone. Additionally, butter with a fat percentage of at least 82% is desirable because it lends to a more creamy frosting. We love the unsalted butters from these brands: Horizon, Organic Valley, Tillamook, and Challenge.
Confectioner’s Sugar: This is what makes your frosting sweet. It must be sifted and added in stages, not all at once.
Heavy Cream: Frosting can be made using milk or other liquids depending on your needs. For example, if you’re making a wine-based frosting, you’d omit the cream and use your wine instead. However, regular frosting is elevated with the richness of heavy cream. Milk will work, but you’ll sacrifice some of that creaminess.
Pure Vanilla Extract: I cannot say enough here. I use the purest vanilla extract I can find in my cakes. Just because an extract is labeled organic doesn’t mean the flavor payoff is great. It’s worth spending the extra money here.
A Pinch of Salt
Any Other Flavorings

How to Fix the Consistency of Your Frosting?

Begin by beating your butter with either a stand mixer or a handheld mixer. Beat for several minutes. Add the sifted sugar in stages, beating slowly while pouring the sugar into the mixing bowl. I use a number 3 on my KitchenAid Stand Mixer. Once all incorporated, do not simply pour all of the liquid into the bowl. The more liquid you use, the softer your frosting will be. If your room is warm, you may not need as much whereas if your room is cold, you may need all of the liquid, The liquid listed in the recipe is only a guideline. It’s up to you to determine how much you need to add for the perfect consistency.