Easy Vanilla Buttercream Frosting
Do you ever just sit around and think about frosting? Okay good, it’s not just me. This Easy Vanilla Buttercream Frosting will have you baking just to enjoy delicious, sweet and fluffy frosting. Try this frosting on these delicious Chocolate Cupcakes with Fresh Milled Flour.
Frosting Information:
This frosting makes more than you need for 12 cupcakes. It’s a tasty treat to put frosting on graham crackers at snack time. I always looked forward to that when I was a child. Almond extract adds extra flavor to this frosting. If you want the frosting to be more bright white, use imitation vanilla extract because it is clear. Pure vanilla extract will leave your frosting just a little off white, which may or may not matter depending on what you want the final result to be.
Piping:
There are a couple different ways to pipe multi-color frosting, as seen above. You can put your colors into separate piping bags, snipping off 1/2 inch from the tip of each bag, then put all of the different colors inside the same piping bag, fitted with a tip and apply even pressure around the top of the bag and all three colors will come out. This method is shown in the photo below.
I’ve also taken my luck at placing all three colors in the same bag, yes they mix a little, but the result was still lovely. To easily fill piping bags, place the bag, tip end down, into a plastic cup and fold the top of the bag down over the cup edges. This makes for easy filling and if you can tap the cup bottom on the counter a little bit to get the frosting down into the bag.
Easy Vanilla Buttercream Frosting
Ingredients
- 1 cup (226 grams) unsalted butter
- 3 1/2 -4 cups powdered sugar
- 2-3 tablespoons heavy cream (or milk, but frosting won’t be as fluffy)
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 1/8 teaspoon almond extract
- pinch of salt
Instructions
- Add the softened butter to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Cream the butter on medium speed for 2-3 minutes until the color has lightened and it’s smooth and fluffy.
- Add the powdered sugar to the butter in 1/2 to 3/4 cup additions. After each addition, mix on low until combined and then turn the mixer to medium high for 15 seconds, repeat this step. Add 1 tablespoon at a time of heavy cream, as needed, in between the powdered sugar additions.
- After all the powdered sugar has been added, add vanilla extract, almond extract and a pinch of salt to the frosting. Beat on high for 1-2 more minutes until the frosting if fluffy, adding more powdered sugar or heavy cream as needed for desired consistency.