Simple Vanilla Buttercream – a versatile frosting for any cake

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There are so many buttercream recipes out there, and I have personally tried many of them. After many trials I eventually created my own simple vanilla buttercream recipe. I used this buttercream for every wedding cake, celebration cake and cupcake order I made. It is easy to make and great for piping decorations. I’ve always received many compliments on it, so I decided to finally share the recipe.

When I first started taking cake decorating classes we were encouraged to use a recipe for a simple powdered sugar based buttercream using all shortening (no butter). The purpose of this was to make the buttercream pure white in color (using buttercream would tint it off-white). This is often desirable when making wedding cakes since brides might want a pure white cake. To get a buttery flavor we had to add a butter flavoring. I found the recipe to be chalky in texture and artificial tasting, so I really didn’t want to use it when I started my business.

Next I tried making Swiss meringue buttercream. For this recipe you place egg whites and sugar in a bowl, then set it over a pot of boiling water until it reaches about 161°F, all while whisking constantly. Reaching that temperature should pasteurize the eggs without cooking them. You then beat the egg whites to stiff peaks and add softened butter. The resulting buttercream is very buttery and smooth in texture. However, I really didn’t like the idea of using raw egg whites, even if they are technically pasteurized. Plus I would end up with tons of egg yolks that I had to figure out what to do with. Swiss meringue buttercream also requires refrigeration, which can be challenging when making wedding cakes that must sit out for long periods of time. Especially an outdoor wedding in the summer heat!

That is why I chose to go back to a powdered sugar based buttercream, but I made some changes to improve the taste and texture. Instead of using all shortening, I use a combination of shortening and butter. The biggest change I made is in the type of shortening I use; Spectrum organic expeller pressed shortening. It has a wonderful texture and is not nearly as greasy as typical hydrogenated shortening. The consistency of the Spectrum shortening also allowed me to reduced the sugar to fat ratio.

The resulting simple vanilla buttercream is not overly sweet, and has a much smoother texture than most powdered sugar buttercreams. It can also withstand warm temperatures and be left unrefrigerated for long periods of time. It is a great base for many possible flavor variations, some of which I’ve listed below.

Variations

Chocolate: Add 2/3 cup of cocoa powder (preferably dutch-processed) to the buttercream. Increase the heavy cream/water to 3 Tablespoons.

Cinnamon: Add 4 teaspoons of ground cinnamon.

Coffee: Heat the heavy cream (or water if using instead of heavy cream) until almost boiling. Dissolve 4 teaspoons of instant coffee in the liquid. Allow to cool before adding to the buttercream.

Honey Buttercream: Reduce the powdered sugar to 2 1/2 cups (10 ounces) and add 1/4 cup of pure honey.

Lemon: Add 1/4 teaspoon of pure lemon extract to the buttercream

Rum: Replace the 2 Tablespoons of heavy cream with 2 Tablespoons of rum

Tea: Replace heavy cream with 2 Tablespoons of boiling water. Steep 2 black tea bags in the water for 5-10 minutes. Squeeze the bags out to extract as much liquid as possible. Allow to cool before adding to the buttercream. Tea buttercream goes great with my masala chai cupcakes.

Other: Use a 1/4 teaspoon of just about any flavor extract. I love to use pure extracts to flavor my cakes and buttercream so I have a large variety in my pantry. Some of my favorites are almond, blueberry, raspberry, maple, coconut and key lime.

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Vanilla Buttercream

Prep Time 20 minutes

Total Time 20 minutes

Servings 12

Ingredients

• 16 Tablespoons (8 oz) Spectrum organic shortening (see notes)
• 8 Tablespoons (4 oz) unsalted butter, softened
• 2 Tablespoons heavy cream (or water)
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 4 cups (16 oz) powdered sugar

Instructions

1. In a large mixing bowl, beat the shortening until smooth, about 1-2 minutes.

2. Add the softened butter, heavy cream/water and vanilla extract to the shortening. Beat for another 1-2 minutes

3. Sift half the powdered sugar into the shortening/butter mixture and mix on low until incorporated, then beat on medium-high for five minutes.

4. Sift in the remaining powdered sugar, mix on low speed until incorporated then beat on medium-high for an additional five minutes.

5. Store in an airtight container. Lasts 2-3 days at room temperature or up to a week refrigerated.

Recipe Notes

I always use Spectrum organic shortening to make this buttercream. It is not as greasy as traditional shortening and gives the buttercream a smooth and light texture. I have not tried the recipe with any other brand. 

This simple vanilla buttercream is a great base that can be flavored in a variety of ways. Here are some possible flavor alternatives:

• Chocolate: Add 2/3 cup of cocoa powder (preferably dutch-processed) to the buttercream. Increase the heavy cream/water to 3 Tablespoons.
• Cinnamon: Add 4 teaspoons of ground cinnamon to the buttercream.
• Coffee: Heat the heavy cream (or water if using instead of heavy cream) until almost boiling. Dissolve 4 teaspoons of instant coffee in the heavy cream. Allow to cool before adding to the buttercream.
• Honey: Reduce the powdered sugar to 2 1/2 cups (10 ounces) and add 1/4 cup of pure honey.
• Lemon: Add 1/4 teaspoon of pure lemon extract to the buttercream
• Rum: Replace the 2 Tablespoons of heavy cream with 2 Tablespoons of rum
• Tea: Replace heavy cream with 2 Tablespoons of boiling water. Steep 2 black tea bags in the water for 5-10 minutes. Squeeze the bags out to extract as much liquid as possible. Allow to cool before adding to the buttercream.
• Other: Use a 1/4 teaspoon of just about any flavor extract. I love to use pure extracts to flavor my cakes and buttercream so I have a large variety in my pantry. Some of my favorites are almond, blueberry, raspberry, maple, coconut and key lime.