This post may contain affiliate links. See my privacy policy for details.
This is THE original salted buttercream frosting recipe that went viral and has been shared by hundreds of thousands of people – and this recipe has been read tens of millions of times!
Millions Have Enjoyed this Recipe
Millions Have Enjoyed this RecipeThis was my very first viral recipe here on The Kitchen Magpie! If you like this, you should try my Lemon Buttercream Frosting recipe. This recipe is the best thanks to sweet and salty mixing together!
When I first wrote this recipe 9 years ago, no one was using salted butter in their frostings – or at least there weren’t any posted online that I could find.This recipe made it in to my cookbook, that’s how amazing it is! This recipe was one of the first on my website and has been viewed by tens of millions of people over the years! Isn’t that crazy?
This buttercream icing is still is amazing, melt in your mouth, whippy, ultimate swirly cupcake worthy. It was fantastic on the homemade chocolate cake I made to go with it the very first time I whipped it up. The cake was dense and moist, and paired with a light as air buttercream icing… heaven. Angels dancing on your taste buds. I’ve tried it on every cupcake that you can imagine and it’s even amazing on vanilla. Salty vanilla icing on a vanilla cupcake is heaven for vanilla lovers!
Please go and have a read of my Buttercream Icing FAQ which answers a lot of the questions about this recipe asked in the hundreds of comments on this post below!
The most important is How to Fix Broken Buttercream, that’s a whole post in itself!
Frosting Ingredients
There are four basic ingredients for this buttercream frosting and I have kept it simple and straightforward for years now:
- Salted butter – a good quality, tastes-good-off-the-spoon butter is important!
- Vanilla – You need that classic vanilla taste
- Icing sugar – This is also known as powdered sugar or confectioners sugar
- Coffee cream – This is literally called coffee cream here in Canada but what it is is a cream that is 18% milk fat and up
Commonly Asked Frosting/Icing Questions and Answers
Do I have to refrigerate a cake with buttercream?
This buttercream has butter and it has whipping cream in it. I personally leave it out all day and it’s fine ( butter is always fine at room temperature) but the whipping cream? That’s a personal call for you. I have left it out overnight, but I honestly have to tell you to refrigerate it instead of leaving it out. But it’s really a personal decision. Apparently because of all the sugar you can leave a cake with buttercream frosting out for 2-3 days.
How long can you leave a cake with buttercream icing out?
I leave mine out for a day, not in the hot sun at all and it’s fine. According to the US food and inspection agency, you can leave a cake with buttercream frosting out for 2-3 days.
What is the best butter to use?
Salted and organic butter is literally the best butter that you can use. It is the salt that really makes this the best buttercream frosting ever. It’s actually a myth that salted butter is an inferior quality – it’s not. It’s the same quality.
How do I make the frosting stiffer?
You will want to use less cream in order to make the frosting stiffer. Start out with only a small amount of cream and add it until you get the consistency that you want.
How do you thicken up frosting?
This buttercream frosting is thick to start without adding in the cream! To start, beat in the icing sugar and see what the thickness of the frosting is. Then you can add a little bit of cream, a little at a time, until you reach the desired consistency. IF you go too far, you then can add more icing sugar/powdered sugar to thicken it back up.
How do you soften buttercream?
This one is easy, leave it out on the counter at room temperature for 45-60 minutes and it will be soft! If that doesn’t work and your frosting is too thick, then you might have to beat it again and add some more cream.
Can you store butter based frostings in the refrigerator?
You bet! Buttercream frosting/icing can be stored in the refrigerator for a week or two, as long as the whipping cream that you use wasn’t going to expire soon.
Can you freeze butter based icings?
I freeze it all the time! Simply defrost, mix and use as normal.
Tips and Tricks for the Best Buttercream Frosting
- Always use salted butter. When I first wrote this recipe in 2010 there weren’t many people that were food blogging compared to today, so I literally couldn’t find a SINGLE buttercream frosting recipe on the internet that used salted butter! Now I am sure that if I looked there would be tons of recipes similar to this one. Oh, how times have changed! So I had discovered that salt and sweet are a match made in heaven for icing and I never looked back. You can also read about the difference between salted and unsalted butter.
- Whip that butter, with a paddle beater if you have it, if not, don’t worry. You can also use the beaters on your handheld mixer just fine to beat the buttercream frosting! You want the butter to be smooth and creamy before you add the icing sugar.
- Fresh icing sugar makes all the difference. Icing sugar/powdered sugar/confectioners sugar goes stale, and you can sure taste it when it does! Crack open a fresh bag for icings, you won’t be sorry! Over the years many people have agreed that this is another trick to making great buttercream frosting.
- You can make this frosting as light or as heavy as you want by adjusting the amount of heavy cream that you use.
- Read this if you are looking for piping techniques.
Some More Frosting Recipes:
- Cream Cheese Buttercream Frosting
- Chocolate Buttercream Icing
- Pistachio Pudding Buttercream Icing
- Vegan Buttercream Icing
- Candy Bar Buttercream Icing
Happy baking everyone!
Love,
Karlynn
The Best Buttercream Frosting Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup of salted butter
- 3 teaspoons of vanilla
- 4 cups of icing sugar
- 4-5 tablespoons of coffee cream 18% and up
Instructions
- Get out the salted butter! Trust me and use salted butter, it’s the secret ingredient!
- Beat the butter until it is light and creamy. This is important as you are adding the icing sugar next. If the butter isn’t creamy you can get lumps in the icing.
- Add in the icing sugar. Again, if you are like me and can taste stale icing sugar, you will need a fresh bag.
- Add in the cream.. I used 4 tablespoons for my preference, you adjust to what you want.
- Stiffer icing = less cream. Lighter icing = more cream. Adjust the amount to your liking by adding one tablespoon at a time until the desired consistency is reached.
- Add the vanilla then keep mixing it until fluffy and thoroughly combined.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Pin This Recipe to Your Desserts or Cakes Boards and Remember to FOLLOW ME ON PINTEREST!
Letitia says
I’m getting ready to make a 3 layer marshmallow fondant covered Hello Kitty cake and am looking for a new buttercream recipe. I’ve never tried making it with salted butter either. So excited to try it. Oh I really do have a question 🙂 Do you think this icing would hold up well under the fondant?
Tami says
I am interested in using this recipe and wondering does this recipe “crust” or “set-up” at all as needed for cake decorating??
sharon says
sily question but what is coffee cream – in australia a
nd i havent heard of it??
Karlynn says
It’s a high fat cream, look for the highest fat content you can, that’s what makes the icing richer.
sharon says
I didnt have coffee creamer so I split the amount called for between sweetened condensed milk and buttermilk…..it was AMAZING!!!!!
Michaela says
Hello,
I would love to make your icing, can you tell me how much butter I need in grams?
Sonya says
This sounds divine! My mom always iced our cakes with butter cream using salted butter (never bought unsalted) and milk. I’m excited to try the cream 🙂 I’m currently taking Wilton Course I and cannot stand the icing recipe they gave us. Last week I wanted to throw out the cake. This week we’ll be icing cupcakes and piping shells, pom pom flowers, shaggy mums and leaves. I think I’ll risk showing up with a non Crisco icing and see how it goes.
For coloring gels I highly recommend Americolor brand (in Calgary PM Hobby sells them). Especially if you need black /red or white. Yes there is white coloring gel!
Karlynn says
Oh um, yes, the Wilton recipe LOOKS good, but when I make a cake, it better taste good too for all those calories! This buttercream just has to keep being chilled, throw the bag briefly in the freezer when your hands make it too warm.
elysha says
@Sonya we use the wilton buttercream at my bakery, and i agree – it is terrible! the owner refuses to change the buttercream that he uses though. i am so excited to try this one at home to see how much easier it will be to decorate!
sharon says
What about buttermilk instead of coffee creamer?
Soph says
OMG this is the best butter cream icing I had and made. Used the recipe fir my daughter’s birthday cake. Everyone loved it. Many thanks for sharing it.
Karlynn says
You are welcome! And welcome to the site!
Fiona says
Hi there just been reading all the lovely comments on this page, I am in the process of making an R2D2 cake for a 50th birthday and will be using this buttercream icing of yours everyone seems happy with it and I am hoping it will come out white, will give it a go and let you know, thank you for all the wonderfull information.
Caitlan says
Love the icing, just wondering if you can freeze the icing before you use it. I was going to make it a week ahead and store it in the freezer and make my cake the day before the party. If I can, then how long should I pull it out of the freezer before using it?
Thanks
Karlynn says
You can freeze it and I would defrost it in the fridge for a while first then leave it out for a few hours.
Caitlan says
It turned out great, everyone loved the cake and said the icing was amazing!! Thanks
Angela Sullivan says
I was wondering if i can use half butter and half shortening? The recipe that i use now calles for 1 cup of butter and 2 cups of shortening which i have fell in love with. It is a great recipe just looking for a different one for my cupcakes that i am doing this friday. Can anyone please help… & Thank you
Karlynn says
The reason this icing tastes so great – and has over 260 comments attesting to that!- is that there is NO shortening. I hate shortening in icing, it makes it feel like I have to scrape my tongue afterwards! You CAN use it, but man, I’d stick with this as is. It’s amazing!
Trudy says
most cake decorators like shortening because it works better for doing the fancy icing work on a cake. but really, this is fine as is. Try it for one cake and see if you like it. You don’t get that fatty aftertaste you sometimes get with shortening.
Angela Sullivan says
Ok thanks i will try it with out the shortening i just want it for my cupcakes this week end and i didn’t like the icing i use for my cakes with the fondant on my cupcakes
Teresa says
Hi there, I’m getting ready to make my nephew’s birthday cake – year 1 : ) – and want to go with a buttercream (I hear fondant doesn’t taste as good). I haven’t tried your recipe, but I’m about to, but I was curious how it can be colored (like the R2D2) cake? I’m doing a John Deere themed green/yellow tiered cake and was interested in receiving any advice one could offer….? Thanks!
Karlynn says
Wilton’s colored icing gels, the only way to go!
Maria in NJ says
HELP!! i swear I cannot for the life of me make buttercream!!! how sweet is this, is it super sweet? how does it pipe? next time I am using u=your recipe, just ruined a batch of cupcakes…
Trudy says
you can do it! this is an easy, no cook, recipe. have faith in yourself. go slow, think loving thoughts as you make it (I do and it always tastes better lol) this is a buttery sweet icing. it will pipe fine.
Kelli Chapman-Welding says
This is the recipe I ALWAYS make which was handed down from my mother! People are always hounding me for the recipe which I happily provide. Add 1/4 cup cocoa for chocolate buttercream frosting. (more cocoa makes for a richer, darker chocolate frosting).
Jennifer Jenkins says
My fiance said “this is the best icing you’ve ever made.” It’s the best I’ve ever tried and I’ve tried them all! I actually made only half the amount for a much smaller cake (also so there wouldn’t be much for me to finish) and it was amazing. Took literally 5 minutes out of my day. I have never not used salted butter in my icing, however, I have always used milk and the cream made the difference for me. The only ingredient I used differently is Madagascar Vanilla and it is just awesome icing.
Sarah Deen says
I added 1/3 cup of Hershey’s Special Dark cocoa powder to the recipe and I will NEVER buy chocolate icing in a can again! This stuff is amazing.
Rana Short says
Thank you for this, it’s simple and to the point and it works every time!
Simply Designing says
I decided to try this the other day as I was baking 75 cupcakes for an event. This recipe is sooo similar to the one I normally use, but the added step of whipping the butter and final frosting mixture, and subbing cream (i used half and half) for milk, made this wonderful! I have never received so many compliments on icing before in my entire life! Thanks for the great recipe! I am pinning this and going to FB it too! Thanks!
Murna Kulbeck Sparks says
This sounds absolutely wonderful. Guess I will just have to make a cake to try it. 🙂
Angie says
Add 6 tablespoons of coco and microwave till just starting to melt, whip again and pour out onto pan and you have quick and very yummy fudge!!
April says
Great recipe! The first homemade icing i’ve ever made that i didnt throw away! I thought it was a little too sweet for my taste so i added a block of soften cream cheese! My new favorite recipe! i’ll never buy can again! Thanks!
Ellen M Thompson Reimer says
I love buttercream icing. I will try this recipe. It is very close to what I have been making but this sounds creamier.
Elizabeth Thomas says
I bow down before you – this was amazing!
Deb McKay says
Hello for another Edmontonian! Thank you for posting this recipe. I normally just fake it, but decided for my son’s school cupcakes I’d search for a recipe. And here it is. I look forward to making it when I have time to play with different flavor options.
Deb McKay says
Oops, ‘from’ another Edmontonian.
Catherine Vilga Lloyd says
Have always added a dash of salt to buttercream frosting. You are correct, the salt intensifies the flavors.
Lisa says
Just popped on the computer to find a buttercream recipe and love the sound of this one. Can’t wait to report back on how it worked out.
Heather says
Just wanted to tell you that I made this icing today and it was divine! I will never make another version again!
Karlynn says
That’s great to hear!!! Thanks for stopping by!
silvia says
Can u use regular milk or 2% fat instead of coffee cream?
Karlynn says
You can, it’s not as rich though.
Trudy says
Sometimes I use any liquid handy: one percent milk, heavy cream, half and half. I do use it for cake decorating, but i might mix the icing recipe separately and use the one-percent or water, because it makes the icing a bit drier. So my underneath icing might be whippy, but the decorating is firm. I really don’t like bakery icing. too much Crisco or something. Tastes like eating sweet wax.
Lacie says
Would it be okay to use whipping cream in this reciepe? Or is there something else I can use I dread of coffee cream?
Thanks!
Karlynn says
I think a reader has tried it, but I shy away when using it for piping decorating, it would be too fluffy. Just icing it plainly? Sure, too whippy might not be a bad thing!
Trudy says
It’s real cream that pours – not whipping or clotted cream. what you would pour into coffee. or you can use half and half (which is cream and milk – not as thick as cream).
Emma says
This butter cream looks amazing!! I am making a wedding cake for my friend and want to try your recipe. Was wondering what coffee cream is? Is it pouring cream or thickened cream?? Little confused… Don’t think I have seen coffee cream in Australia…