American buttercream is the easiest style of buttercream to make with very few ingredients and steps. American buttercream is a classic with home bakers because of how quick it is to make and how versatile it is for cupcakes and cakes! Be sure to check out the perfect Cake Recipes and Cookie Recipes for all your decorating needs!
What is American Buttercream Frosting?
American buttercream is by far the easiest style of buttercream frosting to make and is the one most commonly used by home bakers. If you have ever made a frosting by creaming together butter and powdered sugar with vanilla or other flavorings then you have made American buttercream!
American buttercream, also known as simple buttercream, calls for very few ingredients and steps. Typically a ratio of two parts sugar to 1 part butter is creamed together with a small amount of milk and flavorings.
What is American Buttercream Like?
American buttercream is slightly ivory in color, thick in texture, and pipes easily. The ratio of sugar to butter in American buttercream is much higher than in Swiss meringue buttercream or Italian meringue buttercream, making American buttercream the sweetest of the varieties.
Buttercream That Sets Firm
American buttercream is also sometimes referred to as “crusting buttercream” because it forms a thin crust after being exposed to air for some time. This characteristic can be desirable at times such as when doing intricate piping work or when frosting cookies that will be stacked.
How to Make American Buttercream
- To properly cream the butter and sugar to form the buttercream, the butter must start at room temperature. If the butter is too cold, the emulsion might break causing a separated buttercream.
- A lighter variation on this buttercream can be made by whipping the butter for a longer period of time to make a whipped buttercream.
- American buttercream stands up well to being flavored with extracts, spices, cocoa powder, and jams or curds.
- If the buttercream will not be used right away it must be stored in the refrigerator. It will firm up quite a bit and should be allowed to come back to room temperature before piping or spreading. Depending on how long it was stored you may need to re-mix it quickly. It will last about a week in the refrigerator.
Can you add food color to buttercream?
Absolutely! It accepts color so beautifully. I like to make big batches of this buttercream and use food color to achieve the colors I need. I find that color matching frosting can be tricky so I like to have more on hand rather than less.
Buttercream Flavor Options
- Vanilla American Buttercream: Add in 2 tsp vanilla extract
- Chocolate American Buttercream: Add 1 cup of sifted unsweetened cocoa powder
- “Wedding Cake” American Buttercream: Add 1 tsp vanilla extract and 1/2 tsp almond extract
- Lemon American Buttercream: Add 3 TBSP lemon zest and ¼ cup lemon juice. Remove the milk and increase the confectioner’s sugar to 9 cups.
- Strawberry, Raspberry, or Blackberry American Buttercream: Fold in 1 cup of seedless preserves
Basic American Buttercream Frosting
Ingredients
- 4 sticks (1 pound / 454 g) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 8 cups (2 pounds / 907 g) confectioners' sugar, sifted
- 1 large pinch kosher salt
- 1-3 tablespoons whole milk, as needed
- extracts and flavorings as desired
Instructions
- Combine the butter, sugar, and flavorings in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment.
- Start mixing on low speed until the sugar is incorporated with the butter. Increase the mixing speed to high and beat until smooth and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
- Adjust the consistency with milk as needed.
- Store unused buttercream in the refrigerator in an airtight container and bring it back to room temperature before using to pipe or frost.
Video
Notes
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Kristin “Baker Bettie” Hoffman is a trained chef and online baking instructor. Learn more about the “whys” of baking on BakerBettie.com!
What is that mixer called. I would love one.
Looks like a Bosch
Hi, I absolutely looove your recipes, being from the uk some of these cakes and ideas are new to me. Anyway I have visited America several times, always Florida as we’re thrill seekers, and go round the parks. I’m one of the supermarkets, they have a celebratory cake section where you can order a cake specific to your wanting or pick up one that’s already made. What I wanted to know, is if you know what recipe they used for their cakes? As it’s one of the most delicious frostings I have tasted. And didn’t taste like the one part butter 2 parts sugar with vanilla extract added? Although very similar in texture. I have been searching for years with no joy. Many thanks
Philippa
I’m betting it was Publix. Can u describe the celebration cake that you enjoyed? They make several. My favorite is the Chantilly
simple and tasty.
Hi Maya, I live in Kansas City, MO. My name is Laura. We have several supermarkets here. Price Chopper, WalMart, Target, HyVee and the Sams Club and Costco…They all use a premade icing…Dawn, Riches and some other companies. I have asked and they have told and showed me. I’ve been doing cakes for 32 years…and when I first started out I used Dawn Icing…If you remember the name of where you were, look them up, write a letter or email…just ask, however…butter-them-up first by telling them just how wonderful their icing tasted… I wish you all the best…and I have been using the same icing recipe for 20+ years now…and I do not use butter, just butter flavoring, along with Watkins vanilla and a tad bit of almond…and my icing does not taste like veg shortening or greasy! Regards, Laura Radabaugh
Phillipa, you may have had Swiss Buttercream. It is lighter and not as sweet. Recipes are online. I think it uses room temp pudding, room temp butter and then sugar. Hope this helps.
I love this recipe. My kids are young ..Holly 7 and Joseph 5.. I’m definitely going to get them to make these !
I love your receipes.
What size tip do you use for piping these cupcakes?
Can you tell me the brand of the specialty mixer you are using in the buttercream frosting demonstration with the cupcakes?? Is it an attachment or an appliance? I like the combination of two beater and the rotation of the entire head for fast and thorough mixing. Love your posts and recipes turn out each time.
Thank you.
Yeah, I would be interested in one of those.
I really wish you would add a mail attachment to your recipes. I send them from others to my mail. Then I can’t lose them.
I am a big fan of your baking and website. I had a quick question. I am planning to make a succulent cake for my friends 40th. I wanted to make the succulent decorations in advance but wasn’t sure what buttercream recipe to use? I wanted it to harden so that I can transfer it onto the cake on the day of. Thanks.
If making it in advance I would use a traditional American buttercream like this one. If making and serving the same day I would recommend a Swiss Meringue.
Do you need to refrigerator the cake with the buttercream frosting?
I absolutely adore this recipe! The only change I make is vegan butter instead of regular. It comes out fantastic! Thanks for sharing!!
Hi Jess. I was wondering what kind of vegan butter you used.. 🙂