Easy buttercream is one of the most useful frosting recipes every cake decorator should know. This frosting is smooth, creamy, stable enough for piping, and not nearly as sweet as traditional American buttercream. If you've struggled with overly sugary frosting in the past, this easy buttercream recipe gives you a much more balanced flavor while still being incredibly simple to make.
Quick Glance: Easy Buttercream
- Recipe Name: Easy Buttercream
- Why You'll Love It: Smooth, creamy, not too sweet, and easy to make with no heating required
- Time and Difficulty: 10 minutes • Beginner
- Main Ingredients: Pasteurized egg whites, powdered sugar, unsalted butter, vanilla extract, salt
- Method: Whip pasteurized egg whites with powdered sugar, then add softened butter and whip until light and fluffy
- Texture and Flavor: Silky, creamy, stable buttercream with a light texture similar to Swiss meringue buttercream, but easier!
- Quick Tip: If your buttercream looks curdled after adding the butter, keep mixing. It will come together.
Jump to:
- Quick Glance: Easy Buttercream
- Why This is My Go-To Recipe
- Easy Buttercream Ingredients
- How to Make Easy Buttercream Step-By-Step
- Frosting Calculator
- Cake Batter and Frosting Calculator
- Cups of Batter Needed
- Cups of Frosting Needed
- Common Problems & How To Fix Them
- How Stable is Easy Buttercream Frosting?
- Final Thoughts
- Easy Buttercream FAQs
- Watch: How To Decorate A Cake Step-by-Step
- Recipe
Why This is My Go-To Recipe
The secret to this easy buttercream is using pasteurized egg whites and powdered sugar as the base, then whipping in butter to create a silky frosting that has a texture very similar to Swiss meringue buttercream but without heating the egg whites. It pipes beautifully, spreads easily, and works perfectly for cakes, vanilla cupcakes, and even under fondant covered cakes.
This frosting is my go-to for my easy chocolate cake recipe - simple, reliable, and always a crowd-pleaser.
When I first started decorating cakes professionally, I used the traditional super-sweet American buttercream that most beginner decorators learn first. It was easy to make, but I always felt like it tasted way too sugary and heavy on my cakes. Plus, it was really hard to get smooth!
I came across this buttercream recipe from Lauren Kitchens, and it revolutionized how I make buttercream. I realized there was a way to get the smooth, silky texture of Swiss meringue buttercream without having to cook egg whites or deal with a complicated meringue process. Start with pasteurized egg whites, which are already (pre-cooked), add in the sugar, butter, salt, and vanilla, and boom! Done!
I tweaked the original recipe because I thought it was too buttery, but that's where this easy buttercream recipe came from. It's become my go-to frosting for cakes because it's simple, pipes buttercream flowers, cupcake flower bouquets, rosettes, and vintage piping beautifully.
Easy Buttercream Ingredients
This easy buttercream frosting uses just a few ingredients, but each one plays an important role in creating the smooth, creamy texture. Always make sure your cold ingredients, like the egg whites and butter, are at room temperature.
Pasteurized Egg Whites create the base for this easy buttercream. When whipped together with powdered sugar, they form a light and stable mixture that helps give the buttercream its silky texture. You can find pasteurized egg whites in the refrigerated section with the eggs.
Powdered Sugar is used in this recipe for sweetness and structure. Make sure you are using powdered sugar from cane sugar, not from beets. Beet sugar can sometimes end up tasting gritty.
Unsalted Butter is needed for this recipe. If you only have salted butter, you can still use that, but I would use half butter and half vegetable shortening so your buttercream doesn't end up being too salty. You can also replace the butter with any type of vegan butter that you like.
Vanilla Extract adds classic buttercream flavor and rounds out the sweetness of the powdered sugar. You can pretty much use any kind of extract flavor you like instead of vanilla. Just keep in mind some extracts like almond or peppermint are stronger than vanilla, so decrease or increase amounts as needed. My favorite vanilla is Nielsen Massey.
Salt balances the sweetness and enhances the overall flavor without making the frosting taste salty.
How to Make Easy Buttercream Step-By-Step
- Combine pasteurized egg whites and powdered sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Whip the mixture on medium speed until it becomes thick and glossy.
This creates the base for the easy buttercream.
- Begin adding softened butter one piece at a time while mixing on medium speed.
At first, the mixture may look curdled or separated. This is completely normal.
- Mix in the vanilla extract and salt. Then whip on high until light, fluffy, and no longer tastes like butter.
- Optional: Switch to the paddle attachment. Mix the easy buttercream on low for several minutes to remove air bubbles and achieve the smoothest possible texture.
Frosting Calculator
This recipe makes about 6 cups of frosting, which is enough to fill, frost, and pipe a 3-layer 8-inch cake with a little extra for decorating. If you're working with a different pan size or need more (or less), use the calculator below to figure out how much frosting you need, then adjust the servings slider on the recipe card to scale the recipe up or down.
Cake Batter and Frosting Calculator
Select an option below to calculate how much batter or frosting you need. Adjust the servings slider on the recipe card to change the amounts the recipe makes.
Choose a pan type
Choose a cake pan size
(based on 2" tall cake pan)
Choose a cake pan size
(based on 2" tall cake pan)
Cupcake Tin Size
Choose number of pans
Cups of Batter Needed
8 cups
Cups of Frosting Needed
5 cups
Note: measurements are estimated based off the vanilla cake recipe using standard US cake pans and sizes. Measurements used are for 2" tall cake pans only. Your results may vary. Do not overfill cake pans above manufacturer's recommended guidelines.
BONUS TIP:
If your buttercream looks curdled and is sticking to the sides of the bowl after adding the butter and whipping, don't panic. Remove 1 cup of the frosting and heat it in the microwave until just melted but not hot. Mix it back into the frosting. The extra warmth helps the buttercream become smooth.
Common Problems & How To Fix Them
Buttercream looks curdled: This usually happens right after adding the butter. Keep mixing, and the frosting will smooth out. If it's taking a long time, the butter or the egg whites could have been too cold. Remove 1 cup of the buttercream, melt it, and mix it back in.
Buttercream is too soft: Chill the buttercream for 10-15 minutes in the fridge. Mix before using to make it smooth.
Buttercream is too stiff: Remove 1 cup of the buttercream, melt it, and mix it back in, or you can use a heat gun or blow torch on the metal mixing bowl while mixing on low to warm the buttercream up slightly.
How Stable is Easy Buttercream Frosting?
Easy buttercream frosting will not crust, but is stable enough to pipe buttercream decorations and will last at room temperature for 2 days.
It is ok at temperatures up to 85ºF but will melt in direct sunlight in about 20 minutes, so keep it in the shade! You can replace half the butter with shortening to make it more stable in high temperatures.
Easy buttercream is not as stable as American or Italian buttercream, but it is more stable than cream cheese frosting or whipped cream.
You can also make a white chocolate buttercream frosting by adding melted white chocolate to the buttercream frosting. This makes a SUPER stable buttercream frosting that is a combination of buttercream and white chocolate ganache.
Final Thoughts
Easy buttercream is one of the best frosting recipes to learn if you decorate cakes regularly. It has a silky texture similar to Swiss meringue buttercream but skips the complicated steps, making it perfect for beginner cake decorators.
Once you master this easy buttercream recipe, you'll have a reliable frosting that works for cakes, cupcakes, and piping decorations. Pairs perfectly with my easy drip cake recipe
Easy Buttercream FAQs
Easy buttercream is a frosting made from pasteurized egg whites, powdered sugar, butter, vanilla, and salt that creates a smooth buttercream similar to Swiss meringue buttercream but without cooking the egg whites.
Yes. Easy buttercream tastes less sweet than traditional American buttercream because the egg whites and butter balance the powdered sugar.
Yes. Easy buttercream is excellent for piping decorations like rosettes, borders, and flowers.
Yes! Pasteurized egg whites are heat-treated (like milk), so they are safe to eat. They usually come in a box carton in the egg aisle. If you don't have pasteurized egg whites, then you can use my SMBC recipe instead. Note: undercooked egg whites are not recommended for pregnant women, just to be on the safe side.
This recipe is not very sweet, especially if you're used to American buttercream. You can add more powdered sugar if you want it to be sweeter, but you cannot reduce the sugar, or the buttercream will be too soft.
The buttercream splits because it's too cold. Take out 1 cup of the buttercream and melt it in the microwave until it's just melted, and then whip it back in. That little bit of warm butter helps it all come together again.
Buttercream is soft or firm depending on how warm it is. If it's too soft, it could be that your butter was too soft when you added it in, or the mixer warmed it up. Put the buttercream in the fridge for 20 minutes, then whip it again, and it should firm back up.
Yes. Easy buttercream is stable enough to use under fondant when properly chilled.
Watch: How To Decorate A Cake Step-by-Step
Before you start decorating, watch the video below where I show you every step of decorating a cake from start to finish. Seeing the process in action makes it much easier to follow along
- Liz Marek.
Recipe
Ingredients
- 6 oz pasteurized egg whites room temperature
- 24 oz powdered sugar sifted if not from a bag
- 24 oz unsalted butter room temperature. You can use salted butter but it will affect the taste and you need to leave out additional salt
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 TINY drop purple food coloring (optional) for whiter frosting
Instructions
- Place egg whites and powdered sugar in a stand mixer bowl. Attach the whisk and combine ingredients on low and then whip on high for 1 minute to dissolve the powdered sugar
- Add in your salt and vanilla extract
- Add in your butter in chunks and whip with the whisk attachment to combine. It will look curdled at first. This is normal. It will also look pretty yellow. Keep whipping.
- If your buttercream looks curdled, remove about ⅓ cup of buttercream and melt it in the microwave for 10-15 seconds until JUST barely melted. Pour it back into the whipping buttercream to bring it all together.
- (Optional) Add your drop of purple food coloring. Whip on high with the whisk attachment for 8-10 minutes until it's very white, light and shiny. Taste the buttercream, if it tastes like sweet ice cream then it's ready!
- Switch to a paddle attachment and mix on low for 15-20 minutes to make the buttercream very smooth and remove air bubbles. This isn't required but if you want really creamy frosting, you don't want to skip it.
Chevelle says
Do you put your cakes back in the refrigerator after covering in fondant? It may be the icing I e made in the past, but once covered I was told do not refrigerate and the icing seems to soften too much, causing the smooth look of the fondant to become messed up.
The Sugar Geek Show says
Yes I refrigerate all my fondant cakes.
Lorry says
The recipe posted online states 24 oz. Sugar and 24 oz. Butter. I made the recipe, measuring by weight, but the result was too soft to hold at 68 degrees F. In the discussion it has been stated that you use 2 pounds of Butter, that would be 32 oz. I added another 8 oz. to my soft icing and that seems to have helped a lot. Which is the correct amount?
The Sugar Geek Show says
I reduced the overall recipe because people complained that it made too much buttercream. The ratios are the same. Adding a little extra butter is not a problem.
Brittany says
Hi there! Just wondering if this recipe will absorb colouring gel better then the traditional Swiss meringue buttercream? Thanks!
The Sugar Geek Show says
Nope, its basically the same recipe. You have to let colors sit overnight to develop and get dark
Afsane says
Hi liz,
I'd like to try this recipe for decorating my fondant cake (unicorn decoration).so, how much should i reduce the ingredients?
The Sugar Geek Show says
I would just make one batch of the buttercream
Ivy says
Hi Liz. Is this enough to cover a 3 tier 6 inch rosette cake? Thanks!
The Sugar Geek Show says
I assume you mean a three layer? Yes it is enough
Daphne says
Hii! I ve tried this recipe and I love it ! I did noticed the measurements have changed ... what is the differencè from the previous measurements. Thank you
The Sugar Geek Show says
I reduced the overall recipe by 2 oz due to people complaining that it makes so much buttercream haha. All the ratios are the same
Rebecca Nicklin says
Hi Liz:
I've made your recipe a few times and love the flavor and ease of technique. Last time the finished texture seemed heavier and more solid, like I was spreading butter on the cake, even though I did whip the mixture a long time after the butter was added and it looked great in the bowl. I did use the correct amount of egg white. The recipe indicates you should whip for five minutes before adding the butter. I have been mixing it until almost stiff peaks before adding the butter and that takes much longer to achieve than five minutes in my Kitchenaid. At five minutes, the mixture is still quite soft. Am I mixing too long before adding the butter? Alternately, the butter incorporated well, but is it possible it wasn't soft enough when I added it, thus affecting the "fluff" factor? I've also noticed that when making half a recipe the egg white mixture takes longer to get stiff than when the bowl is more full with a whole recipe. I imagine this has something to do with the fact that the whip attachment is only half submerged with the smaller recipe.
Thank you so much for generously sharing all your knowledge with us. I love your confidence and no nonsense attitude!
The Sugar Geek Show says
You don't need to let the egg white mixture get stiff before adding in the butter, I just whip for 5 minutes or so then add in the butter. Whisking at high speed. The colder the butter, the firmer the buttercream will be. I hope that helps and I'm glad you are enjoying the recipes.
Vanessa says
Hi!! Is this sweeter than ermine or boiled flour frosting? That’s my go to but would like to try other buttercreams. Thanks!
Lisa B. says
Could I paint over this buttercream(like with sweetsticks edible art paint)? I don’t know if anyone has tried it or not. And will this crust like the traditional ABC?
The Sugar Geek Show says
No this does't crust, it's very light, light whipped cream almost. You can add a couple of extra cups of powdered sugar right at the end (after using the paddle) to make it a little closer to a semi-crusting buttercream.
Thearla Kozy says
Simply love your recipes! How long will this frosting last in fridge? If frozen, should it be thawed in frig or on counter? Thank you!
The Sugar Geek Show says
If you aren't going to use it after a week I would freeze it 🙂 I defrost mine in the fridge then re-whip before using it.
Maria Fisher says
Wow, some negative nelly comments on here. Haha
Just made this. Turned out AMAZING! SO SO SO SMOOTH! The suggestion to use paddle for 15 minutes was ON POINT! It went from a chunky buttercream to silk smooth. I can't wait to decorate with this!! Thank you so much for this FREE resource!
Irene says
hi. i made your recipe 3 times already and all of it failed. it won;t hold it's shape. my pasteurized egg whites were newly bought. followed to the T. Do i need a balloon whisk to create the same result as yours? i only have the hand held mixer with metal beater. i asked this same question before-prob 3 weeks ago. please respond. thanks
The Sugar Geek Show says
I use a stand mixer so maybe that is the difference? I don't make this recipe by hand.
Sana Cheema says
I’ve tried this recipe 4 times. It looks great when just whipped, but then it turns into a soup. I put it in the fridge, it hardens up, i wait for it to get to room temp so I can frost the cake and it be becomes a soup again. What am I doing wrong??
Tracey B says
Hi sorry if this has been asked already but I was wondering, I understand that the ingredients are by weight, does this include the egg whites? Just wanted to make sure they weren’t measured by volumetric oz.
Thanks for all your wonderful recipes and exquisite artistry in cake design.?
The Sugar Geek Show says
Yes, everything is by weight 🙂
Jinthujah says
Hi,
Question - Would you recommend using meringue powder instead of pasteurized egg whites? Doesn’t the buttercream become too liquid or doesn’t really hold its shape when piping due to the fluidity of the icing?
Also is this buttercream stiff consistency or thin for frosting?
Thank you ?
The Sugar Geek Show says
No I would not recommend using meringue powder. Just try the recipe, you'll see why it's so tasty the way it is 😀 It's perfectly pipeable already! So easy I wish I had this recipe when I was baking full time.
kylie says
How many cupcakes with piping does this yield? looking to make 36 cupcakes.
The Sugar Geek Show says
It just depends on how you frost your cupcakes and how much frosting you add. I think this would easily cover 36 cupcakes but that's me 🙂