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.
Mariam H. says
Absolutely love this recipe! Truly makes the silkiest buttercream ever. Question, can I add cocoa powder to make a chocolate version? If so, how much and when should that be added? Thank you!
Elizabeth Marek says
Sure can! Check out my chocolate easy buttercream recipe
Allison says
I made the recipe and it looked super bad. It was very chunky and watery. What could I have done wrong?
Elizabeth Marek says
That is normal. The buttercream is just cold. Keep mixing or take out 1/4 cup, melt it until its barely melted and whip it back in. Very common problem.
Brianna says
My FAVORITE by far, but what would you suggest to bring it to room temp after freezer storage? Just set on the counter for awhile then whip it crazy?
Elizabeth Marek says
Yep! I usually freeze mine in bags so I just take them out of the freezer the day before and leave them on the countertop.
Tina says
I'm making the unicorn cake using your easy buttercream recipe to frost the cake. I'll be frosting and putting it all together on Friday for my granddaughters first birthday on Sunday... Do I leave the finished cake out at room temperature or do I refrigerate till it's needed for the party? I read others saying things like cracking... What steps do I take to ensure the cake stays looking nice?
Elizabeth Marek says
I would refrigerate and then take it out either Saturday night or early Sunday morning because it needs a few hours to warm up before serving.
Amanda Brown says
Hi Liz!
I was wondering if it’s possible to airbrush a cake that’s covered in Easy Buttercream or would I need to use American Buttercream?
Elizabeth Marek says
It needs to be American. Easy buttercream repels water.
Denise says
I made this and loved it! Served it to my friends who said they had never tasted anything so good. But I have a couple of questions.
I mixed for 20 minutes to get out the air bubbles, then stored it in the refridgerator overnight and mixed in on low to get it creamy again but the bubbles returned. Do I have to mix for 20 minutes again?
Also I noticed you said it kept on a cake for 2 days at room temperature; I used it on a small 2 tier cake for my grandaughter's birthday that did not fit in the fridge. She wanted to eat on it for a week. I noticed it got spongy, but is it still safe?
Thank you.
Elizabeth Marek says
Hi Denise, to make the buttercream smooth after 24 hours you will always have to mix it again with the paddle because the buttercream "sets" as you may have noticed. One week is definitely not safe to be eating the buttercream outside of the fridge. Maximum of two days unless it is refrigerated. The sponginess is normal and happens when the buttercream sets.
suzette says
This is my go-to recipe now. Thank you so much!! I've been using my same ABC recipe from high school cooking class (30 years) and I've wanted to switch things up but was too intimidated until now
Teena J says
Thank you Elizabeth! I'm so glad found your recipe. It was super easy to make and was so delicious, people who said they normally don't like butter cream said this was the best they had. I can't wait to make more of your recipes. I just started baking last week and have learned so much from you already.
Cindy says
Ah thank you! I was also getting worried that maybe the quantities had scaled incorrectly because someone suggested another similar recipe to me and it uses 2:1 butter:icing, whereas yours is 1:1. I'm a complete newbie so I have no idea 😁 but if you're saying equal parts works than I'm going to try it as soon as I get my hands on cartoned eggs!!
Wynona says
Thank you thank you thank you! I love your site & how much info you provide, as well as the light-hearted way you present everything! Most of my questions are asked by other users, & your answers are always helpful!! I'm teaching my daughter to bake (I'm a better cook than a baker to be honest) & after looking at soooo many other websites, & just not getting enough info & always having to search some more, you're now my favorite go-to and even gave my sister your website info!
Soo, I'm having trouble with the buttercream splitting, same as another user asked about. Why is this happening? And will it happen after I frost the cake? Like if I gave a cake to someone and the frosting splits while sitting on their table! The horror! 😉
Elizabeth Marek says
Hey there! Thank you so much for those kind words. Means a lot! Anyway, the buttercream splits because it's too cold. Take out 1/4 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 🙂
Hobby Baker says
I worked extra hard to stick to your measurements. It worked well, I will definitely try it again because I don't know how to make traditional SMBC. Do you see any value in me learning the traditional way as well?
Elizabeth Marek says
There's nothing wrong with SMBC. I used to use it all the time but prefer the ease of easy buttercream. They are very similar in taste and texture.
Hobby Baker says
Hi,
I tried this recipe the other night and it was fine initially (I only had salted butter so that's what I used). That was fine too. I colored the frosting using what I had on hand (reg. store colors) and it still looked fine (waiting for my gel colors to arrive). I stored it in the fridge for the next morning. I remixed it slight the next day (still fine). I did the crumb coat and put it in the freezer. When I took the cake out and tried to do the first layer of frosting, it started to sweat. I stopped frosting, patched the cake up the best I could, and ended up with a semi-naked looking cake. At the end, the frosting looked all curdled up. I got a bit frustrated and threw the frosting out, instead of trying to save it and maybe practicing my piping technique of something.
Should I have done the crumb coat as soon as I was finished with the frosting the night before? Thank you!
Elizabeth Marek says
Hi there. I'm sorry you got frustrated. The reason your frosting is curdled is because it's cold. All you had to do was whip it until it was creamy again and it would have been fine. Shame to waste all that butter 🙁 You only need to freeze the cake for 15 minutes until the crumb coat is firm and then do the final coat of buttercream. I hope that helps.
Chloe says
This is it, everybody. You will never need another buttercream recipe in your life.
I’m only a hobby baker, but I’ve tried multiple versions of American, Swiss meringue, ermine, and Italian buttercream and THIS is the only one I will ever make again! It’s SO EASY and fast! I’ve used it 12+ times and it never fails, is flexible/fixable, and freaking delicious every time - better than the buttercreams I slaved over for an hour +, carefully monitoring temperatures and sugar crystals and washing a dozen dishes and on and on. Never again.
I recommend this recipe to everyone who has ever liked cake, and some people who don’t, because this will change their mind. My home’s hot, humid climate does not ruin it. My teenage sister can make it. It gets compliments, smooths and pipes beautifully - literally everything you could ever want from a buttercream. Run, don’t walk, to your kitchen and make this recipe immediately!
Ellie says
I love this recipe and have used it quite a bit- but I've had some trouble with it splitting(?) after being refrigerated and brought back to room temp. I usually hand mix with a spatula, but should I put it back in the mixer?
Elizabeth Marek says
Yes, definitely put it back in the mixer and whip it like crazy until it's fluffy again 🙂
Cindy says
Hi, I just want to double check, you state that this makes 12 cups, but the recipe says 6 cups.
I'm checking because I am looking to frost a 6" cake so only need about 2 cups, so want to be sure I calculate correctly 🙂
Elizabeth Marek says
I halved this recipe from the original so it makes 6 cups now. I would have it again for your cake