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.
Keila says
Hey Liz!! I love your content and have read this post up and down! I am decorating a cake this weekend with your easy buttercream and was reading that if can split if it’s too cold. if my cake is already decorated and frosted, should i still refrigerate it? will it hold up? This may sound silly, but i just want to make sure the cake and the frosting will be okay! Thanks!
Elizabeth Marek says
Splitting only happens during mixing if the egg whites are cold. It won't split on a cold cake and yes you can refrigerate it.
Chanel says
Liz...
GIRL...
Heavy and JOYFUL sigh!!!!!! OMGoodness dang GRACIOUS.
Where Swiss Meringue Buttercream (for me) is the Mercedes of allllll — YOUR recipe HAS GOT to be the Cadillac of an ‘unorthodox’ Buttercream.
This here is balanced extreeeeeeemly well.
EXTREMELY.
I typically use the Avalon’s version which, while I like it...it is indeed a bit too buttery. Good....but too buttery. It’s an unfortunate case with most buttercreams.
That’s coming from a chick that digs butter and sugar.
SugarHero’s...yeah it’s better but THIS stuff here— when I tasted it.... mannnn... I literally leaned my forehead head against my upper cabinet door and LITERALLY shouted...
“LORD...That’s tasty goodness right there!!!!!”
And (which I was skeptical of) it uses LESS precious butter.......!
How dare I question a buttercream and cake wizard???
What was I thinking?! Your Butter Cake recipe is a favorite of mine.
Girrrrrrl.
All I can say is...put some insurance on that cape, brain and hands you got.
This here is:
A BEAUTIFUL CADILLAC.
Elizabeth Marek says
Lol best comment of the day. Thank you!
Mariah says
Hi Liz I was wondering if I could freeze this frosting recipe after I made it? Would it still be okay to use or will it be ruined? Thanks for your help 😊
Elizabeth Marek says
Yes you can freeze it
Linda Ghanbari says
In reply to christi Brooks I am also in the UK. Cartons of pasteurized egg whites can be found in all the major supermarkets in the chilled section with the butter and marg. The two main brands in the uk are 3 chicks, and the happy egg co liquid egg whites. They come in 500g cartons.
Hope this helps. Also if a recipe calls for shortening it is TREX in the uk, also found with the butter and marg x
Macaron lover says
This is amazing!! So much better than ABC!
Can I use this as a filling in between macaron shells? If so, what stage would I add the flavoring? Do you have advice for infusing cooled tea (like infused thai tea)? I usually add it to a ganache but would like to try it with this recipe if possible. Thank you 🙂
Elizabeth Marek says
Yes you can use it as a filling, you can add flavoring at any time. I'm not sure about flavoring with tea but you could add flavored ganache to the buttercream.
Erika says
My batch came out too runny. How to I thicken it up to get it more stable?
Elizabeth Marek says
Put it in the fridge for 20 minutes then whip again
Teri says
Seriously came out awesome with first attempt. I have been eating it straight out of the container. Will never go back to pre made again!
Maribeth says
Hi Liz ,
I have made this buttercream many times and I absolutely love it. I was just wondering if I could add melted chocolate to it instead of cocoa powder for the chocolate version?
Let me know!
Thank you so much!
Elizabeth Marek says
Yes you could but ganache is better to use so you don't get hard chunks of unmelted chocolate in the frosting
Fara says
Which buttercream do you recommend in winters?
Elizabeth Marek says
This is a good one!
Caitlin says
I’d like to make this frosting and the chocolate version for cakes I’ve got coming up! Finally trying to leave the ABC world! Would a cake frosted with this travel well? I’m in Texas but if the AC is on in the car and it’s out of the sun would it hold up? I’m so used to crusting buttercream so I’m just nervous about changing ☺️
Elizabeth Marek says
As long as it's not too hot it holds up great 🙂
Jenn says
It is extremly hard for me not to just sit and eat this icing with a spoon... I have cake pops and cakes and cupcakes to frost with it but I literally just want to eat it like ice cream.... while my dogs sit and beg because I let them like the beater 😜seriously, though this is the best recipe. Easy to make, SUPER smooth, beautifully silky, perfectly (not too) sweet.... absolute perfection. Triple snap in z formation 👍🏼👍🏼
Christi Brooks says
Hi there. I’m from the UK. Where or what brand of pasteurise do you used. I Google but can’t find any. Thanks x
Elizabeth Marek says
Hey there, from what I have read, all eggs are pasteurized in the UK so you can use the egg whites of any egg.
Nuha says
Which buttercream do you recommend for high humidity
Elizabeth Marek says
White chocolate ganache or Italian buttercream is the most stable.
Marie says
Hi Liz! I’m a COMPLETE novice here from the UK... I tried your easy buttercream recipe yesterday and it worked perfectly:) So Thankyou! I was wondering, if I wanted to colour the buttercream, at what stage should I add the green colour paste? I’m going to brave making my son a birthday cake for the first time. You’ve inspired me 🙂
Elizabeth Marek says
Add it at the end once it's whipped up and tasting good 😀
Alina says
I would like to make this but I don’t have a paddle attachment. I just have a stand mixer with whisks. Will this still work?
Thank you 😊
Elizabeth Marek says
Definitely, you just won't be able to do that final step of removing bubbles but the bubbles do not affect the taste 😀