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.
Michelle says
Hi Liz, can you clarify your oz measurements, please? Because you accompany all the measurements by their equivalent in grams, you are doing butter, eggs and sugar measurements by weight? No fluid oz?
Elizabeth Marek says
Yes everything is by weight, I don't use any volume measurements
Anne says
My go to buttercream! This is the best buttercream ever. So simple and delicious. Everyone loves it! Do take the time to mix slowly with the paddle. You won't regret it. Thank you so much, Liz, for sharing your incredible recipes!
Nikki says
I made this vegan by using aquafaba and vegan butter and oh my gosh - so delicious and dreamy to work with. For the first time ever I got crisp edges.
Debbie says
Best buttercream frosting EVER !!!
Lola says
This is THE BEST buttercream to use!! It really does taste like ice cream and people LOVE it!!
Quick question, I have the stainless steel Bosch mixer and need to make a triple batch….can I just use the cookie paddles throughout the whole process instead of the wire whips? The whips make too many bubbles.
Sugar Geek Show says
Hi Lola! Thanks for the nice review! The whisks ensure that your buttercream gets nice and fluffy and has that ice cream taste. If you use the paddles the whole time, it won't whip up correctly. After you whip it and make the buttercream, try switching from the whisks to the paddles and mixing on low for a few minutes. I also take 1/3 cup of the buttercream and melt in for a few seconds in the microwave and then pour it back into the bowl. This should help to work out the bubbles.
Deontra says
I really love the buttercream. Thank you for sharing. Will it hold up under fondant?
Elizabeth Marek says
Yes absolutely
Roshana says
I can’t believe how easy and phenomena this butter cream turned out!!! Pipe effortlessly and yummy,
Cheryl says
Oh my! So I already said how I really liked this a few weeks ago but I used today for sugar free cupcakes & it worked perfectly with the sugar alternative. I made chocolate & strawberry flavors & it turned out simply amazing!
Allie says
Hi! If I’m planning to add the strawberry reduction to this and use it for your fresh strawberry cake, is it really necessary to use clear vanilla extract to get it as white as possible? Can I just use the brown vanilla extract?
Elizabeth Marek says
I don't use clear, I use regular vanilla extract
Kelby says
Hi Liz! I'm making a layer cake for my nieces birthday. She requested raspberry flavored frosting. I wanted to make raspberry buttercream... Or maybe a jam for the inside? Or both? I looked around in your site for a recipe like that but couldn't find it. Any suggestions?
Elizabeth Marek says
You can either add raspberry puree to the buttercream or ground up freeze-dried raspberries
Eliana says
This is so delicious, thank you for sharing your recipe! My only question is how stable would this be in summer months/humid weather?
Cheryl B says
This came out really really good, I just need to know how to get it white, I tried the purple trick but didn’t work so I added about a tablespoon of white gel color but still yellowish...but really tasty & so smooth! I can’t wakt to use for my textured cake next!
Alisha Eadeh says
How would I make this with chocolate flavor?
Sugar Geek Show says
Here's my recipe: https://sugargeekshow.com/best-chocolate-buttercream-frosting/
Patricia says
Great really good and easy
Jen Kenny says
Hi there,
Big thanks for all your fantastic recipes- and when I went to post this question and saw 705 (!!!) comments on this recipe, I just wanted to say thank you for all the guidance you give us home bakers. You’re a peach for all the time you take to help us out. I tried to read through to see if this was already asked, but (705!!!) I might have missed it. Can I use the easy buttercream recipe and fold in crushed cookies at the end for an Oreo frosting? I realize they’d have to be pretty crushed not to clog the piping tip and to smooth easily around the cake. Any suggestions, or guidance on that?
Sugar Geek Show says
Yes, you can add Oreos to the frosting, just scrape off the centers and chop the cookies really finely, then smash them with the side of your knife to make them as small as possible. Then I'd make sure to use a fairly large piping tip so that it doesn't clog as easily. American buttercream with crushed Oreos in it also tastes a lot like Oreo frosting. Hope this helps!
Courtnie says
Hi, thank you for this! Love the taste! My only question is that it seemed thick, like when I went to pipe it would just lift right off the cupcake. Is that normal? I weighed all of my ingredients, I wasn’t sure if there was a way to thin it a little? Thanks!
Sugar Geek Show says
If your environment or butter was a little cold, that's normal. I usually like to take out a cup of buttercream, melt it down in the microwave and then pour it back into the buttercream. This makes it nice and smooth, but also makes it a little softer to work with.
Mama Duck says
6 sticks of butter.???? Goodness
Sugar Geek Show says
It is buttercream after all! 😀
Alissa Deason says
It is worth every stick! This recipe is amazing!
Stephanie says
Thank you so much for this!! I was too intimidated by SMBC, but don’t like the overly sweetness of AMB. I made this last night and it’s so delicious and smooth!