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.
Patricia P says
Hi Liz,
I am not sure what I did wrong. I made this buttercream today, but it is very soupy. I am not sure what I did wrong. I put it is the fridge and it got hard, but when it came back to room temp it melted. Is there a way to recover it. However, it is so delicious!!! Thank you in advance for your time.
The Sugar Geek Show says
Sounds like it is too hot in your room or maybe you're not used to a softer buttercream 🙂
Trish Palm says
Hi Liz, thank you for your response. I think my butter was too soft when I made this and it has been hotter than normal here in sunny San Diego, CA. I use the butter from Costco. Do you think that could be an issue as well? I am going to try this again in the next week, because the taste is amazing and although it was like melted ice cream, my husband could not stop eating it and he is my biggest critic. I also used it as a filling in a small cake and iced with white chocolate ganache. I took it to work, but kept it refrigerated until serving it to my work peeps, but it went very fast and it did not have time to even come to room temp before they demolished it. They also loved it. I will let you know how the second attempt goes.
Simone says
No more wasted egg yolks! I made this last night along with your chocolate recipe. FYI...I put 1 lb powder sugar because I ran out of sugar. Lol! Still delish! Thank you for sharing your recipes. Love your work.
The Sugar Geek Show says
It's the best isnt it??
Tammy Lewis says
Hi I’ve just made this. It’s taste lovely. Only thing I want to ask is it’s still seems really runny. I’ve done all the steps right. Not too sure if it’s cos it’s hot here that’s why x
The Sugar Geek Show says
It's just too hot. Put it in the fridge for like 20 minutes to firm up the butter
Peggy says
Hi Liz,
I was so happy when I came across your YouTube site. You are an amazing artist! Can I use this with a mirror cake? Thank you for sharing.
Peg
The Sugar Geek Show says
Sure can! That's what I did and just froze it for about an hour before glazing
Liz says
I usually use ABC and decorate the night before I need it. If I use this recipe, is it ok to leave out over night or does it need to be refrigerated?
The Sugar Geek Show says
Totally ok to leave out overnight
Hannah says
I tried this buttercream last night and was surprised at how loose it was. I did a crumb coat and refrigerated the leftover to frost my cake today. When I took it out of the fridge it was like ice cream consistency so I thought it had thickened up but when I whisked it to help it soften and added a little gel food coloring it became quite runny and almost looked separated. I tried to put it in a piping bag to make flowers and it just ran everywhere! Do you have any thoughts on where I might have gone wrong? I am in an air conditioned house set to about 75 so it shouldn’t be too hot in here. I like the flavor but can’t do much with runny frosting! Thanks in advance for your help.
The Sugar Geek Show says
75 Is pretty hot for a house, the softer the butter, the softer the buttercream will be. Add some more butter to stiffen it up to the consistency you want
L says
This method is not working. It turns runny after I switch to the paddle and I have made this recipe at 4 times and they all have been an epic fail
The Sugar Geek Show says
1/2 cup. Not sure where that measurement went but I fixed it
Nicole says
When using this buttercream and fondant how do I store the cake?
The Sugar Geek Show says
I keep mine chilled in the fridge until delivery
Nicole says
When I cover the cake in fondant for this recipe do I need to put it back in the fridge to keep from melting?
The Sugar Geek Show says
It won't melt but keeping it chilled is a good idea so it stays stable for delivery
Ann Marie says
Hi Liz! I soooo wanted to try this, but when I was at the market to pick up the egg whites carton, the carton indicated that since the egg whites were pasteurized that they wouldn't whip up. So, I was uncertain and didn't pick the egg whites up :/. Is this a firm buttercream? Do you use it for damming? Thank you!
The Sugar Geek Show says
Hey Ann, you don't need to whip these 🙂 Just combine egg whites and powdered sugar and make basically royal icing then add in butter. Watch the video 🙂 I use it for everything!
Ann Marie says
Thanks for your reply! Will give it a go!
Ann Marie says
Hi Liz...wondering if you can help. Just made this, but it's literally a soup consistency. I followed everything to the "T". Any suggestions on how to salvage it?
Patricia P says
The same thing happened to me. I followed the recipe to the "T" as well. Not sure, if my butter was too soft or I over mixed. It looked okay, until I put the paddle on and did the last 15 minutes. Timed every step. But, it is so delicious I really want it to work, but I can't continue to use 2 pounds of butter and have it not be the correct consistency, because butter is not cheap here in California. I put it back in the fridge, but as soon as it came to room temp it became soupy again. So wanted this to work. Liz, please help us. LOL
The Sugar Geek Show says
Maybe it's just too hot in your room?
Stephanie says
Same here! Looked fine after whipping and then turned soupy after using the paddle for 15 min. It is not hot in my kitchen at all. Not sure why?? Frustrated that I used 4 whole sticks of butter and it’s wasted! Is it possible to over mix this? I followed the time correctly.
The Sugar Geek Show says
4 sticks of butter is not enough, the recipe calls for 2 lbs which would be 8 sticks of butter.
Deven says
Can you use meringue powder for this instead?
The Sugar Geek Show says
Maybe? I've never tried it
Monika says
I usually make smbc, but this version looks really good, and easy! What would you say the difference is in taste and texture compared to smbc? In the video it looks less shiny and more matte than the smbc. Thanks!
The Sugar Geek Show says
Exactly the same 🙂 I used to make traditional SMBC in pastry school and I literally cannot tell the difference.
Jackie says
I made this for the first time yesterday, and I’m so impressed! The taste and texture are beautiful, and the recipe is EASY!!! It takes some time (definitely take the extra step with the paddle!), but it’s mostly hands off with your mixer doing all the work. I’ve always liked “bakery buttercream” with half butter/half shortening, but this may be my new go-to!
The Sugar Geek Show says
yea I had to be honest about the time investment lol and I'll be honest sometimes I skip that step but for cupcakes or if I have the time to just let it do it's thing why not? So easy! 😀 So glad you liked the recipe. If you feel inclined you can leave it a review 🙂
Lily says
I’m in love with this buttercream recipe. Easy to measure, easy to make and it’s so smooth, fluffy and mildly sweet. Super awesome!
Deana F says
I struggled using crusting buttercream for so long! I thought smooth sharp edges were make believe. I was a too frightened to attempt the swiss buttercream, and then I tried this recipe... I'm pretty sure angels were singing as a major aha moment occurred! It is so easy to make which I so need in my life, and it goes on like a dream!!! Thank you so much Liz!!!!
The Sugar Geek Show says
haha I'm so happy to read this! I felt the same way the first time I used this recipe! Like omg, this is what buttercream is supposed to be haha!