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.
Marie Page says
Hi Liz
I forgot to ask you how many cups does this batch of buttercream make?
Karen says
Yes, fantastic easy buttercream,without the fuss of smbc! This will be my forever go to ,too?
Lo says
I assume you add the vanilla and salt with the powdered sugar and egg whites?
The Sugar Geek Show says
I usually do at the end but you can put it all in together and just mix 🙂
Stephanie ten Cate says
This recipe didnt work for me u fortunately. It was not thick enough. I normaly use the 1-2-3 recipe and that works fine. This is a compleyely different recipe. I used 1 cup of eggwhites, 2 lbs of sugar and 2 lbs of butter, just like the recipe says. It turned out yellow and soupy.
Shouldnt it be 1 cup of eggwhites, two cups of sugar and 3 cups of butter?
Please let me know.
The Sugar Geek Show says
Nope this recipe works just as it's written. Perhaps you aren't whipping the mixture enough, it's pretty much foolproof. Just follow the video
Marie Page says
Wow made this buttercream for a cake today and it was a hit at the party. There was nothing left. Thank you soooooo much for sharing.
The Sugar Geek Show says
Yay! That's always a great feeling!
Carol says
Can this be used the same day it’s made? It’s states that you need to remix the next day for 5 minutes so was a bit confused as to whether it could be used the same day it’s made or not.
Thanks so much!!
The Sugar Geek Show says
yes you can absolutely use it the second it's done mixing 🙂
Kimm says
I really want to try this recipe but I’m afraid it will melt here in Phoenix. The cake is for a wedding. I believe it will be inside until it’s ready to be cut. How stable is it in the heat? If I want to sub some of the butter for high ratio shortening how mush would I switch out? Thx!
Dina L says
Is this Easy buttercream sturdy enough to hold fondant decorations? Thank you for all your help!
The Sugar Geek Show says
Absolutely 🙂 Just chill your cake until the buttercream is firm before you add your decor
Karina smith says
This recipe is by far the best I have had. Very good not too sweet. I made cupcakes and the buttercream melted very quickly. How much shortening do you recommend or what else could be added to get a stiffer consistancy? i would like to leave them sitting out for a few hours .thanks in advance:)
The Sugar Geek Show says
SMBC can be left at room temperature no problem. If you replace half the butter with shortening it will be more heat resistant but you will also have a bit greasier of a mouth feel because of the shortening
Suzanne says
Hi Liz,
Thanks for all the amazing recipes you give us here! Is it possible to tell me how much grams or millilitres of egg whites you need since in my country we don't use cups and there are a lot of different conversions on the internet which sometime are not very accurate? Thanks a lot in advance 🙂
The Sugar Geek Show says
This recipe is by weight, not cups 🙂
Suzanne says
is it possible to give me the conversion of 1 cup pasteurised eggs please? since there is no weight for the eggs and sometimes the cups differ from one country to another. thanks a lot for your help 🙂
Noëlle says
Hi, I just made the EBC.
I'm from Holland and we don't use cup either., but of course I have all the measurements, so put my cup on my scale and poured in the egg whites.
It ways 210 gram ?
CAMILLE says
Wouldn't adding more powder help too? I prepared two different frostings...(not your recipe)...but the base was butter & Powder Sugar...but the one w less powder was awful...no matter how much I whipped. The second batch i added PB2 and even though it was from same butter batch .... It held up AMAZINGLY...
The Sugar Geek Show says
Adding more powdered sugar will make it gritty, maybe your recipe is an American buttercream recipe
Joleen Christiansen says
Liz, the last couple of times I made this frosting, it was great when chilled, then melty soft when set out for presentation at room temp. I used good quality powdered sugar, C & H cane sugar. The unsalted butter I used was store brand, thought it was ok as it listed with same fat % as the higher cost butter did. I wonder if the butter is what made it so melty, as in my grass piping on side of cake fell off during the happy birthday song! What would the Sugar Geek do in this frosting dilemma?
The Sugar Geek Show says
It could be it's just too hot in the room and I always chill the cake before delivery.
Nicole says
I have a lot of problems with SMBC cracking once it’s chilled will this one act the same way ?
The Sugar Geek Show says
I've never had my SMBC crack before so I'm not sure
Christine says
I'm making this for my birthday (tomorrow!), and I had quite the struggle with the vanilla cake ? (3, 6" layers and they stayed almost liquid for sooo long, I ended up baking them another almost 20 min--and now they seem like cornbread, so i majorly messed up there) BUT this frosting is amaaaaazing and I'm giddy happy with the taste and look and everything! When you say to "bring it to room temperature and re-whip it" (after chilling), do you mean we should use the whisk attachment, or the paddle?
Thank you SO much for your amazing site and self!
The Sugar Geek Show says
Sorry to hear that, not sure what went wrong with your vanilla cake without more info. Whipping can be with the paddle or whip. It's up to you
Amoni says
Hello there...amazing site..wow thanks for this. So where I live pasteurized egg whites isn't popular or easy to get. How can I measure egg whites from scratch....help pleasessse I so can't wait to try this!!! Thanks in advance❤
The Sugar Geek Show says
Look up swiss meringue buttercream recipe 🙂