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)
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(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.
Maranda says
I making this recipe I didn’t use the expensive e butter as I don’t have it in my small town i use generic unsalted butter the recipe is a very soft there’s no way this cake is going to hold up with piping what is your suggestion I have added almost another 32 ounce of powdered sugar and I double check to make sure the recipe I followed to the T other than the butter. I don’t want to throw it out. We live in a humid climate Okie state. Please help
The Sugar Geek Show says
It's probably just warm 🙂 Put it in the fridge for 20 minutes and it will be ok 🙂 It is a soft buttercream but that's normal
Nadia says
Can you use meringue powder instead of the egg whites?
The Sugar Geek Show says
I've never tried so I can't say 🙂
Angela N says
Love this recipe! The best buttercream hands down. Wondering what I did wrong on this last batch (and another random one a while back) followed exactly just like every other time and twice (two occasions) it was too thin. Who knows?♀️ but STILL THE BEST buttercream ever.
The Sugar Geek Show says
Warm buttercream = thin buttercream. Just put it in the fridge for 30 minutes and it will be firmer.
Kathleen Quillen says
Thank you. I made this and it turned out a little soft, but it covered the cake perfectly! A nice cross between American buttercream and SMBC!
Kathleen Quillen says
Hi,
I got a carton of egg whites and it says on the carton "Due to pasteurization, these egg whites will not whip and are not recommended for meringues or angel food cakes". Every carton I find has that message. Are they okay to use for this buttercream?
Thanks.
The Sugar Geek Show says
Yes it's ok, you're not making a meringue 🙂
Mehiaoui wassila says
Can I replace butter with margarine??!
The Sugar Geek Show says
Margarine and butter do not act the same way in recipes so unfortunately, they are not interchangeable
Maria Espinoza says
How many cups the equivalent of 32 oz? When im using my number scale before the 32 oz reach it turns to Lb . Can i less the sugar to low the sweetness?
The Sugar Geek Show says
Please use oz or grams for the recipe, not cups. There are 16 oz in 1 lb. 32oz = 2 lbs. Do not lower the sugar. It's already not very sweet.
Krystal R says
I made this easy buttercream for the first time (flavored it with coconut emulsion) and I'm converted. I searched all over for pasteurised eggs and found none (apparently there's an import problem). I saw that someone asked if we can use meringue powder, so I tried it with the meringue powder and it worked. Thank God! The only downside was that as it came to room temperature, it was separating quite easily (I'm guessing that's because of the amount of water I had to put in with the meringue powder) so I'll still try it with the boxed egg whites once our country gets stock. I love the smooth, light, creamy texture... And because of the addition of the egg white, it lightens it up so it's not very sweet. I could eat it with a spoon, it's so good! I've seen different versions of this recipe all over, but I trust you Liz. Your recipes always work
Yary H says
Hi!!! I’m a huge fan!!! My easy buttercream cane out super soft! How can i fix it? I don't know if my butter was too soft....
The Sugar Geek Show says
Chill for 20 minutes if your butter was too soft
Cindy Graveline says
I just tried this for the first time! I wanted to tried SMB for a very long time but was kinda scared... OMG it is so good, and it was so easy to frost my cake with it! I dont have a stand mixer yet, so I used my hand mixer but it was totally worth it! It is the only buttercream recipe I'll use from now on! 🙂
Mary Ly says
I just used this recipe (but lemon flavored) to compliment your lemon cake and also your chocolate BC recipe to compliment your chocolate cake and thank you so much! The cakes were moist and the buttercream was heaven! I love SMBC but it just takes too much time to make and this recipe is so quick and easy and came out beautifully. I'll be using it for the first time to cover some cakes (used it to top cupcakes the first time). Your recipes are amazing and especially your made from scratch vanilla recipe! Thank you for sharing your secrets and taking the time to answer all the questions in your thread <3
The Sugar Geek Show says
Thank you so much! So glad you enjoyed the recipe!
Lisa says
Hey liz....i tried making this butter cream but mine comes out a bit different, yellowish to be precise ...how do you get it to be white ..i dont think i want to use shortening icing or whipped cream i love this one☹️☹️...HELP
The Sugar Geek Show says
Depending on the butter you use it can make the buttercream more or less yellow, add a drop of violet food coloring to counteract the yellow
Isabel says
Hi Liz! Will 6 cups of buttercream be enough to frost a 6”x3 layer cake, plus more for some simple piping on top? Trying to gauge how much to make ... thanks!!
The Sugar Geek Show says
Yes it will
Brenda says
Hello! I just made this recipe today for my son's birthday cake. The party is not until the weekend (so 4 days from now). I will be baking the cake in the next day or two and then assembling / frosting the day after that. Should I keep this in the fridge until I am ready to frost? Or is it ok to stay on the counter in tupperware?
The Sugar Geek Show says
Refrigerate until you need it. I take mine out the day before to let it soften then mix on low with paddle attachment to make it smooth and creamy again
Suzi S says
Hi Liz. I was wondering if you have a guess as to how long it would take the icing to come to room temp and soften on cupcakes. Going to keep them chilled until pickup but would like to have an idea how long to recommend to customer to allow to be left out to warm before eating. If that makes sense? Thanks so much
The Sugar Geek Show says
As soon as they get them home just leave them out. The longer they have to get to room temperature the better. A few hours.