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.
Emily says
Hi Liz
I just tried this recipe out and my buttercream was nice and silky to begin with. But it's winter here in Oz now, and in 30mins, it has gotten quite stiff in the piping bag. And also find it hard to get a smooth finish when I frost it on the cake. Everytime i scrape, the buttercream would get a rough texture, and bits would fall off. Any tips? Cheers!
The Sugar Geek Show says
Oh my, I've never heard of it being too firm! It must be really cold where you are! Mix on low for a bit with the paddle attachment before use. You can even warm the bottom of the bowl with a blow torch to soften the buttercream, just make sure it doesn't get TOO soft. When you're doing your final coat of buttercream, warm your bench scraper or spatula in warm water.
Agatha says
I’d like to try this recipe. Can I use this to fill a large cake? Would it ooze out the sides? How much time would the cake need to be out of the fridge before serving the cake?
The Sugar Geek Show says
No, it's stable enough to use for a flag cake 🙂
Kim Crider says
Hi! Huge fan here. I am about to make this recipe (SMBC) for the first time. My mixer doesn't have a paddle attachment to it, it only had the standard (hand mixer beater) attachment, can I still "whip" it with those for the extra time to make it smooth? or will those attachments not work? Thanks!
The Sugar Geek Show says
No, you would need the paddle but you can also spread the buttercream onto a cookie sheet with an offset spatula and smooth it back and forth to work out some bubbles 🙂
Liz says
Hi, I live in NZ and we don’t have any salmonella issues here with our eggs, so can
I just use fresh /unpasteurized egg whites and get the same result - or has the heat process changed the proteins? Thanks
The Sugar Geek Show says
Yes you can use pasteurized eggs. That is the same thing as what we use from the box.
Janice robertson says
I am going to try this recipe! Sounds amazing. I am older and starting to not do cakes. This makes me want to go on with cakes. You are just great because you offer encouragement.
The ADD Baker says
Are the instructions the same to double it? I read all the comments looking. Apologies if it’s been answered.
The Sugar Geek Show says
Yes it's the same no matter how much you make 🙂
Maja says
Have you tried making this with Carob? Carious to try it, but wanted some feedback 🙂
The Sugar Geek Show says
Not sure what carob is 😀
Donna says
Hi.. I just made this and it seems to be too thin.. I followed the recipe exactly.. any thoughts?
The Sugar Geek Show says
Could just be too warm, refrigerate for 20 minutes
Theodore says
How do you color your buttercream with food dye?
The Sugar Geek Show says
I put food coloring in the buttercream and mix 🙂
Tascha says
I made this frosting today.....wow it is so silky!! I did add a little extra vanilla and powder sugar because I felt like it was just missing a little extra!!
I will make this again for sure.
How does this hold up in the heat? Since it's not crusting can I use it under fondant??
Thanks for sharing!
The Sugar Geek Show says
If you add more sugar it will slightly crust but it does have butter so it's not meant to be in high heat
Natasha L says
If you forget by some chance to add 2 sticks of butter (and it has already been placed in the fridge)will that change the recipe dramatically and can I add back at some point?
The Sugar Geek Show says
Just add in the butter and whip it up until it's light and fluffy
Teronia Wilson says
Could i turn this into Italian buttercream by adding the sugar syrup before the butter?
The Sugar Geek Show says
I would just make italian meringue if you want, this is a mock smbc
Rhiannon says
This is the only frosting recipe I ever use anymore. I had someone request ABC for an order, I hadn't made it in a long time because I always go with this recipe. I taste tested to make sure the ratios were correct and I couldn't believe just how much I hated it! My recipe hadn't changed, but after getting used to this the ABC just tasted like poo! Thank you so so sooooo much for this amazing recipe!
I have also have a question though.. I'm making a few sheet cakes soon and was wondering if you happened to know how many batches of this recipe is required for a quarter, half, and full sheet cake? I've been looking online for many cups of frosting they need, but there's a lot of wonky info out there. Your cake advice is really the only advice I trust. Thanks again!
The Sugar Geek Show says
I know that feeling! I hate the taste of ABC now too. I'm not sure exactly how much frosting it takes. Always way more than I make it seems lol.
Melissa Allred says
Tried this recipe and it tastes wonderful but it kept melting....especially while I was piping it. Tried refrigerating but it would still warm up start to melt. Any suggestions?
The Sugar Geek Show says
You must have a very hot room! Unless you mis-measured the butter
Ashley says
I LOVE this recipe! It's the first time I've tried anything different than American buttercream. I've made this several times, and I did find it a little too soft for me to be comfortable with. I saw your advice that white chocolate makes it more stable, but I didn't want to change the flavor too much. I followed this recipe completely, then added 4 oz white chocolate at the very end. It definitely made it more stable to work with and you really don't get a strong white chocolate flavor! Thank you for all your recipes and tips!