American Buttercream Recipe

American buttercream is the easiest frosting you will ever make and one of the most versatile. Five ingredients, less than 15 minutes, and you get a sweet, creamy frosting that is stable enough for warm weather, pipes beautifully, and works under fondant. I use this on everything from funfetti cake to easy chocolate cake, and it has been my go-to recommendation for beginner bakers for years.

American Buttercream Ingredients

American buttercream only uses five ingredients but each one matters. Here is what they do and what you can substitute if needed.

Unsalted Butter: The base of the frosting and what gives it richness and body. Use high-quality butter for the best flavor. I like Plugra or Irish butter, but Darigold is a great budget-friendly option. Make sure it is fully at room temperature before you start. For a more heat-stable version, replace half the butter with high-ratio shortening. For dairy-free buttercream, use a plant-based butter substitute.

Powdered Sugar: Also called confectioners sugar or icing sugar, this is what gives American buttercream its structure and sweetness. Always sift it before adding to avoid lumps. Add it one cup at a time so it incorporates smoothly without a cloud of sugar flying everywhere.

Heavy Cream: A small amount of cream thins the buttercream to the right consistency and makes it fluffy. You can substitute whole milk, water, or a non-dairy creamer if needed. Add it gradually until you reach the consistency you want. I heat mine up for 1 minute to emulsify the frosting.

Clear Vanilla Extract: Adds classic vanilla flavor without adding color. This is important if you want a bright white frosting. If color is not a concern, regular vanilla extract works just as well and has a slightly richer flavor.

Salt: A small amount of salt balances the sweetness and rounds out the flavor. Without it the frosting can taste one-dimensional. Do not skip it.

How to Make American Buttercream Step-By-Step

Just 15 minutes of your time and you'll have the smoothest, tastiest American buttercream of your life!

1. Make sure your butter is fully at room temperature before you start. It should be soft enough to press a finger into easily but not greasy or melted. If it is too cold, you will get lumps. If it is too warm, the frosting will be too soft to pipe.

2. Place the softened butter in the bowl of your stand mixer with the whisk attachment. Mix on medium speed until the butter is completely smooth, pale, and fluffy, about 2 to 3 minutes. Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl well. Any unmixed butter at the bottom will show up as lumps later.

EXPERT TIP: You can also replace half the butter with vegetable shortening to make it more stable in the heat.

3. Add the powdered sugar one cup at a time on the lowest speed. Adding it all at once creates a cloud of sugar and makes it harder to incorporate evenly. Mix until smooth after each addition before adding more.

4. Add the salt, clear vanilla extract, and hot heavy cream. If the buttercream looks too thick or dry, add a little more cream one tablespoon at a time until it reaches the right consistency.

5. Increase the speed to high and whip for 2 to 3 minutes until the buttercream is light, fluffy, and bright white. It should look smooth and hold a peak when you lift the whisk.

6. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap until you are ready to use it. American buttercream can sit at room temperature for a few hours. For longer storage, keep it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to two weeks or freeze for up to three months. Bring it back to room temperature and mix on low before using.

EXPERT TIP: If the buttercream looks curdled or separated, Scoop out about one cup of the buttercream and microwave it for 10 to 15 seconds until just melted. Pour it back into the mixing bowl while the mixer is running on low. It will come back together quickly.

What Are The Different Types of Buttercream?

• American buttercream (ABC) is made with powdered sugar, butter, and liquid. It's very sweet, creamy, and the most stable in warm temperatures due to the high amount of sugar.
• Swiss meringue buttercream (SMBC) is made by combining meringue with whipped butter and extracts. This buttercream is light, soft, and not very sweet. My Easy buttercream is an easy mock-Swiss buttercream recipe.
• Italian meringue buttercream (IMBC) is made by pouring boiled sugar into whipping meringue. This produces a very stable and light buttercream frosting that's not very sweet, but it is a little bit trickier to make. 
• French buttercream is made with egg yolks or whole eggs in a meringue base. It's similar to a custard or pastry cream, is not as sweet, and has a richer flavor compared to some of the other buttercreams.
• German buttercream is made by combining pastry cream, butter, and powdered sugar. It's very rich, silky, and not too sweet.
• Flour buttercream or boiled milk frosting like Ermine frosting is an old-fashioned type of buttercream. It's made by cooking flour and sugar with milk to make a sweet vanilla bean paste, then whipping that with butter and extracts.

Common Mistakes To Avoid

• Using cold butter. This is the most common mistake. Cold butter will not fully incorporate with the sugar and you will end up with a lumpy, uneven frosting that no amount of mixing will fix. Set your butter out at least an hour before you start.
• Adding all the powdered sugar at once. Dumping in all the sugar at once makes it impossible to incorporate smoothly and creates a huge mess. Add it one cup at a time on the lowest speed and let it fully mix in before adding more.
• Using regular vanilla instead of clear. If you want a bright white buttercream, you need clear vanilla extract. Regular vanilla turns the frosting yellow or ivory, which is fine for some cakes but makes it difficult to achieve true colors when tinting.
• Not scraping the bowl. Unmixed butter and sugar likes to hide at the bottom of the bowl. If you do not scrape the bowl well between additions you will have lumps in your finished frosting. Scrape down often.
• Over-whipping on high speed. Whipping on high for too long pumps too much air into the frosting and creates large air bubbles that are hard to smooth out on a cake. Whip on high for just 2 to 3 minutes, then switch to the paddle on low to smooth it out.
• Adding too much cream at once. A little cream goes a long way. If you add too much the frosting becomes too loose to pipe. Add it one tablespoon at a time and stop when you reach the right consistency.
• Not adjusting for the climate. In hot or humid weather, standard American buttercream can get soft and slippery. If you are decorating in summer or a warm kitchen, replace half the butter with high-ratio shortening to give it more stability.

American Buttercream FAQs