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Home › Recipe

Published: Jul 5, 2020 by Sugar Geek Show · This post may contain affiliate links · 758 Comments

Easy Buttercream Frosting

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Easy buttercream frosting is smooth, creamy, not too sweet, and only takes a few ingredients to make. You can pipe with this, use it under fondant, and it tastes SO much better than store-bought! It's very similar to the texture of Swiss-meringue buttercream, but no heating of the egg whites. I promise anyone can make this!

close up of easy buttercream rosettes

This buttercream frosting is the recipe I WISH I had when I was making 5 wedding cakes a weekend. Now it's the only buttercream frosting I use, and my clients love it. Way better than the super sweet frosting I was used to seeing on cakes.

What's In This Blog Post

  • Ingredients
  • What makes this buttercream so good?
  • What Are Pasteurized Egg Whites
  • How To Make The Buttercream
  • FAQ
  • Other Recipes You Might Like

Ingredients

easy buttercream ingredients

Pasteurized egg whites are found in the egg section, usually on the top shelf.

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.

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.

What makes this buttercream so good?

You might be like, egg whites... in frosting? What? It wasn't until I went to pastry school in 2010 that I first heard about different types of buttercream. Many types of buttercream, like Swiss-meringue, Italian-meringue, and French buttercream, have eggs in them.

Italian meringue buttercream rosettes on a cake
Italian meringue buttercream is made with whipped egg whites and boiled sugar. It is the most stable and smooth buttercream but also the most technical to make.
swiss meringue buttercream recipe
Swiss meringue buttercream is made with whipped egg whites with sugar that is heated and dissolved into the egg whites before whipping. This buttercream is smooth and creamy but sweeter than Italian buttercream and less stable.
Close up of American buttercream rosettes
American buttercream is made with powdered sugar, butter and a little liquid, usually cream. The texture is not as smooth as meringue based buttercreams, very sweet, but also very stable.

The egg white is often whipped into a light and fluffy meringue, and then softened butter is whipped in. When you use meringue as your base for buttercream, you don't have to use as much sugar, resulting in a light, fluffy, and less sweet buttercream that tastes a lot like ice cream. YUM!

Easy buttercream is similar to Swiss Meringue Buttercream except that you do not have to heat egg whites and sugar, whip to a meringue, let cool, etc.

Thanks to pasteurized egg whites, you can skip the whipping stage. The taste and texture of easy buttercream are nearly identical to traditional SMBC. Did I mention this was easy?

What Are Pasteurized Egg Whites

Depending on your country, you may or may not have access to pasteurized egg whites. In most places, they are found in a box in the egg section. The word "pasteurized" will be on the box somewhere, usually very small.

organic valley pasteurized egg whites

Pasteurizing is the process of gentle heating to kill foodborne illnesses and make a product safe to drink or eat. Many things are pasteurized, such as orange juice, milk, and wine. Pasteurized egg whites are safe for anyone to eat.

If you can't find pasteurized egg whites you can pasteurize them yourself and just use the egg whites or you can use my Swiss Meringue Buttercream recipe instead.

How To Make The Buttercream

  1. Place the pasteurized egg whites and powdered sugar in the bowl of your stand mixer. hand pouring egg whites into bowl of stand mixer
  2. Attach the whisk and combine ingredients on low, then whip on high for 1-2 minutes to dissolve the powdered sugar. You do NOT need to whip to a meringue.
  3. While mixing on low, add in your salt and vanilla extract. whipped egg whites and sugar
  4. Add in your softened butter in chunks and whip with the whisk attachment on high. If you use pasteurized egg whites from the fridge, you might notice this rim of cold butter forming. This is normal and can easily be fixed. close up of whipping buttercream
    Simply stop your mixer and remove about ⅓ cup of the buttercream.

    Melt this in the microwave for about 20 seconds or until it's just barely melted. You don't want it hot!


    Pour the mixture back into your whipping buttercream, and the warmth from the melted buttercream will cause it all to come together and get creamy.


    This is honestly easier than taking out the egg whites ahead of time and trying to bring them to room temperature (at least for me).

  5. Now let the buttercream whip until it's white and fluffy. This will take 8-10 minutes with a KitchenAid, but taste it to see when it's done. When it no longer tastes like butter and is sweet like ice cream, it's done!close up of easy buttercream frosting

Pro-tip – If you want your buttercream super smooth, double the recipe so that the buttercream level is above the whisk attachment. As the buttercream whips, it works out all the bubbles, so you get a super smooth buttercream with no bubbles. 

FAQ

How stable is this frosting?

This frosting will not crust, but is stable enough to pipe buttercream flowers 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 into the buttercream frosting. This makes a SUPER stable buttercream frosting that is a combination of buttercream and white chocolate ganache.to

How long does this buttercream last?

Easy buttercream will last for 2 days at room temperature, 2 weeks in the fridge, or 6 months in the freezer.

If your buttercream is cold, make sure to whip it up again before using it. Bring your buttercream to room temperature and begin whipping it. Then remove ⅓ cup of the buttercream and microwave it until it's just barely melted, then pour it back in while whipping to make it smooth again.

If you're going to frost your cake tomorrow, just leave the buttercream on the countertop. You don't have to refrigerate it within 2 days because the butter and sugar act as it's own preservation.

If your buttercream frosting has been sitting at room temperature for more than a day, mix it with the paddle attachment before using it to make it smooth again.

Buttercream tends to get spongy after 24 hours and loses its creamy texture.

How to color buttercream

You can add a few drops of gel food coloring to this buttercream to color it. It holds color well and gets darker overnight. Just be sure not to add too much food coloring, or you'll be able to taste it.

If you want to make darker colors, check out my neon buttercream blog post for more information.

Are pasteurized egg whites safe to eat?

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.

Can I adjust the sugar?

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.

Why is my buttercream splitting?

The buttercream splits because it's too cold. Take out ⅓ 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.

My buttercream is too soft, what can I do?

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.

Is this buttercream good under fondant?

YES! I do all the time, just make sure to chill your cakes until the buttercream is firm to the touch before applying fondant. It goes great with my homemade marshmallow fondant too! Check out my video on how to cover a cake in fondant.

Other Recipes You Might Like

How to make buttercream flowers

Ermine frosting (similar taste to easy buttercream but no eggs)

Swiss Meringue Buttercream

Easy Chocolate Buttercream

Cake Batter and Frosting Calculator

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Cups of Batter Needed

8 cups

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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.

Recipe

close up of easy buttercream rosettes

Easy Buttercream Frosting

Delicious, rich and easy buttercream frosting recipe that anyone can make. This is not a crusting buttercream. It is meringue based so it has a slight shine and chills nicely in the fridge. Takes 10 minutes to make and is fool-proof! Light, fluffy and not too sweet. 
Print Recipe Pin Recipe Rate Recipe
Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes
mixing time: 20 minutes minutes
Total Time: 10 minutes minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Servings: 6 cups
Calories: 849kcal
Author: Elizabeth Marek

Ingredients

  • 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
  • 24 oz powdered sugar sifted if not from a bag
  • 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 6 oz pasteurized egg whites room temperature
  • 1 TINY drop purple food coloring (optional) for whiter frosting
US Customary - Metric

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. 

Video

Nutrition

Serving: 2oz | Calories: 849kcal | Carbohydrates: 75g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 61g | Saturated Fat: 38g | Cholesterol: 162mg | Sodium: 240mg | Potassium: 18mg | Sugar: 74g | Vitamin A: 2055IU | Calcium: 18mg | Iron: 0.4mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
 

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Lulabelle says

    November 11, 2020 at 6:18 am

    5 stars
    I’ve used your recipe several times, always with great success. I’d like to make this as a mocha (chocolate and coffee). I’m good with choc powder, but any suggestions on when/how much coffee to add (and do I need to reduce anything)? Thank you!

    Reply
    • Elizabeth Marek says

      November 12, 2020 at 3:51 pm

      I would use coffee emulsion or flavoring or perhaps a small amount of espresso

      Reply
    • Ella says

      February 07, 2025 at 10:53 am

      5 stars
      This is my go to frosting recipe. 10/10 will always recommend, it's so easy and has a 100% success rate.

      Reply
  2. Alex says

    November 12, 2020 at 5:04 pm

    5 stars
    Just FYI. Currently making this awesome recipe for a peanut butter cake. Be careful how much peanut butter you add as the extra oil within the peanut butter can make your once perfectly silky buttercream go incredible soft/liquidy. Not sure how I'll correct this...currently trying the freezer and then rewhipping.

    Reply
  3. Lisa says

    November 23, 2020 at 11:00 am

    5 stars
    WOW this is phenomenal. I made this with the white almond sour cream cake from this same site for my daughters birthday and they are AMAZING together. I got so many compliments and I LOVE it. I ate so much of it sheesh. It will forever be my go-to. Also I've been putting the leftovers in my coffee for the last two days and it has been heavenly. It definitely needs time to warm up. We assembled the day before and let the cake sit out room temp (73ish for us) for 8 hours and it was perfect - the interior of the cake (we did three layers and used the rest of the batter for cupcakes) was not cold.

    Reply
  4. Zeta Schultz says

    November 24, 2020 at 2:23 pm

    Love your videos but it really bothers me when you refer to boxed liquid egg whites as "pasteurized egg whites". All eggs in the US are pasteurized in accordance with USDA guidelines so the egg white from a whole egg is indeed pasteurized.

    Reply
    • Elizabeth Marek says

      November 30, 2020 at 10:27 am

      Wow! I actually did not know that. Thank you for letting me know!

      Reply
  5. Angela N. says

    December 13, 2020 at 10:32 pm

    5 stars
    Hi, my buttercream is always gritty no matter how long I whip them with pasteurized eggs or how warm the room temperature is. Is it OK if I heat up the pasteurized eggs and sugar over the stove just to dissolve the sugar before adding in the butter? The reason why I do not want to use raw egg whites is because I do not want to deal with the yolks. Thank you.

    Reply
    • Sugar Geek Show says

      December 14, 2020 at 12:43 pm

      Hm so sorry that's happening to you, I've never had that problem before. You can try to heat it over the stove to dissolve the sugar. Or I would try switching up powdered sugar brands and sifting it before adding in the pasteurized egg whites. Hope this helps!

      Reply
  6. Olivia says

    January 06, 2021 at 2:57 am

    5 stars
    Hi Liz, this recipe is my all time fav! I just want to know how I would make this into a chocolate buttercream? Would I add cocoa powder or chocolate melts? If so how much? I saw the one for white chocolate buttercream but I’m actually trying to make black.

    Reply
    • Sugar Geek Show says

      January 06, 2021 at 11:32 am

      Hi! Here's my chocolate recipe: https://sugargeekshow.com/recipe/best-chocolate-buttercream-frosting/

      Reply
  7. Stephanie says

    January 11, 2021 at 8:30 am

    5 stars
    Thank you so much for this!! I was too intimidated by SMBC, but don’t like the overly sweetness of AMB. I made this last night and it’s so delicious and smooth!

    Reply
  8. Mama Duck says

    January 17, 2021 at 4:33 pm

    6 sticks of butter.???? Goodness

    Reply
    • Sugar Geek Show says

      January 18, 2021 at 12:09 pm

      It is buttercream after all! 😀

      Reply
  9. Courtnie says

    January 17, 2021 at 4:54 pm

    5 stars
    Hi, thank you for this! Love the taste! My only question is that it seemed thick, like when I went to pipe it would just lift right off the cupcake. Is that normal? I weighed all of my ingredients, I wasn’t sure if there was a way to thin it a little? Thanks!

    Reply
    • Sugar Geek Show says

      January 18, 2021 at 12:09 pm

      If your environment or butter was a little cold, that's normal. I usually like to take out a cup of buttercream, melt it down in the microwave and then pour it back into the buttercream. This makes it nice and smooth, but also makes it a little softer to work with.

      Reply
  10. Jen Kenny says

    January 29, 2021 at 10:06 am

    5 stars
    Hi there,
    Big thanks for all your fantastic recipes- and when I went to post this question and saw 705 (!!!) comments on this recipe, I just wanted to say thank you for all the guidance you give us home bakers. You’re a peach for all the time you take to help us out. I tried to read through to see if this was already asked, but (705!!!) I might have missed it. Can I use the easy buttercream recipe and fold in crushed cookies at the end for an Oreo frosting? I realize they’d have to be pretty crushed not to clog the piping tip and to smooth easily around the cake. Any suggestions, or guidance on that?

    Reply
    • Sugar Geek Show says

      January 29, 2021 at 6:09 pm

      Yes, you can add Oreos to the frosting, just scrape off the centers and chop the cookies really finely, then smash them with the side of your knife to make them as small as possible. Then I'd make sure to use a fairly large piping tip so that it doesn't clog as easily. American buttercream with crushed Oreos in it also tastes a lot like Oreo frosting. Hope this helps!

      Reply
  11. Patricia says

    January 31, 2021 at 5:57 am

    5 stars
    Great really good and easy

    Reply
  12. Alisha Eadeh says

    February 11, 2021 at 11:27 am

    5 stars
    How would I make this with chocolate flavor?

    Reply
    • Sugar Geek Show says

      February 15, 2021 at 2:03 pm

      Here's my recipe: https://sugargeekshow.com/news/best-chocolate-buttercream-frosting/

      Reply
  13. Cheryl B says

    March 07, 2021 at 9:13 pm

    4 stars
    This came out really really good, I just need to know how to get it white, I tried the purple trick but didn’t work so I added about a tablespoon of white gel color but still yellowish...but really tasty & so smooth! I can’t wakt to use for my textured cake next!

    Reply
  14. Kelby says

    March 12, 2021 at 9:31 am

    Hi Liz! I'm making a layer cake for my nieces birthday. She requested raspberry flavored frosting. I wanted to make raspberry buttercream... Or maybe a jam for the inside? Or both? I looked around in your site for a recipe like that but couldn't find it. Any suggestions?

    Reply
    • Elizabeth Marek says

      March 19, 2021 at 9:48 am

      You can either add raspberry puree to the buttercream or ground up freeze-dried raspberries

      Reply
  15. Allie says

    March 12, 2021 at 7:11 pm

    Hi! If I’m planning to add the strawberry reduction to this and use it for your fresh strawberry cake, is it really necessary to use clear vanilla extract to get it as white as possible? Can I just use the brown vanilla extract?

    Reply
    • Elizabeth Marek says

      March 19, 2021 at 9:47 am

      I don't use clear, I use regular vanilla extract

      Reply
  16. Cheryl says

    March 29, 2021 at 11:21 pm

    5 stars
    Oh my! So I already said how I really liked this a few weeks ago but I used today for sugar free cupcakes & it worked perfectly with the sugar alternative. I made chocolate & strawberry flavors & it turned out simply amazing!

    Reply
  17. Roshana says

    May 13, 2021 at 6:35 pm

    5 stars
    I can’t believe how easy and phenomena this butter cream turned out!!! Pipe effortlessly and yummy,

    Reply
  18. Lola says

    June 11, 2021 at 7:55 am

    5 stars
    This is THE BEST buttercream to use!! It really does taste like ice cream and people LOVE it!!

    Quick question, I have the stainless steel Bosch mixer and need to make a triple batch….can I just use the cookie paddles throughout the whole process instead of the wire whips? The whips make too many bubbles.

    Reply
    • Sugar Geek Show says

      June 11, 2021 at 9:13 am

      Hi Lola! Thanks for the nice review! The whisks ensure that your buttercream gets nice and fluffy and has that ice cream taste. If you use the paddles the whole time, it won't whip up correctly. After you whip it and make the buttercream, try switching from the whisks to the paddles and mixing on low for a few minutes. I also take 1/3 cup of the buttercream and melt in for a few seconds in the microwave and then pour it back into the bowl. This should help to work out the bubbles.

      Reply
      • Deontra says

        March 05, 2025 at 6:42 pm

        5 stars
        I really love the buttercream. Thank you for sharing. Will it hold up under fondant?

      • Elizabeth Marek says

        May 07, 2025 at 9:43 am

        Yes absolutely

  19. Debbie says

    October 03, 2021 at 2:00 am

    5 stars
    Best buttercream frosting EVER !!!

    Reply
  20. Nikki says

    October 03, 2021 at 5:45 pm

    5 stars
    I made this vegan by using aquafaba and vegan butter and oh my gosh - so delicious and dreamy to work with. For the first time ever I got crisp edges.

    Reply
  21. Michelle says

    October 04, 2021 at 8:29 am

    Hi Liz, can you clarify your oz measurements, please? Because you accompany all the measurements by their equivalent in grams, you are doing butter, eggs and sugar measurements by weight? No fluid oz?

    Reply
    • Elizabeth Marek says

      October 04, 2021 at 9:48 am

      Yes everything is by weight, I don't use any volume measurements

      Reply
  22. Ray says

    October 08, 2021 at 4:35 am

    5 stars
    This buttercream is amazing! Thank you so much for sharing the recipe! Is there anyway that I can make this chocolate? Would I use cocoa powder or melted milk chocolate chips or both?

    Reply
  23. Perla says

    February 14, 2022 at 10:54 am

    5 stars
    Best buttercream EVER!! I'm only an amateur baker but I absolutely love it and I been looking for a buttercream that is easy to make and spreads easily but also provides the sturdiness and this is it!! Thank you so much!!

    Reply
  24. Kimberly Donovan says

    February 14, 2022 at 3:48 pm

    5 stars
    The BEST frosting I have ever made! So easy to work with as well! Thank you for sharing! It will be my go to from now on!

    Reply
  25. Jane says

    July 11, 2022 at 1:07 pm

    5 stars
    I LOVE this frosting. It is SO GOOD, not too sweet, and easy to work with, held its shape with piping. I did have a lot left over, though, I frosted a 2-layer cake, and had 2 cups left over. I freaked out when I saw the amount of butter in the recipe, but it's delicious, and so creamy and shiny. A winner for sure!

    Reply
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Hi, I'm Liz! I'm an artist and cake decorator from Portland, Oregon. Cakes are my obession, which is why I'm dedicated to crafting tried-and-true recipes, small cake tutorials, as well as advanced online cake courses!

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