BEST EVER American Buttercream Frosting
This American buttercream frosting is light, fluffy, silky smooth, and surprisingly not too sweet. Unlike traditional American buttercream that can sometimes taste gritty or heavy, this newer whipped method creates a glossy bakery-style frosting with an incredibly smooth texture.
The secret is whipping the butter until very light and airy, then adding hot heavy cream before the powdered sugar. The warmth helps soften the sugar while the long whipping time creates a mousse-like buttercream that pipes beautifully and spreads like a dream.
I used to make large batches of buttercream every week when I ran my cake business from home. Back then, I relied on meringue powder and decorator-style methods because most of my cakes needed to survive transport, heat, and hours of decorating. Over time, though, I simplified the recipe for everyday baking — and honestly, I prefer this version now. It’s easier, silkier, and tastes more like real buttercream instead of pure sugar.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Silky smooth texture with no gritty mouthfeel
- Light and fluffy despite being an American buttercream
- Easy to make with simple ingredients
- Perfect for cakes, cupcakes, layer cakes, and piping swirls
- Stable enough for decorating while still soft and creamy
- Pipes beautifully and crusts lightly
- Much less sweet tasting than traditional American buttercream
Why This Buttercream Is So Smooth
Most American buttercream recipes are made by simply beating butter with powdered sugar. While easy, that method can leave the frosting dense, overly sweet, or slightly gritty.
This whipped buttercream method works differently:
- the butter is whipped first until extremely light,
- hot cream helps soften the powdered sugar,
- and the frosting is whipped for much longer than traditional recipes.
The result is a silky smooth buttercream with a glossy finish and a texture closer to bakery frosting or Swiss meringue buttercream — but without cooking egg whites.
Ingredients and substitutes
- Unsalted butter – Use softened butter but not greasy or melted. Good-quality butter gives the best flavor.
- Powdered sugar – Sift if lumpy. Use less for a softer frosting or more for a firmer piping consistency.
- Heavy cream – Hot heavy cream is the secret to the silky texture. Whole milk works too, but cream gives a richer result.
- Vanilla extract – Use clear vanilla if you want bright white buttercream.
- Almond extract – Just a tiny dash adds bakery-style flavor without overpowering the vanilla.
- Salt – Essential for balancing the sweetness.
Step-by-step: How to make the best American Buttercream
Cream the butter
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, whip the softened butter on medium-high speed for about 10 minutes until very pale, light, and fluffy.
Pro tip — Don’t rush this step. The butter should almost look whipped before adding anything else.
Add the hot cream
Warm the heavy cream until hot but not boiling. Slowly pour it into the butter while mixing on medium speed.
Add the vanilla extract, almond extract, and salt.
Continue whipping for another 5 minutes until smooth and creamy.
Pro tip — The buttercream may look slightly loose at first. Keep mixing and it will become silky smooth.
Add the powdered sugar
Add the powdered sugar in two batches on low speed.
Once incorporated, increase the mixer speed to medium-high and whip for another 8 to 10 minutes until very light and fluffy.
Pro tip — Long whipping creates the smooth glossy texture and removes the heavy sugary feel common in traditional buttercream.
Consistency Guide
This buttercream is very versatile and can easily be adjusted depending on how you plan to use it.
- For frosting cakes – Use the recipe exactly as written for smooth frosting and filling layer cakes.
- For cupcakes – Perfect for piping swirls and rosettes.
- For stiffer piping – Add an extra ½ to 1 cup powdered sugar.
- For softer buttercream – Add 1 to 2 tablespoons warm cream and whip again.
- For hot climates – Replace part of the butter with vegetable shortening if needed.
Can I make chocolate buttercream?
Yes. Add cooled melted chocolate or cocoa powder after the buttercream is fully whipped.
American Buttercream Frosting
My American buttercream has a glossy sheen due to the unique method I use in making it. This simple and easy recipe makes a delicious velvety smooth texture, not grainy buttercream. This will soon become your favorite frosting recipe.
Video
Ingredients
- 1 kg (2 lb) Unsalted butter softened
- 1 kg (2 cups) Powdered sugar
- 60 ml (4 tbsp) Hot heavy cream or whole milk
- 2 tsp Vanilla extract
- ¼ tsp Almond extract
- ½ tsp Salt
Method
- Cream the Butter – In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, whip the butter on medium-high speed for 10 minutes until pale and fluffy.1 kg Unsalted butter
- Add the Hot Cream – Heat the heavy cream until hot but not boiling. Slowly pour the hot cream into the whipped butter while mixing on medium speed. Add the vanilla extract, almond extract, and salt. Continue mixing for 5 minutes until smooth.60 ml Hot heavy cream, 2 tsp Vanilla extract, ¼ tsp Almond extract, ½ tsp Salt
- Add Powdered Sugar – Add the powdered sugar in two batches on low speed until fully incorporated. Increase mixer speed to medium-high and whip for another 8 to 10 minutes until light, fluffy, and silky smooth.1 kg Powdered sugar
- Use or Store – Use immediately or store in an airtight container.
Notes
- Use less powdered sugar for a softer, creamier frosting.
- Add more powdered sugar for stiff piping consistency.
- The buttercream will lighten in color significantly as it whips.
- If refrigerated, bring to room temperature and rewhip before using.
- Clear vanilla extract keeps the frosting bright white.
- This frosting works beautifully for cakes, cupcakes, layer cakes, and simple piping work.
Equipment you will need
Nutrition
Tried this recipe?
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Tips for Success
- Use room temperature butter
- Whip the butter long enough before adding sugar
- Add powdered sugar slowly to avoid lumps
- Don’t skip the final whipping time
- Use the paddle attachment instead of the whisk for smoother frosting
- Gel food coloring works best without thinning the frosting
Troubleshooting
| Problem | Cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Buttercream feels gritty | Sugar not whipped enough | Continue whipping several more minutes |
| Frosting too soft | Butter too warm | Chill 10–15 minutes then whip again |
| Buttercream too stiff | Too much powdered sugar | Add warm cream 1 tbsp at a time |
| Buttercream looks curdled | Temperature imbalance | Keep mixing — it usually comes together |
Frequently asked questions
A buttercream frosted cake can be left at room temperature for up to 3 days unless it has a perishable filling.
And, beyond that, you can keep it in the fridge. In fact, I like to place it in the fridge for an hour until the buttercream firms up slightly, then wrap plastic around it to protect it from other food odors.
Yes. Store in the fridge for up to one week. Bring to room temperature and rewhip before using.
No. This recipe uses less powdered sugar than traditional American buttercream, which gives it a lighter texture and less sugary taste.
Yes, absolutely. And, the trick to covering a buttercream cake with fondant is to make sure you chill the cake really well, for more than a few hours. In fact, I like to keep my cakes overnight, so when it’s ready for fondant the cake is chilled completely, and I have a nice firm surface to work with.
Yes. Freeze for up to 3 months in an airtight container.
Yes, lightly. Enough for smoother decorating but still soft and creamy when eaten.
Absolutely. Gel food coloring works best.
This is a general guide I use. Also note, I have given you the filling and frosting separately so you can choose another filling with your buttercream. If you choose to fill and frost the cake with buttercream, you can use the last column/total.
The amount is in cups – 1 kgs frosting makes about 8 cups
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I love baking and am always looking for some new great recipe. I’m so glad I tried this velvet buttercream. It was awesome. Everyone including myself loved it. My aunt said it was the best she’d ever had. My husband thought it was awesome because it wasn’t overly sweet. Yum! The recipe covered about 60 cupcakes! The icing piped into swirls was lovely! The texture is right on. I heard on girl say “This is a good consistency” after taking a bite. I’ll be making this again for sure. Thanks for sharing. 🙂
Ah, so happy to hear that Brandy. Thank you so much for the feedback and lovely comments. I do love this frosting very much myself so always happy to hear when people love it as much as I do. Have a great day
Hi Veena, can this withstand a 36degrees celcius weather. I live in the Philippines and it’s very hot in here. And can this be covered with fondant with that kind of weather? Thank you so much for all your recipe.
Hey Belle. I have used this buttercream in Israel’s hot weather but not sure about the Philippines. I would suggest using my Stiff Buttercream recipe instead. Thanks
This is a wonderful recipe – unfortunately I made it just a bit too thin – what is the best way to stiff it up without sacrificing the smooth texture? Any hope? I don’t want to throw it away
Hey Beth, The only two ways to stiffen frosting. Either add more powdered sugar for a vanilla frosting or cooled melted chocolate for a chocolate frosting.
I like using melted dark chocolate so it also makes it less sweet. I hope this helps.
You can also use melted white chocolate to stiffen a vanilla frosting, although you will sacrifice the taste a bit.
That is true you can use melted chocolate to stiffen frosting but then you will have a chocolate buttercream. And yes, white chocolate is sweeter so the taste will be sweet – still delicious. Thanks Rifael
Ms. Veena, if i wanted to make this a cream cheese buttercream, at what point should i add the cream cheese?
Thanks in advance.
hey Judy. If you want a cream cheese frosting I have two – the classic cream cheese frosting and a no-butter cream cheese frosting.
This buttercream is silky and smooth, a close second to SMBC if you want a nice sheen and smooth result on your buttercream cakes! Lovely recipe!
Thank you, Jonalynn. Happy you liked this recipe. Thanks for coming back to write this feedback.
Veena, I love your velvet BC recipe, but have a question….i’ve been asked to do a cake with scrolling on the sides, would the Velvet BC recipe be stiff enough for scrolling, or would i have to make a batch of your stiff BC to do scrolling? I def want to use the velvet BC for filling and icing, but wasn’t sure if t would be stiff enough.
Thanks in advance.
Judy
Hey Judy. You can use my stiff buttercream frosting for the outside and this buttercream for the rest of the cake. I hope this helps.
Is it heavy whipping cream that you used, or another kind of cream?
It is whipping cream, Linda. I use 38%. Thanks.
Ms. Veena, I just came across your velvet buttercream recipe a few days ago. I have been having issues with getting a good consistency with my buttercream, so I began to search….can I just say, THANK YOU , THANK YOU, THANK YOU for sharing your recipe. By far, the best recipe EVER!!!! I tried it last night. Super easy, the texture is spot on, and I thought it wasn’t as sweet as most american buttercream recipes….this will be my go to every time from now on. AMAZING!!!!!!!
Thanks, Judy. You made my day. I am very proud of this recipe and always happy when people love it too. So happy you are enjoying it so much. Thank you for coming back to write this wonderful feedback. Have a lovely day.
I HAD to leave a comment to let you know how impressed I am with this recipe. I’m a novice cake decorator, and had to scramble yesterday to find a buttercream recipe. Typically I’m not a fan of ABC, but this is so smooth!! While it definitely is sweet, I don’t feel like it’s as sickeningly sweet as most ABC I’ve tried. My very picky daughter tasted it without knowing it was a new recipe and immediately said “this is the best frosting you’ve made!”
I’ll be saving this one for sure. Thank you!!
Thank you, Cortnie. Happy that you loved this recipe so much. It is a favorite for me too. You daughter sounds like my Rhea, very picky eater too. Thank you for coming back to write this feedback. Love hearing from those who try my recipes.
Hi Veena, Can this recipe be used under fondant?
Yes, Glynnis. This works beautifully under fondant.
Help please. I followed the recipe exactly. Live in Colorado, cold and dry. Need to finish cake for grandson’s BD by tomorrow. Frosting looks great, has great consistency is very creamy tasting but still gritty. What can I do to fix or where did I go wrong. Used C&H ps and sifted again. Used whipping cream and strawberry flavoring. If I can get rid of the grit it would be a 5 for sure.
Try mixing it a bit longer. As I said in the post you want to mix it until it’s light and fluffy.