I need a vanilla Butter cream frosting recipe, Please, Thank you!

Britbrit13 · ‎07-12-2011

Hey everyone, I'm looking for a buttercream recipe for a chocolate cake I'm doing for a friends wedding. It's going to be tinted green since it's a themed wedding cake. Any advice or anything about it would be greatly appreciated for this.

Thank you so much to all you wonderful bakers and cooks out there!

Britt

LoLa · ‎11-27-2010

This is the one that I use, it's from BrownEyedBaker.

1 cup unsalted butter, softened
2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla
pinch of salt (my addition)

Whip the butter on med-high for a few minutes. Add the sugar and pinch of salt gradually and continue mixing. Add the vanilla and mix on medium, then whip on med-high until light and fluffy.

Good luck!

Britbrit13 · ‎07-12-2011

Thanks Lola, Iv never done this before, I hope it turns out!! Britt

KYToby · ‎02-19-2012

Search Woodland Bakery Swiss Buttercream on Google. You will find a blog entry and a YouTube video on making it. It is wonderful!

Sabatini2 · ‎11-13-2010

Hi Brit! I use the recipe from Add a Pinch. It's very similar to LoLa's.

Classic Vanilla Buttercream Frosting Recipe

Ingredients

1 cup butter (2 sticks), softened

3 – 4 cups confectioner’s sugar, sifted

2 teaspoons vanilla

pinch salt

2-3 tablespoons milk, heavy cream, or half-and-half

Instructions

Place softened butter into the bowl of a stand mixer that has been fitted with the paddle attachment. Turn the mixer on a medium setting and cream the butter until it is smooth and has lightened in color, about 3 minutes.

Add confectioner’s sugar, ½ a cup at a time. After each cup has been incorporated, turn the mixer onto the highest speed setting and for about 10 seconds to lighten the frosting.

Add vanilla and a pinch of salt and combine until well-incorporated.

Add milk, heavy cream or half-and-half until the frosting has reached the preferred consistency. For a firmer frosting, add more confectioner’s sugar, a ¼ cup at a time. For a softer frosting, add more milk or cream, a tablespoon at a time.

Add A Pinch: Classic Buttercream Frosting

lulu2 · ‎03-09-2010

On 5/8/2014 Sabatini2 said:
Hi Brit! I use the recipe from Add a Pinch. It's very similar to LoLa's.

Classic Vanilla Buttercream Frosting Recipe

Ingredients

1 cup butter (2 sticks), softened

3 – 4 cups confectioner’s sugar, sifted

2 teaspoons vanilla

pinch salt

2-3 tablespoons milk, heavy cream, or half-and-half

Instructions

Place softened butter into the bowl of a stand mixer that has been fitted with the paddle attachment. Turn the mixer on a medium setting and cream the butter until it is smooth and has lightened in color, about 3 minutes.

Add confectioner’s sugar, ½ a cup at a time. After each cup has been incorporated, turn the mixer onto the highest speed setting and for about 10 seconds to lighten the frosting.

Add vanilla and a pinch of salt and combine until well-incorporated.

Add milk, heavy cream or half-and-half until the frosting has reached the preferred consistency. For a firmer frosting, add more confectioner’s sugar, a ¼ cup at a time. For a softer frosting, add more milk or cream, a tablespoon at a time.

Add A Pinch: Classic Buttercream Frosting

This is what I use but instead of vanilla, use 1 tsp of almond extract.

tkins · ‎03-26-2012

Hi Britt, I have the perfect recipe and some helpful tips. It is the one I used when I made our wedding cake (5 tiers, plus one extra on the side). We even froze the top and ate it on our one year anniversary (after it was defrosted of course ${#emotions_dlg.biggrin}$ ) and it tasted just as fresh and yummy as it did on our wedding day.

Buttercream frosting (modified version of wilton)

1/2 cup solid vegetable shortening

1/2 cup (1 stick) Butter softened

1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract

1/2 teaspoon Almond Extract (you can add more, but start with a little)

4 cups sifted confectioners' sugar (approximately 1 lb.) (I like to use some of King Arthur White Icing Mix for a cup or so of the confectioners sugar, but that is just me and not really necessary)

2 tablespoons milk

1/8 teaspoon salt (you can add more, but again start with a little)

In a large bowl, beat shortening and butter with electric mixer until light and fluffy. Beat in the vanilla and almond extracts. Gradually add sugar, one cup at a time, beating well on medium speed. Scrape sides and bottom of bowl often. When all sugar has been mixed in, icing will appear dry. Gradually add milk; beat at medium speed until light and fluffy. Add more milk a little at a time, if necessary. Once the consistency is to your liking taste and add more salt and/or extracts, continue beating until fluffy.

*****

Tips that I found helpful, have never failed me and still use to this day.

Bake and completely cool the cake(s). While they are cooling make your frosting, the amount of frosting you make now, will depend on the amount of cakes you are making. (I used a whole batch, but I had a lot of cake to cover, you may just need to start with half a batch). Once your cakes are thoroughly cooled, you are going to cover them with a thin layer of frosting (called a crumb coat) and let it dry at least a few hours until crusty, it does not have to be perfect and you can do this step the day before (that is what I did). Personally, if I am not finishing the cake until the next day, I make just enough frosting for the crumb coat and fresh made to finish frosting and decorate. It is less work and the outcome is more predictable than refrigerating it, bringing it back to room temperature and re-whipping it and taking a chance that something in the fridge will affect the taste or condensation causes it to separate etc. Once the crumb coat has set up, place a good amount of frosting in the center, spread evenly to the outside edge, adding more if you need to. For the sides, start at the bottom and spread frosting up a section at a time. When your entire cake is frosted, let it set a few hours or until it forms that nice crust like before. If you want to smooth it without disturbing it too much, take a a paper towel or wash cloth run under cold water and then wring out so that it is barely damp, no drips, gently pat the frosting until you are happy with the look. Let it set again until crust is back. Now you can decorate and once you are all finished let it set again, take a picture and then eat and enjoy. I let mine sit out uncovered during the day and loosely cover at night, uncovering again in the morning and use a piece of foil to cover any exposed cake. With regards to coloring your frosting: Start with small amounts of the color, color more frosting than you think you will need and always make sure to have extra uncolored frosting set aside to lighten or change frosting colors.

Helpful tools and etc:

Use gel colors colors are better and it does not alter the frosting consistency, I like Wilton or King Arthur.

Cake Spatulas (one small and one angled or off set)

Revolving cake stand, makes frosting and decorating easier and save your back.

Before you start, draw out your vision of what you want your cake to look like.

Always start your piping on a piece of wax paper, foil or paper plate, sometimes there are air bubbles that can cause the frosting blop out, better a plate than the cake.

Have flat toothpicks close by while piping, they come in handy if you need to make correction in what you piped and make it easy to lift off and start again.

If cake decorating is new or your nervous, practice piping with tips you will be using (you can use the frosting from the practice for cookies or if you like frosting enjoy as a reward for your hard work).

That is a very nice thing you are doing, take your time, have fun and don't take it too seriously. Don't forget to get pictures of the final cake, for you and for the friends you are making it for. It took a week to make and decorate all of the tiers, I was so proud of it and the photographer did not get one decent picture of it.

I apologize for the length, but wanted to make sure I covered everything. Good luck, I know it will turn out wonderful.

tkins