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Piping American Buttercream onto Cupcakes

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American Buttercream {with butter and heavy cream}

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Classic, Simple American Buttercream

This classic American Buttercream recipe only takes a few minutes to make and is silky smooth and flavorful thanks to butter, heavy cream, vanilla and a touch of almond extract.

Classic American Buttercream.

If you’ve been hanging around here for a while, you probably know that I’m fanatic about Italian Meringue Buttercream. No offense to American Buttercream, but Italian Meringue is generally my go-to. However…

There is absolutely, positively a time and place for American Buttercream. Like when you want to make buttercream super duper fast. Italian Meringue Buttercream takes nearly an hour to make. American Buttercream takes about 5 minutes. HUGE advantage.

Also, there are certain cakes that just seem to beg for American Buttercream over every other option. Like Funfetti Cake. I’m not entirely certain why I feel strongly that Funfetti Cake should be frosted with American Buttercream, but I do. Italian Meringue Buttercream feels too fancy and formal for a cake as whimsical as one with sprinkles in the batter.

A tray of Funfetti Cupcakes with Classic American Buttercream

Here’s what I often DO NOT like about American Buttercream: It can be so crazy sweet. Also, it can sometimes be flavorless. This recipe is also quite sweet. (It is frosting, after all.) But, thanks to the addition of heavy cream, it’s not as sweet as the American Buttercream’s you might be used to. 

Also, this recipe for American Buttercream is most definitely not that flavorless waxy stuff we are all way too familiar with. Here’s why this buttercream tastes so good…

  • Butter!
  • Plenty of salt 
  • A generous amount of vanilla PLUS a touch of almond extract (optional, but recommended)
  • Use heavy cream instead of milk

Piping American Buttercream onto Cupcakes

Cream instead of milk.

Using heavy whipping cream instead of milk and beating it for several minutes is the secret to super fluffy, silky smooth buttercream. The reason is simple: Beating cream allows you to incorporate some air into the buttercream.

Anyone who’s ever made whipped cream knows how this works. You can beat milk all day long and you’ll never end up with airy, fluffy, whipped milk. 

Using cream instead of milk does something else you might not expect – it makes the buttercream less sweet. Again, this is because of cream’s ability to trap some air in there. Airy buttercream with a high fat content will not only taste less sweet, it will allow you to incorporate slightly less sugar than if you use milk.

The ingredients for American Style Buttercream.

Salt, Vanilla, and Almond extract.

Flavor, flavor, and more flavor. Flavor is the entire point of adding salt and flavor extracts to American Buttercream and many recipes, in my opinion, don’t contain enough of any of them.

If you’ve read through other American Buttercream recipes, you might notice that this recipe has more salt than most. In general, I feel that most recipes for sweet things don’t contain enough salt to balance the sweetness and bring out the other flavors. But, this is largely a matter of personal taste.

If you’re skeptical about adding a whole teaspoon of salt to your buttercream, start with a 1/2 tsp. Taste, and go from there.

Likewise, I tend to be heavy handed with the vanilla in this buttercream because that’s how I like it. If you’re not sure you’ll want a whole tablespoon of vanilla, start with less, taste, and add as much or as little as you like.

The almond extract is completely optional, but adds a nice subtle element that rounds out the sweeness. Like the salt and vanilla, add as much or as little as you like.

Beating American Buttercream with an electric mixer.

The one exception to all-butter buttercream. How to keep buttercream from melting… 

I am pretty much an all-butter-all-the-time buttercream baker because butter tastes better. (How’s that for a tongue twister?) 

You know that grocery store buttercream that tastes like sugar and wax? That’s because it’s made with shortening. Or something like shortening. (Probably we don’t want to know what it’s really made from.)

Shortening scores a big zero in the flavor department while butter is delicious. There is one big exception to this rule: When you know your cake is going to have to spend some time in very high heat and humidity.

Replacing half the butter with shortening will help keep the buttercream from melting – within reason. Regardless of how much of the butter you replace with shortening, it’s going to melt if it’s sitting out in direct sun for a couple of hours on a hot day.

On the other hand, using some shortening in the buttercream does make it more stable and less prone to melting than all butter buttercream. 

Lifting a beater from a bowl of American Buttercream.

Popular Cake Recipes that are delicious with American Buttercream

More Buttercream Recipes:

If you give this recipe a try, let me know! Leave a comment, rate it, or take a picture and tag it #ofbatteranddough on Instagram.

Happy baking!

Piping American Buttercream onto Cupcakes

American Buttercream {with butter and heavy cream}

Yield: about 4 cups (enough to frost and fill a 3-tier 8-inch layer cake or generously frost 16 cupcakes)
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 10 minutes

Want to make a chocolate version of this buttercream? Here's the recipe for my favorite Quick Chocolate Buttercream.

Ingredients

  • 3 sticks (1 & 1/2 cups) unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 4 - 5 cups powdered sugar
  • 1/3 cup heavy cream, at room temperature
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 1 tsp almond extract (optional)

Instructions

  1. Add the butter and one cup of the powdered sugar to the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat on low just to blend, then beat on high for 3 minutes, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl a few times.
  2. Add the heavy cream and another cup of powdered sugar. Beat on low speed to blend, then on high speed for another two minutes, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl a few times.
  3. Add two more cups of powdered sugar and the salt and extracts. Beat on low to combine, then on high for about 1 minute, until the buttercream is completely smooth.
  4. Check the consistency and beat in more powdered sugar if the buttercream is too thin. Taste, and add more salt, vanilla, or almond extract if desired.

Notes

One reader left a comment with a valuable suggestion that I wanted to share (thank you Janice!). Here's what she said:

"One word of caution, I just blindly added all of the 1/3 cup of heavy cream at once which made the frosting very thin and I had to add quite a bit more sugar to get the right consistency. I suggest adding the 1/3 cup of heavy cream 1 Tablespoon at time to get the consistency that you are wanting."

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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 16 Serving Size: 1/4 cup
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 177Total Fat: 8gSaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 21mgSodium: 148mgCarbohydrates: 28gFiber: 0gSugar: 27gProtein: 0g
© Rebecca Blackwell
Category: Buttercream and Frosting
 A tray of cupcakes frosted with American Buttercream

Reader Interactions

Comments

  3. Analida Braeger says

    Thanks for all the background information on the buttercream and the store bought version. Have you ever tried to use Irish butter to make this recipe? I use it for shortbread cookies and if I don’t they just melt in the oven.

    Reply

    • Rebecca Blackwell says

      Hi Analida! I’ve never used Irish Butter in this buttercream, but now I’m anxious to try it! My understanding is that Irish butter has less water content than other types of butter, so I can see how that might make a difference with shortbread cookies. I’m not sure if it would alter the consistency of buttercream, but am always up for the excuse to try! xo

      Reply

  5. Tammy says

    Buttercream is irresistible and homemade is even better! I save it for special occasions but I have to try yours. I love the idea of a drop of almond extract too!

    Reply

  9. Danielle says

    That consistency that you show is simply remarkable – just the way it should be when you are making American buttercream. I simply need to try this recipe out because I doubt I’ve seen a better one recently!

    Reply

  12. Janice Nelson says

    I decided to vary my cake frosting from my favorite Italian Meringue Buttercream and try good old fashioned American Buttercream. Very pleasantly surprised by this recipe! Even though it is much sweeter than Italian Buttercream this is a delicious recipe and goes very well with Rebecca’s Devil’s Food Cake recipe. One word of caution, I just blindly added all of the 1/3 cup of heavy cream at once which made the frosting very thin and I had to add quite a bit more sugar to get the right consistency. I suggest adding the 1/3 cup of heavy cream 1 Tablespoon at time to get the consistency that you are wanting. Taste as you go. The almond extract is a must as it really accentuates the vanilla flavor and seems to make the vanilla a much deeper flavor. You will enjoy this recipe!

    Reply

    • Rebecca Blackwell says

      Hi Janice! I am so happy to hear that you liked this recipe! It is sweeter than Italian Meringue (my favorite!), but for some cakes, I actually like this better. Thanks so much for the tip on adding the heavy cream. I’m going to add your suggestion to the notes section of the recipe so other bakers will be sure to see it. Thank you so much for taking the time to leave a comment for me! I truly appreciate it! xo

      Reply

  13. Tolu says

    I loved it. It wasn’t sickening sweet. It was the perfect amount of sweet. This was more than enough to frost a the 3 tier Funfetti Cake and I had a little left over. Thank you so much.

    Reply

  14. Jackie says

    I’m an at home baker. I shy away from the “butter” buttercream because of the unstableness(and cost😬) But am going to give this a try. Any recommendations about coloring this buttercream?

    Reply

    • Rebecca Blackwell says

      I’m so happy to hear that you’re going to give this recipe a try Jackie! I usually use gel food coloring to color this buttercream. It will accept color well – start with a little and then keep adding until you get the shade you’re looking for. I’ve also found that a drop or black or brown in most colors gives it depth and intensifies the color. I can’t wait to hear what you think of this buttercream! Please do let me know! xo

      Reply

  15. Pat Adams says

    I am IN LOVE with your website. Where has it been all my life? You attention to detail is beyond incredible I do have one question – for Confectioner’s (10X) sugar – must you always sift it ? I HATE to sift sugar; but if I must what is the easiest method for sifting sugar (or flour). Many thanks!

    Reply

    • Rebecca Blackwell says

      I am SO happy to hear that you like this website Pat! Your lovely words just made my whole day. 🙂 Honestly, I never sift anything. Instead, I just dump whatever dry ingredients I’m working with into a bowl and stir it around with a wire whisk. I find this much easier and less messy than sifting, and think it works just as well. Please let me know if you ever have any other questions! xo

      Reply

  16. Kelly says

    This is an absolutely perfect vanilla buttercream recipe! Thank you so much. Could you please tell me how long this will keep at room temperature and in the refrigerator?

    Reply

    • Rebecca Blackwell says

      Hi Kelly! I am so happy to hear that you like this recipe! It’s perfectly safe to keep buttercream at room temperature for up to 2 days. After that, it should be refrigerated. It will keep in the refrigerator for a week. It will still be “safe” after a week in the refrigerator, but will start to taste a bit stale. Let the buttercream come to room temperature and re-beat it for a couple of minutes before using. Please let me know if you have any other questions! xo

      Reply

  17. Donna says

    Have you ever tried using a liqueur instead of vanilla, such as Cointreau or Grand Mariner?

    As well there were tiny air bubbles in it. I would like to be able to make it smooth for a wedding cake. Any suggestions?

    Thanks so much. I made a small 3 layer 6” cake on the weekend for my kids anniversary and it was a huge hit!

    Reply

    • Rebecca Blackwell says

      Hi Donna! You should be able to add any kind of liqueur to this buttercream, but the trick is to add it very slowly, beating the buttercream as you add the liquid. Butter isn’t the biggest fan of liquid – you have to force it to incorporate it. This is easy, as long as you can be patient, and add the liquor very, very slowly as you beat the buttercream. If at any point, the buttercream looks like it’s starting to split, just stop adding the liquid, scrape down the sides of the bowl and beat on high until it comes back together.

      Beating should also take care of the air bubble problem; however, if you’re icing a cake and finding that there are air bubble in it, you can just smooth them out with a hot knife. Coat the cake with buttercream, getting it as smooth as you can. Then, fill a tall glass with very, very hot water. Dip your icing spatula in the hot water to heat it, quickly wipe it off on a towel, and then smooth it over the icing. The heat from the spatula will melt the butter in the buttercream, slightly and it will smooth right out.

      I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any other questions! xo

      Reply

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