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    Kelly Neil » Recipes » Cakes & Cupcakes

    Homemade Vanilla Frosting

    Published: Feb 16, 2021 · Modified: Feb 8, 2022 by Kelly Neil · 44 Comments

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    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
    This simple homemade vanilla frosting is my favorite go-to recipe. It tastes similar to store-bought, but is made with real ingredients and has no chemical taste!
    Prep Time: 10 mins
    Total Time: 10 mins
    A hand spreading Nanny Burke's buttercream on a sheet cake with the back of a spoon.

    This homemade vanilla frosting has been my favorite for years now! Though I love whipped cream cheese frosting the best, sometimes you just need a basic, Betty Crocker-style vanilla frosting.

    This recipe originates from my friend’s grandmother in Cape Breton who graciously shared her recipe with me. She said, though she’s tried many recipes over the last 50 years, this one is by far the best and easiest. After trying many different recipes myself (including my own mother’s) I have to agree. Try it as a finishing touch on blueberry cake donuts, small-batch cinnamon rolls, or Earl Grey yogurt cake. It’s so simple, and so good!

    Jump to:
    • Ingredients
    • Substitutions
    • Step-By-Step Instructions
    • Recipe Notes
    • 🖨 Recipe

    Use the JUMP TO RECIPE button at the top of this post, or scroll to the bottom of the post, to see the PRINTABLE recipe card with ingredient measurements and complete instructions.

    Ingredients

    Ingredients to make Nanny Burke's buttercream.

    Substitutions

    • For a firmer texture substitute ¼ cup of shortening for butter. This can come in handy if you are frosting cakes in the summer when it’s hot outside. The shortening doesn’t affect the flavor at all, and help prevent the frosting from melting in the heat.
    • If you want a slightly less creamy color, substitute clear vanilla extract.
    • Feel free to substitute the vanilla extract with any other extract flavor you like. Almond or maple extracts are also lovely.
    • Make this recipe dairy-free by substituting a good quality dairy-free butter. Depending on the butter you choose, you may need to add less or extra powdered sugar to get the desired frosting texture you want.

    Step-By-Step Instructions

    Place the butter, vanilla, and salt in a mixing bowl. Set a hand or stand mixer to low-speed and use (a) whisk attachment(s) to mix everything together until just combined.

    Chunks of butter, vanilla, and salt in a large glass bowl.
    A hand using a hand mixer to beat butter in a large glass bowl.

    Increase the speed of the mixer and beat the butter until creamy, about one minute.

    Whipped butter in a large glass bowl.

    Sift the powdered sugar through a sieve into the bowl of butter. I like to press the powdered sugar through the sieve using the back of a soup spoon.

    A hand using the back of a spoon to press powdered sugar through a sieve into a bowl of creamed butter.
    A pile of sieved powdered sugar inside a large glass bowl of whipped butter.

    Mix on low speed until the butter and sugar are just combined.

    A hand using a hand mixer to mix powdered sugar into creamed butter.

    Increase the speed of the mixer and whip the buttercream until it becomes light and fluffy, about one minute. If using a stand mixer, stop the mixer halfway and scrape down the inside of the bowl.

    A hand using a hand mixer to mix a batch of Nanny Burke's buttercream.

    Use Nanny Burke’s buttercream as a topping for your favorite baked treats. For best results, cool your baked goods fully before decorating with frosting.

    Close up of a batch of Nanny Burke's buttercream in a large glass bowl.

    Recipe Notes

    • This recipe doubles and triples well.
    • Using a scale to weigh the butter and powdered sugar will ensure a balance of buttery flavor and sweetness. Traditional measuring cups are fine, however, the flavor balance may be thrown off.
    • You can make Nanny Burke’s buttercream ahead of time. Store it in an airtight container with a tight-fitting lid in the fridge for up to one week, or in the freezer for up to two months. To use it, simply bring it to room temperature on the counter, give it a good stir, and proceed to frost your desserts.
    • Add colors to the frosting with any liquid, gel, or powdered food coloring you like.
    A cake topped with Nanny Burke's buttercream.

    Use Homemade Vanilla Frosting With These Recipes

    • Earl Grey Yogurt Cake
    • Small-Batch Cinnamon Rolls
    • Blueberry Cake Donuts
    • Lemon Buttermilk Cake

    Did you make this homemade vanilla frosting? Please rate the recipe and tell me how it went in the comments below. Also, stay in touch with me on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest to see more delicious food and recipes!

    🖨 Recipe

    A hand spreading Nanny Burke's buttercream on a sheet cake with the back of a spoon.

    Homemade Vanilla Frosting

    Author: Kelly Neil
    This simple homemade vanilla frosting is my favorite go-to recipe. It tastes similar to store-bought, but is made with real ingredients and has no chemical taste!
    5 from 1 vote
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe Save Recipe Saved!
    Prep Time 10 mins
    Total Time 10 mins
    Course Dessert
    Cuisine American / Canadian
    Servings 16 servings
    Calories 170 kcal

    Equipment

    • Large mixing bowl if not using stand mixer
    • Electric hand mixer if not using stand mixer
    • Stand mixer if not using hand mixer
    • Measuring cups and spoons or digital kitchen scale
    • Fine mesh sieve
    • Spoon

    Ingredients
     

    • 1 cup butter, softened
    • ½ teaspoon vanilla
    • ⅛ teaspoon salt
    • 2 cups powdered sugar

    Instructions
     

    • Place the butter, vanilla, and salt in a mixing bowl. Set a hand or stand mixer to low-speed and mix everything together until just combined. If using a stand mixer, use the whisk attachment. 
    • Increase the speed of the mixer and beat the butter until creamy, about one minute.
    • Sift the powdered sugar through a sieve into the bowl of butter. I like to press the powdered sugar through the sieve using the back of a soup spoon.
    • Mix on low speed until the butter and sugar are just combined.
    • Increase the speed of the mixer and whip the buttercream until it becomes light and fluffy, about one minute. If using a stand mixer, stop the mixer halfway and scrape down the inside of the bowl.
    • Use Nanny Burke’s buttercream as a topping for your favourite baked treats. For best results, cool your baked goods fully before decorating with frosting.

    Notes

    • This recipe doubles and triples well.
    • Using a scale to weigh the butter and powdered sugar will ensure a balance of buttery flavor and sweetness. Traditional measuring cups are fine, however, the flavor balance may be thrown off.
    • You can make Nanny Burke’s buttercream ahead of time. Store it in an airtight container with a tight-fitting lid in the fridge for up to one week, or in the freezer for up to two months. To use it, simply bring it to room temperature on the counter, give it a good stir, and proceed to frost your desserts.
    • Add colors to the frosting with any liquid, gel, or powdered food coloring you like. 

    Nutrition

    Serving: 28gCalories: 170kcalCarbohydrates: 16gProtein: 1gFat: 12gSaturated Fat: 8gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 32mgSodium: 126mgPotassium: 4mgSugar: 16gVitamin A: 375IUCalcium: 4mgIron: 1mg
    Did you make this recipe?Let me know on Instagram @kellyneildotcom or tag #kellyneil!

    Cupcake Baking Tip

    A weird / interesting thing happened when I was baking cupcakes to go with Nanny Burke’s buttercream.

    I baked the first dozen cupcakes at 350ºF (180ºC) until golden, about 22 minutes. While they were in the oven I looked over the recipe again and realized that I was supposed to bake them at 325ºF (160ºC). I reduced the temperature to 325ºF in a panic for the second batch of cupcakes and here’s what happened:

    Side by side comparison of the results of baking flat versus puffy dome-topped cupcakes.

    This cupcake baking tip was just a random fluke that happened to me, however, hundreds of people on Pinterest swear it works!

    More Cake & Cupcake Recipes

    • Whipped Cream Cheese Frosting
    • Apple Upside Down Cake
    • Homemade Chai Spice
    • Carrot Cake With Pineapple
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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. [email protected] says

      April 14, 2012 at 3:12 pm

      What state should the butter be in? Softened, melted?

      Reply
    2. [email protected] says

      April 19, 2012 at 5:14 pm

      I'm in the middle of trying out different frostings too! Looking for that perfect one that doesn't take forever, doesn't taste like plastic, but still holds shapes beautifully. I'm sure I'll be blogging about it, so feel free to check it out next week. (I'll link back to your recipe when I post about it.) Do you think the frosted cake/cupcakes should be stored in the fridge?

      Reply
    3. [email protected] says

      June 28, 2012 at 7:32 am

      for the round domes you got on ur cupcakes, did u set at 350 and when u put them in, dropped it to 325? Or was it 325 the whole time? thanks. I'm trying to get my cupcakes to have the dome and getting the flat tops =( thanks!

      Reply
    4. Kristen says

      September 02, 2012 at 3:10 pm

      I have been searching for forever for a buttercream frosting that tastes great but also keeps it's shape after I pipe it onto cakes/cupcakes. This recipe with the Crisco substitution is perfect. I adjusted the amount of ingredients slightly to appeal to my own tastebuds, but the basic recipe is pretty darn close to perfect. The little cupcake trick at the end was a great help, too. My cupcakes came out with a nice dome on top that was ideal for piping frosting. Everyone loved the cupcakes, and I have this post to thank!

      For the few questions I see above on this page:

      I used butter straight out of the fridge, but room temperature butter would have made mixing easier. Chilled butter left me mixing for more than 2-3 minutes, which the article says not to do. You don't want to use melted butter.

      For the oven temp question, I preheated the oven to 350 and then reduced it to 325 when I put the cupcakes in the oven. Worked like a charm.

      Reply
    5. [email protected] says

      November 14, 2012 at 11:35 pm

      what recipe do you use for your vanilla cupcakes? I can't seem to find a good one.

      Reply
    6. [email protected] says

      November 16, 2012 at 1:58 am

      @Molly – the butter should be room temperature. I like to soften mine a little further in the microwave because we keep our house pretty cool.

      @Ani – I don't put mine in the fridge. They also don't seem to last very long around here 🙂

      @Bridget – if you read the post you'll see that I started at 350 and then realized that the temp was supposed to be 325 so I lowered it for the second batch.

      @Kristen – I always use room temperature butter for baking and frostings unless the recipe states otherwise.

      @Ashley – I made these cupcakes tonight – http://www.cupcakeproject.com/2011/09/ultimate-vanilla-cupcake-test-baked-by.html – and they were great! Light and fluffy with the perfect amount of vanilla flavour. I didn't have any sour cream in my fridge so I used 35% Whipping Cream (aka Heavy Cream) instead and they turned out fine.

      Reply
    7. [email protected] says

      January 03, 2013 at 2:16 pm

      no cream in the frosting? I've never made buttercream with out cream . I'm curious to try this.
      one other question, who is Nanny Burkes? there is no link to her and I've never heard of her, is she someone I should know?

      Reply
    8. [email protected] says

      January 03, 2013 at 2:19 pm

      Ha! No Cheryl – Nanny Burke is my friend's grandmother. She is a tiny elderly lady that lives in Cape Breton and has sent me a few wonderful recipes!

      No cream in the buttercream. Try it – you will love it 🙂

      Reply
    9. [email protected] says

      February 08, 2013 at 6:51 pm

      This is my "go-to" Vanilla Buttercream for all the cupcakes I bake. I've used the recipe for work gathering, birthdays, and fundraisers all with rave reviews. People think the frosting was whipped forever because it's so smooth and delicious. In my opinion it's the best tasting vanilla buttercream frosting-not too sweet with just the right amount of butter flavor (even with the shortening substitution). I am going to attempt to add some raspberry preserves or a raspberry reduction to this recipe for an upcoming birthday. I tried out two other raspberry recipes and they haven't been good. I love this recipe so much I'm going to try and MAKE IT INTO my "go-to" raspberry buttercream! Haha! I'll let you guys know if it works out.
      Thank you so much Kelly for sharing this recipe, love it!!

      Reply
      • [email protected] says

        August 27, 2015 at 2:26 am

        How did adding the raspberry puree work out?

        Reply
    10. [email protected] says

      February 08, 2013 at 7:24 pm

      Thanks so much! I feel the same way about it – it's my #1 go to. Good luck with the raspberry!!

      Reply
    11. [email protected] says

      February 19, 2013 at 8:21 pm

      I was wondering whether this buttercream crust enough for the "viva paper towel" method of smoothing for cakes. Do you know?

      Reply
    12. [email protected] says

      February 20, 2013 at 7:30 pm

      Hi Hillery – I'm really not sure but I can tell you, if you have extra, you can just freeze it! I've done it before – when it thaws you just re-whip a bit 🙂

      Reply
    13. Kim says

      April 18, 2013 at 10:59 pm

      Is icing sugar regular sugar or powdered sugar?

      Reply
    14. [email protected] says

      April 18, 2013 at 11:01 pm

      Hi Kim – it's powdered sugar. I've always heard it called icing sugar in Nova Scotia.

      Reply
    15. [email protected] says

      February 07, 2014 at 7:56 pm

      This is so great! I reduced the time and WOW did those cupcakes pop up!! So amazing!

      Reply
    16. [email protected] says

      March 07, 2014 at 8:00 pm

      Does this mean to preheat the oven to 350, and then reduce it to 325 when you put the cupcakes in? Thanks! 🙂

      Reply
    17. Christi says

      August 17, 2014 at 5:08 pm

      I was wondering how many cupcakes you can frost with this recipe?

      Reply
    18. [email protected] says

      October 11, 2014 at 6:02 pm

      With this buttervream recipe, can you leave it unrefridgerated once you ice the cake?

      Reply
    19. Sar says

      October 29, 2015 at 12:01 am

      This icing had a funky taste. My husband thinks so too. It also melts very easily and turns watery looking. The temperature is in the 40’s. I do not recommend. I had to toss it out and all that expensive butter was wasted.

      Reply
    20. shabz says

      August 02, 2016 at 2:51 pm

      Hey there still confused read through all the comments still not getting it so in I shoild start by preeheating the oven for 350 then once the cake is in I should reduce it to 325 to achieve a domed cup cake right and does this method work with ne recipe or does it have to b the ina gathen recipe if so would you b able to give me the recie in grams and where im at I cnt find crisco can I use normal butter to achieve the fluffy butter cream truly appreciate uou effort n id b over the moon if I can achieve the dome look in my cupcakes thanks a ton

      Reply
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