Perfect Vanilla Buttercream

Perfect Vanilla Buttercream – classic, light and fluffy.

The thing I get asked the most about is my buttercream. How is it so fluffy? How do you get it so white? Why is mine gloopy? Just…HOW?

Well, I am here to tell you!

I recently did an Instagram Live showing you how to make my buttercream. Afterwards, I thought it would be a good idea to put everything I shared into a post. So, here are all of my tips and tricks that will get you that Perfect Vanilla Buttercream.

My Buttercream Tips

1. Let’s start with the butter. If you want a nice and bright buttercream, use a good quality one. I have found that a name brand butter, is usually a little bit lighter in colour, whereas a no name brand is slightly more yellow. If you don’t really care about the colour, or would rather invest in a white food colour (see #7), by all means use whatever kind of butter you like! 
2. Be sure that your butter is at the right temperature. Using butter that is slightly cooler than room temperature will give you a stiffer and fluffier buttercream that is perfect for piping. You should be able to press your finger into it and leave a slight indent. Your finger should not sink into the butter when you press. 
3. Whip it! I like to whip my butter with the paddle attachment for a bit on it’s own, as well as once the rest of the ingredients are added in. On it’s own, whip the butter until it is fully dispersed throughout the bowl. Once you’ve added all the ingredients, I like to really whip the buttercream on high speed for a good few minutes or so. This will give you a nice light and fluffy buttercream. 
4. Sift your powdered sugar. I find this is especially necessary if you buy your powdered sugar from bulk stores. Clumps can form after sitting for so long and if you add that straight in with your butter, the clumps will remain. Nobody wants clumpy buttercream. Even just saying it sounds bad…
5. Use heavy whipping cream. I used to use a couple of tablespoons of milk in my buttercream. Using heavy whipping cream really does make a difference, especially when it comes to that light and fluffy texture you’re looking for. 
6. Add some white food colouring! If your buttercream is not bright enough on it’s own for your liking, you can add some white food colouring. My favourite is the Wilton White White Icing Colour.
7. Remove the air bubbles. After whipping on high speed, your buttercream will have some air bubbles in it. To get rid of these, you can either reduce the mixer speed to low for a minute or so or beat them out by hand with a spatula. Use the spatula to fold the buttercream against the side of the bowl. 

That’s all! I know it may sound like a lot, but these are just small things you can do that will help your buttercream game immensely. It might take you a couple of extra minutes to incorporate them, but it will be so worth it. 

Perfect Vanilla Buttercream

Recipe by Kelsey LacombeCourse: DessertDifficulty: Easy

Prep time

20

minutes

Yield

3 cups

Total time

20

minutes

The lightest and fluffiest Vanilla Buttercream!

Ingredients

• 1 cup unsalted butter, slightly cooler than room temp.

• 3 1/2 cups powdered sugar

• 2 tablespoons heavy whipping cream

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

• In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add your butter. Mix on medium speed until butter is well dispersed throughout the bowl.
• On low speed, add powdered sugar one cup at a time. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as necessary.
• Add vanilla and whipping cream. Mix on high speed for a few minutes until buttercream is light and fluffy.
• To remove any air bubbles from your buttercream, mix on low speed for a minute or so. You can also do this by hand with a spatula by beating the buttercream against the side of the bowl. 

Notes

• This Buttercream can be stored in an airtight container for 1 week in the fridge and up to 1 month in the freezer.

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