White Buttercream Cake: Silky, Sweet Perfection

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There's something about a perfectly frosted cake that just gets you, isn't there? Maybe it's the way those smooth swirls catch the light, or how that first bite melts on your tongue like a sweet cloud. Whatever it is, a white buttercream cake has this magical ability to turn an ordinary Tuesday into something worth celebrating. And the best part? You don't need to be a professional baker to nail this recipe.

I'll be honest—the first time I made buttercream from scratch, I was terrified. Would it be too sweet? Too stiff? Would my stand mixer stage a rebellion? (Spoiler: it didn't, and yours won't either.) What I discovered is that homemade buttercream is actually one of the most forgiving frostings out there. It's creamy, it's versatile, and it makes you look like you spent hours in the kitchen when really, you spent about fifteen minutes.

This recipe creates enough frosting to generously cover a two-layer cake or a dozen cupcakes—basically, enough to make everyone at your next gathering think you've got some secret baking superpowers.

Jump To Recipe

Why You'll Love This White Buttercream Cake Frosting
What You'll Need
Making Your Buttercream Magic Happen
Pro Tips From Someone Who's Made Every Mistake
The Decorating Part (Where You Become an Artist)
Frequently Asked Questions
Conclusion
White Buttercream Cake

Why You'll Love This White Buttercream Cake Frosting

Let me count the ways. First, this frosting is ridiculously smooth. We're talking silk-pajamas-on-clean-sheets smooth. Second, it's stable enough to hold its shape for beautiful cake decorating, but soft enough to spread easily. Third—and this is the big one—you can customize the flavor to match whatever you're craving.

Want to frost a classic vanilla cake? Perfect. Planning to top some chocolate cupcakes? Even better. This buttercream plays well with everything from lemon pound cake to red velvet treats. It's the little black dress of the frosting world—it just works.

And here's what I really love: this recipe doesn't require any fancy ingredients you can't pronounce. Just butter, powdered sugar, cream, and vanilla. That's it. No corn syrup, no shortening, no weird stabilizers. Just real, honest ingredients that taste like actual food.

White buttercream rosette cake on a cake stand

What You'll Need

Grab your apron (or don't—I rarely remember mine), and let's talk ingredients. You'll need six cups of powdered sugar, which yes, sounds like a lot until you remember you're frosting an entire cake. Make sure to sift it unless you enjoy tiny sugar pebbles in your frosting. Trust me on this one.

Two cups of unsalted butter at room temperature is non-negotiable. Cold butter will give you lumpy frosting, and melted butter will give you soup. Room temperature means it should leave a slight indent when you press it, kind of like a memory foam mattress.

For the vanilla extract, use the good stuff if you have it. Real vanilla makes a difference, especially in a simple buttercream recipe where there's nowhere for artificial flavors to hide. But if all you've got is imitation vanilla in your pantry, that'll work too. We're making dessert here, not taking an exam.

The heavy whipping cream adds a silkiness that regular milk can't quite achieve. It helps thin the frosting just enough to make it spreadable without losing that luxurious texture. Plus, it makes the whole thing taste even more indulgent, which is really the whole point of homemade frosting, isn't it?

Making Your Buttercream Magic Happen

Set up your stand mixer with the whisk attachment—this is going to be your best friend for the next ten minutes. If you don't have a stand mixer, a hand mixer works just fine. I won't judge. (I made buttercream with a hand mixer for three years before finally upgrading, and my biceps were definitely stronger for it.)

Toss that room-temperature butter into the bowl and let the mixer do its thing on medium speed. You're looking for the butter to get pale and creamy, which usually takes about two minutes. This step is important because you're incorporating air, which makes your frosting light instead of dense.

Now comes the part where your kitchen looks like a powdered sugar snow globe. With the mixer on low—seriously, LOW—add the sifted powdered sugar one cup at a time. If you dump it all in at once, you'll be finding sugar dust in weird places for the next three weeks. Ask me how I know.

Once all that sugar is incorporated and your frosting looks like, well, frosting, crank the speed up to medium and let it beat for three full minutes. This is where the magic happens. The frosting transforms from grainy to smooth, from dull to glossy. It's like watching an ugly duckling become a swan, except tastier.

Add your vanilla extract and two tablespoons of cream, then let the mixer run for another minute. Take a peek. If your frosting looks perfect and spreadable, congratulations! If it seems a bit stiff (which is totally normal), add another tablespoon or two of cream. I usually end up using all four tablespoons because I like my buttercream on the softer side for spreading on layer cakes.

Keep whipping until everything looks smooth and silky—this should only take another minute or two. You'll know it's ready when it holds soft peaks but still looks creamy enough to want to eat with a spoon. (Go ahead, I won't tell.)

Pro Tips From Someone Who's Made Every Mistake

Let's talk about what can go wrong, because knowledge is power, and I'd rather you learn from my fumbles than repeat them. If your buttercream looks curdled or separated, don't panic. It usually means your butter or cream was too cold. Just keep beating it—sometimes it takes a few minutes for everything to come together. If that doesn't work, try gently warming the bowl with a hair dryer for about thirty seconds while mixing.

Too thick? Add more cream, one teaspoon at a time. Too thin? Add more powdered sugar, about a quarter cup at a time. This frosting is incredibly forgiving, so you can adjust it to match your needs for cake decorating or cookie frosting.

If you're planning to pipe rosettes (which look absolutely stunning on a birthday cake), use a 1M tip as the recipe suggests. It creates those gorgeous swirled roses that make people think you went to pastry school. Between you and me, it's easier than it looks.

Want to get fancy with flavors? Swap the vanilla for almond extract for an elegant twist that pairs beautifully with white wedding cakes. Try adding a tablespoon of instant espresso powder for a coffee buttercream that's perfect on chocolate cake. Or fold in some raspberry puree for a fruity version that's gorgeous on summer layer cakes.

Here's something I learned the hard way: this buttercream can sit at room temperature for a couple hours, but if your kitchen is warm, pop it in the fridge. When you're ready to use it, let it come back to room temperature and give it a quick re-whip. It'll look lumpy and separated at first, but a minute or two of mixing brings it right back to life.

Close-up of white buttercream rosettes on cake

The Decorating Part (Where You Become an Artist)

Once you've got your perfectly smooth buttercream, the fun really begins. If you're frosting a simple layer cake, start with a crumb coat—a thin layer that seals in all those pesky crumbs. Let it chill in the fridge for about fifteen minutes, then apply your final, thick layer of frosting.

For a rustic look, use an offset spatula to create those trendy textured swirls you see all over Pinterest. Or go full fancy with piped rosettes that make your cake look like it belongs in a bakery window. There's no wrong way to decorate with this stuff.

My kids love when I let them help decorate cupcakes with this buttercream. We set up little bowls of sprinkles, some food coloring for tinting the frosting, and suddenly it's less about perfect results and more about the mess and memories. Which, honestly, is what baking should be about anyway.

This frosting also freezes beautifully. Make a double batch and stash half in an airtight container in the freezer for up to three months. When you need to frost something quickly—like when you forgot about the school bake sale until the night before—just thaw it in the fridge overnight and re-whip. Instant hero status.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you make this ahead?

Absolutely. This buttercream keeps in the fridge for up to a week in an airtight container. Just remember to bring it back to room temperature and re-whip it before using. Cold buttercream is basically butter with sugar in it—not exactly spreadable.

What if you don't have heavy cream?

You can use whole milk in a pinch, though the texture won't be quite as luxurious. Half-and-half works great too. I've even used coconut cream when making dairy-free desserts with dairy-free butter—it works surprisingly well.

Is this frosting too sweet?

Look, it's buttercream—it's supposed to be sweet. But if you're really sensitive to sugar, try using a high-quality butter with a higher fat content. European-style butter makes the frosting taste richer and somehow less overwhelmingly sweet. You can also add a tiny pinch of salt to balance the sweetness, which is a trick I learned from my mom's old cake recipes.

How do you store a frosted cake?

If it's going to sit out for more than a few hours, keep it in a cool room. If your kitchen is warm or it's summertime, the fridge is your friend. Just know that refrigeration can make buttercream lose some of its creamy texture, so let it sit at room temperature for about thirty minutes before serving.

Conclusion

So grab your mixer, put on your favorite playlist, and make something beautiful. Your cake—and everyone who gets to eat it—will thank you. And if you end up eating some frosting straight from the bowl with a spoon? Well, that's just quality control. Every good baker knows that.