This is a basic powdered sugar frosting recipe that comes together with just four ingredients. Use the vanilla frosting for cakes, cupcakes, or cookies!
This recipe for homemade vanilla frosting is so versatile and readers love it! It's my most popular frosting recipe. Close seconds are my Swiss Meringue Buttercream and Lemon Royal Icing.
When it comes to frosting, the taste is key — and this fluffy vanilla frosting is delicious. This is a homemade frosting made with powdered sugar and butter, so you do have that sugary mouthfeel.
It's classic childhood frosting, and much like what you'd find on top of cupcakes at Magnolia Bakery in New York.
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Recipe Ingredients
This easy vanilla frosting is made with four basic ingredients: unsalted butter, confectioners' sugar, vanilla extract, and salt.
I haven't added any milk to this version because I use it for piping decorations as well as filling cake layers and icing. Plus, eliminating the milk results in an ultra fluffy frosting rather than a thick and creamy one.
The thicker consistency without milk is necessary for piping out of a decorating bag, but also works for spreading on top of a cupcakes and cake.
The piped decorations hold their shape, but still taste light and smooth in your mouth. Looser icings can droop and fall when designs are piped.
Tip: If you want a frosting that is a bit looser for swooping or spreading on cookies, just add a tiny bit of milk at the end. Mix it up and check the texture as you go.
How to Make Vanilla Frosting
To make the frosting, I recommend a stand mixer, like this one from Kitchenaid. You don't want the butter too soft so a mixer is excellent at creaming the just-barely-room-temperature butter.
I use the paddle attachment, not the whisk. I find the whisk incorporates more air into the frosting than I like.
Once you've got your mixer set up, you'll need to beat the butter until smooth.
There is no melting the butter here, people! Just softened butter, not even room temperature (I find that's too warm, but maybe I keep my rooms too hot!). Just soft enough to mix into a smooth situation.
That's the trick. I like to smooth my butter and add the sugar a little at a time, mixing the sugar in completely before adding more. You NEVER get lumps this way because you start out with smooth butter. And the sugar has plenty of time to mix in completely.
Once the butter come together, simply stir in the vanilla and salt!
Coloring Vanilla Frosting
This fluffy frosting takes color perfectly. You can use liquid food coloring drops for a pastel tint. For a deeper color use gel paste food coloring.
Gel paste food coloring won't add too much liquid to your thick, pipe-able frosting, but will add intense tint.
To experiment with mixing colors, blend a small spoonful of frosting in a bowl with your desired color drops. Make intense color bases this way and then stir parts of that spoonful into your larger batch to get the color you want.
Can I Use a Hand Mixer Instead of a Stand Mixer?
Yes, but it just takes a bit more time. If you have to use a hand mixer, I recommend a powerful one like this.
Can This Recipe Be Made Vegan?
Yes! To make vegan vanilla frosting I use Miyokos vegan butter. It is a cashew butter with live cultures mixed in.
How Long Does Frosting Last?
This frosting will keep covered on the counter for several days and in the fridge for about two weeks. Bring refrigerated frosting to room temperature and give it a good stir before using.
Desserts Using Vanilla Frosting
This fluffy frosting is perfect for decorating cakes, cupcakes, cookies and cookie bars, and more! Here are some desserts I've paired this easy vanilla frosting with:
- One-Pan Sugar Cookie Bars
- Spring Flower Cupcakes
- Vanilla Cupcakes
- Simple Birthday Cupcakes
- Cut-Out Sugar Cookies
Tips for the Best Vanilla Frosting
- To create smooth swoops: Beat the frosting on a lower speed after all the sugar has been incorporated. This will smooth out a lot of the air bubbles that formed in the mixing process. Adding a tiny drop of milk can help as well.
- Butter temp: Make sure your butter is soft but not warm. Sometimes room temperature is too soft. If your butter is on the warm side, just chill the frosting a little before using it for piping decorations.
- If piping: Stir well before adding to your piping bags so there are no cold lumps.
Rate this recipe! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
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More Frosting Recipes to Try
- Old Fashioned Caramel Icing
- Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting
- Classic Cream Cheese Frosting
- Milk Chocolate Frosting
📖 Recipe
Fluffy Vanilla Frosting
Ingredients
- 2 cups unsalted butter (4 sticks) (softened)
- 6 cups confectioners’ sugar (sifted)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Pinch fine salt
Instructions
- In a mixing bowl or bowl of an electric mixer, beat butter until smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes.
- Add confectioners' sugar ½ cup at a time, mixing well and scraping down sides of bowl occasionally.
- Beat in vanilla and salt; stir until smooth.
Notes
Nutrition
The Best Frosting Recipes
Tara Teaspoon
I’ve been in food publishing for over 25 years, creating recipes & food-styling for magazines, books, television, food brands, & advertising. With two cookbooks under my belt and thousands of my recipes at your fingertips, I hope you'll be inspired to spend more time in the kitchen!
Recipe and Food styling Tara Teaspoon. Cupcakes images: Ty Mecham. Updated March 2022.
Tina Edwards says
I made this tonight, it turned out delicious. Thank you for sharing.
Addie says
How many cupcakes will this cover? 12 or 24?
Tara says
This will cover 24 cupcakes easily. If you are piping on a lot of frosting it will be tight for 24, but just spreading about 3/8-inch thick on top is great.
Brandi says
Oh my gosh! Best vanilla icing ever! I cut the recipe in half because I did not need quite that much. I used 1 stick of salted butter and 1 stick unsalted butter and nixed the pinch of salt. It came out perfect. So light and fluffy and spread on my very delicious banana cake very easily. Thanks for the recipe! I will be using again and again.
Tara says
I'm thrilled you liked it. And great idea using the two kinds of butter! Genius!
ariel says
The recipe worked great! It made my cake! It was super simple and easy, I used a little less icing sugar than it called for but it worked great. It even worked for piping "Happy Birthday" on it using just a a ziplock witha poked hole in it.
Tara Teaspoon says
Thank you for sharing Ariel and I'm so glad to hear you found ways to make it work for your recipe. Tara
Ellie June says
This icing was awful. It tasted like straight up butter. We had people complaining about the taste. The only good thing about it was the texture.
Also I thought that the recipe was not specific enough. How much is a pinch?
Tara says
I'm sad you didn't like my highest rated recipe. I would hope it tasted like butter--it's a buttercream frosting! A pinch is pretty standard and has been written in recipes since the 1800s. If you'd like a measurement, many people use 1/16 teaspoon as a measurement for "a pinch." Some people use 1/8 teaspoon. Calling for a pinch of an ingredient in a recipe means the difference between that 1/16 and 1/8 doesn't matter. I'm happy to hear you liked the texture though.
Brittan says
Hi! I was wondering if I could add carmeal to the frosting? Or would it ruin it?
Emma says
Hi there Tara, I am just wondering if this recipe will cover a 3 layer 6 inch cake? Thanks in advance
rose says
This is the best fluffy non dairy icing! I’ve not tried other recipes, this was my first one and I’ve stuck to it! My grandson has dairy allergies, and when I was asked to make his bday cake, I went on the search for a non dairy icing and found this one. It was a hit! No one believed it was non dairy. I used the new Country Crock plant base butter made with avacado oil. I’ve made this icing 10 + times, starting Aug 2019 through 2020. I’ve been put in charge in making my 7 grandkiddos bday cakes.
Thank you Tara for your work on formulating this icing recipe. So easy, and perfect ever time!
Tara Teaspoon says
Rose, thank you for sharing your experience! I am thrilled you and your family have enjoyed the recipe so many times. Tara
Neha says
What would the ingredients amount be for 1 cup of frosting?
Tara says
Hi Neha, You can divide the recipe by 5 to get the amounts. I suggest simply cutting it in half though. Making just 1 cup of frosting is tedius and the leftover frosting freezes well if you'd like. Half a recipe would be: 2 sticks of unsalted butter, 3 cups sifted confectioners' sugar, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla and a pinch of salt.
Sarathebaker says
Would it do anything to the frosting if I warmed the butter in the microwave a little bit? Just to soften it faster?
Tara says
Hi Sara,
I think that's a great technique, but you don't want it too soft. Just BARELY soften it. Honestly, if you are using a stand mixer you can let the mixer do a lot of the work before you add the sugar. Just a few seconds in the micro, and then let the paddle attachment soften it a bit longer than usual.
Sarathebaker says
Ok thx. I didnt do it. turns out my butter was soft enough. But I might do it next time. I tried the recipe but when it was finished and on the cupcakes it was a little too sweet. But overall great frosting recipe.😁
Tara says
Oh I'm glad it worked out!! Yes, it's a sweet frosting. Totally sugar! I love it for cupcakes and cookies. If you want to try one that is less cloying, try my Swiss Meringue Buttercream. It's a hit. https://tarateaspoon.com/meringue-buttercream/
Karina says
Really surprised at some of the negative comments, this is my go-to frosting! It's been a hit with everyone thats tasted it, people always ask for the recipe.
Tara T. says
Love to hear it! It's a great recipe!
Karen says
Nice generous amount and covered my layer cake with some to spare. I did set some aside to use for piping, then added a tiny bit a milk to make it a little looser for on the cake.
Tara Teaspoon says
Perfect! I'm so happy it worked well for you!
Randi Wolf says
So glad I found this recipe! The icing came out great – I love the fluffy consistency. Very easy to spread over cake. After icing the cake, I saved a bit of it overnight (with plastic wrap over the bowl on the counter) to use for piping. Added just a touch of milk and it was very easy to pipe. My guests thought it tasted delicious too. Thank you Tara!
Tara Teaspoon says
So happy to hear it! It's definitely a crowd-pleaser!
karen connors says
Came out perfect! Thanks.