The Flying Kitchen

A delicious, smooth, perfectly light icing for your next project. Tastes like vanilla ice cream!

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The easiest, best buttercream for icing and decorating cakes, cupcakes or cookies. This formulation tastes like vanilla ice cream!

Classic American Buttercream Icing (2024 reformulation)

Shannon Vavich

A delicious, smooth, perfectly light icing for your next project. Tastes like vanilla ice cream!

5 from 1 vote

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Servings 0

Ingredients

  

• 1 lb unsalted butter, softened 4 sticks
• 6-8 cups powdered sugar adjust according to how sweet you want the icing – I use six cups of sugar
• 2-4 Tbs heavy whipping cream
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• pinch salt optional

Instructions

 

• In the bowl of a heavy duty stand mixer, cream the butter until lighter in color – about one minute on high speed. 
• Add the powdered sugar 2 cups at a time, scraping the bowl down between each addition. 
• Add the heavy whipping cream, vanilla and pinch salt, then whip again for about a minute. 
• Color with the colors of your choice.  I like gel food color best.  Decorate your cakes, cupcakes or cookies.  Refrigerate for up to one week or freeze for up to three months. 
• TIP: Always make more icing than you think you're going to need.

Video

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