The best homemade vanilla frosting recipe! Learn how to make the perfect buttercream frosting for all your favorite cakes. Pipe it onto cupcakes, slather it over a sheet cake or scoop it up with cookies. Vanilla goes with everything!
For the frosting, beat butter for 3-4 minutes until pale in color.
Add powdered sugar, vanilla, and milk. Beat an additional 3-4 minutes until fluffy and smooth!
Notes
Vanilla bean variation. Using whole vanilla beans in place of the vanilla extract adds a fresh, aromatic dimension to the vanilla frosting.
YIELD: This recipe yields enough vanilla buttercream to frost about 24 cupcakes or a 2-layer cake generously. Feel free to double this recipe if you want a lot of leftover frosting.
STORAGE: Keep vanilla frosting in the refrigerator in an airtight container. When you're ready to use it, let the frosting sit at room temperature for about 20 minutes to let it soften. Once piped onto a cupcake it does NOT need to be refrigerated.
Cupcakes. This frosting is the perfect consistency for piping on cupcakes. Want it thicker or thinner? Change the amount of milk.
Food Coloring. Want to color the frosting for a holiday or special occasion? I recommend using gel food coloring, as it tends to not have any flavor and a little goes a long way!