Vanilla Bean Buttercream Frosting

image of gluten free vanilla cupcake being frosted with vanilla bean buttercream

4.94 from 15 ratings

Vanilla Bean Buttercream Frosting

This vanilla bean buttercream frosting recipe only uses five ingredients! It's so easy to make and delicious, you'll never buy frosting again!!

Prep Time5

Total Time5

Course: Frosting & Fillings

Cuisine: American

Servings: 6 cups

Calories: 1074kcal

Author: Chelsey White

Ingredients

2 cups unsalted butter, room temperature 434g; 1 lb box
1 Tbsp vanilla bean paste 12g
1/2 tsp fine salt 3g
7 cups powdered sugar 907g; 2 lb bag
3 Tbsp heavy whipping cream, room temperature 45g

Instructions

Beat 2 cups of unsalted butter on a medium speed for 30 seconds until smooth with a paddle attachment and a stand mixer or a hand mixer.
Mix in 1 Tbsp vanilla bean paste (I like to make my own vanilla bean paste) and 1/2 tsp salt on a low speed.
Slowly add in 7 cups of powdered sugar while mixing slowly on the lowest setting. Halfway through, add 3 Tbsp of heavy cream or milk to make it easier to mix. I like to place a kitchen towel over my mixer to contain any powdered sugar clouds.
Mix on low until the ingredients are fully incorporated and the desired consistency is reached. If the frosting is too thick, add additional cream (1 Tbsp at a time). If the frosting is too thin, add more powdered sugar (quarter of a cup at a time).
If you plan to color the buttercream, add in the gel food coloring once the frosting is fully mixed and beat on low until it reaches the desired color.

Video

Notes

Yield

This recipe makes about 6 cups of frosting. If needed, this recipe can be doubled or tripled. A double batch will fit/can be made in a 5 qt Kitchen Aid Mixing bowl.

I usually make 1 batch of frosting to stack and frost a seven or eight-inch layer cake.

Tips for Making the Best Vanilla Bean Buttercream Frosting:

Make sure your butter is at room temperature before making your frosting.
As long as your powdered sugar contains cornstarch (most brands in the US do), there's no need to sift the powdered sugar.
Make sure you use a high-quality vanilla bean paste like Heilala!
Use heavy cream or heavy whipping cream and not normal milk! You need the higher fat percentage for the frosting to have the right consistency.
If you are making frosting for a cake, mix the buttercream on the lowest speed at the end of the process for a couple of minutes to get out any extra air that might have been incorporated during the mixing process.
I usually make 1 1/2 batches of frosting to fill and frost a seven or eight-inch layer cake.

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