Canned frosting may be what you grew up on, but you’ll be ready to make a switch when you see how easy it is to make your own homemade buttercream frosting.
Once you’ve mastered this simple vanilla buttercream, be sure to try our variations: Orange Buttercream Frosting, Lemon Buttercream Frosting, and Easy Chocolate Buttercream Frosting.
Want to save this post?
Enter your email below and get it sent straight to your inbox. Plus, I’ll send you budget recipes and money-saving tips every week!
If you’re a cake fan, then you know that the frosting is what makes it amazing. Creamy, buttery, and sweet, buttercream is just that – the icing on the cake.
While it’s pretty standard to pick up a few tubs of commercial icing in the grocery store baking aisle, you’ll find that homemade buttercream is pretty amazing.
I’m amazed at how much better my cakes taste with homemade frosting. My husband and teenage son, who previously shunned white frosting because “it tasted bad”, now love it.
And if you’re looking for chocolate? Well, this chocolate buttercream frosting recipe is the bomb.
Homemade Buttercream Frosting
This homemade frosting is delicious on cupcakes as well as any birthday cake your kid might dream up. You get to control the quality of the ingredients without spending a fortune and the taste is really worth the extra effort.
What ingredients do I need to make my own homemade buttercream frosting?
Making your own takes just a few simple ingredients. Here is the simple list below:
- 1 cup butter – you want this softened so it can be easily mixed together with the other ingredients
- powdered sugar
- milk (or you can use half and half for more richness)
- vanilla extract
How to make your own homemade icing:
Does buttercream frosting need to be refrigerated?
Although this homemade icing does contain a bit of milk, it is still safe to stay out for a few days.
That said, if it’s a hot day or you prefer cold frosting, be sure to refrigerate the cake once it’s frosted.
How much frosting does this recipe make?
This buttercream icing makes the perfect amount for about 18 cupcakes – give or take depending on how much frosting you like to pile on your cupcakes.
How much does it cost to make homemade frosting?
Homemade buttercream frosting calls for basic baking ingredients that when bought at regular prices break down as follows:
- butter – $1.84 ($3.69/lb)
- powdered sugar – $1.48 ($2.99/2lb.)
- milk – $0.02 ($3.09/gal)
- vanilla extract – $0.67 ($7.99/2 oz.)
Total cost for a batch of homemade buttercream at non-sale prices = $4.01
If you shop the Good Cheap Eats way, that is shopping the best store, the sales, and clearance, you can easily get that price much, much lower.
A ten-ounce tub of frosting from the store runs from $1.50 to $6, depending on the brand and if it’s organic or not. You’d need two tubs to match this homemade batch.
So you can settle for $3 for the bargain frosting or take your cake over the top with homemade.
If you prepare this recipe, be sure to share a picture on social media and hashtag it #GOODCHEAPEATS. I can't wait to see what you cook up!
Homemade Buttercream Frosting
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter softened
- 3-4 cup powdered sugar
- 1-2 tablespoon milk or half and half
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- In large mixing bowl, beat butter until fluffy. Add three cups sugar, 1 tablespoon milk, and vanilla extract.
- Beat until combined and fluffy.
- Adjust with more sugar or milk, depending on what consistency you’re looking for.
Notes
Nutrition
This post was originally published July 12, 2010. It has been updated for content and clarity.
Jacquelyn
How many cupcakes will this cover? I am making about 60 cupcakes for a benefit we are having to raise money for a friend that was in a wreck and I would love to use homemade frosting rather than in a can. Thank you! This does look delicious!
Jessica
It does 12-18 with a fancy tip, more if you’re just spreading it with a knife.
Abigail
Homemade by far its got a better taste than any other frosting
Karla
Hi! I Googled “how much icing for 50 cupcakes” and found your recipe… looks good, I’m thinking of using it for my kid’ s birthday party… one question: can I add food coloring? Does it affect consistency? Or do I use somthing else? Need to make them pale purple and kiwi green… thanks!
Jessica
Yes, I tint it with paste food coloring. If you don’t have the paste type, you can use the liquid, just add more sugar if it gets too thin.
Cassie
Yummy I love cupcakes. Last night I made German chocolate cupcakes and my parents loved them. (I’m only 15). But they tasted so good. I think I’m gonna frost them with the butterflies recipe that you used
Jennise
Hey, I somehow messed up this recipe. I ended up with something more like icing than buttercream frosting… It had no light airy texture to it. It was a lot more heavy on my cake. Do you have any idea what I did wrong?
Jessica
Was your butter too warm?
Jennise
@Jessica, I’m really not too sure. That may be it. It was a bit creamy when I mixed it. I’ll try again.
Rain
How many cupcakes does this recipe cover? I need to have 300 cupcakes baked and decorated by thursday and would love to know how many cupcakes one recipe of this would cover. I will not be putting it on as thick as you did but just enough to make them pretty:)
Jessica
My land. 300? Ouch. I would say this batch does about 24.
Rain
@Jessica, Yeah, it’s a pretty insane order, but im having fun 🙂
Shannon
I don’t know what I did wrong when whipping up this frosting recipe. It started to separate and I wasn’t able to use it to decorate cupcakes. Bummer! I will try again.
Jessica
Was your butter too warm?
carrie
how much cake does one batch of this recipe
cover???
Jessica
You should have enough for a 9×13 or an 8-inch round. If you like really thick frosting, you’ll want to make more.
Becca
I have never made homemade frosting before in my life and it turned out delicious!!! Thanks so much for this recipe!!! I decided to make a home made cake and frosting for my mom and I and this the easiest recipe I found, and it is sooo yummy!!! 🙂
Jessica
Yeah!
kristy
TIP**** Use applesauce in place of oil in your boxed recipe cake mix….whaa-laaa Much healthier and no one ever can tell the difference. I haven’t used oil in cake mix in years.
Stacy
Just made this frosting along with the chocolate cake recipe in Saralyn’s comment. They were both soooo yummy! I also feel so much better serving it to my family without all the added stuff! Thanks so much for this recipe!
Stefani
Jessica would this be the type of frsoting youhave to keep in fridge? I always wondered if you would have to put your uneaten frosted cake in fridge even withjsut the small amount of milk in it?
Jessica
Readers have told me that buttercream is safe unrefrigerated. But, I like it cold. 🙂 (And I’m crazy about food safety.)
Jessica
I’m not sure – I haven’t tried yet. But, I will. 😉
Laura Webber
I have made buttercream frosting before, but it melted at room temp- does your recipe need to keep your cupcakes refrigerated?
Jessica
Mine would melt on a hot enough day. Room temp is technically 68 to 70. So, it shouldn’t melt under those temps. On a hot day, everything would need to be refrigerated.
Becky
I have to second the above recipe for no-egg chocolate cake. My ventures into the world of from-scratch cakes have all ended in dry, tasteless disasters – except for that chocolate cake. It is a favorite in my family now. And it’s so easy! You have to try it! My conclusion is that chocolate cake from scratch is much easier than any other flavor. I’m not sure why, but I’ve always had great success with chocolate. Good luck!
Katie
I prefer the taste of homemade better than canned, but I’ll have to say canned frosting is MUCH better than it was 25 years ago, and since I shop sales with a coupon, it is usually cheaper than homemade, so I use it much more than I used to. I always have adequate powdered sugar and butter on hand to whip up a batch though. 🙂
Nina T.
I’m so happy you posted this! My mom asked me to make her wedding type cake for their 50th anniv and I have been on a hunt for a good, easy buttercream recipe! The one I used the last time wasn’t right. I’ll let u know how it works out for me 😉
And for those who are interested in trying some kind of decorating but no time for classes, I have a cookie press that also has attachments for using frosting…does a great job!
Brianna
YUM
I love love LOVE
FROSTING
but who doesn’t right???
I WANT SOME NOW:)
xoxo
bB
Jacqueline
Oh, that is how I make mine and I want only half of the cupcake to go with it! Yummy
Rebekah
I can’t stand frosting from a can or wal-mart’s frosting yuck. Homemade cream cheese icing is my favorite!!!