More icing is always better, right? The icing can never be piled too high on a cupcake for me and I’m always asking for the corner piece or the flowers on a cake so that I get that extra sugar rush. For today’s Sunday Sweets feature, our contributor Melissa shares an easy buttercream icing recipe with us that looks absolutely delicious! Add some red or green food coloring and you’ve got a tasty icing for decorating your holiday cupcakes!
Easy Buttercream Icing Recipe:
Easy Buttercream Icing
Author: Melissa of Sweets & Tasty Pastry
Recipe type: Dessert
An easy buttercream icing that will become your new favorite! This recipe makes enough icing for 12 cupcakes.
Ingredients
- 1 cup (2 sticks) salted butter (room temperature)
- 1 teaspoon clear vanilla extract
- 4 cups sifted confectioners' sugar (approximately 1 lb.)
- 2 tablespoons water
Instructions
- First you will need to make sure that the butter is soft enough. In the fall and winter seasons room temperature is too cold to soften the butter enough to cream. If this is the case microwave the butter in increments of 15 seconds until it is soft to the touch.
- Put the softened butter in the bowl of an electric mixer that is fitted with the paddle attachment and cream butter for a couple of minutes scraping down the sides and bottom half way through.
- Add vanilla and then gradually add the sifted sugar one cup at a time. Make sure to continue to scrape sides and bottom of bowl often.
- Once all of the sugar has been mixed add water and beat at medium-high speed until light and fluffy.
- Keep the bowl covered with a damp cloth when not using since it will dry out. If this happens rewhip with the electric mixer until light and fluffy again.
- To color the buttercream I use Wilton Icing Color Gel. Add gel using a toothpick making sure to add a little bit at a time. Remember a little bit goes a long way.
- If you are not using the icing right away or have leftover buttercream you can put it in an airtight container (I prefer Ziploc bags) and it can be refrigerated up to 2 weeks. Rewhip before using.
- * For a sweeter buttercream you can use unsalted butter in place of the salted butter.
- *For thin (spreading) consistency icing, add 2 more tablespoons of water.
Thank you so much to Melissa of Sweet & Tasty Pastry for sharing this recipe with us. I can’t wait to try it! Be sure to follow Melissa on Facebook for more decorating ideas. If you try this recipe, head over to her Facebook page to let her know what you thought of it. If you are in the Providence, Rhode Island area, I think you just found your new baker!
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I love buttercream frosting – I’ll have to try it.
This frosting it’s awesome
How long after everything is mixed together for the frosting to get nice and fluffy .??
It should become light and fluffy after about 3-5 minutes and have the look of the second picture on the right shown above.
How many days in advance I can do the icing? or decorate the cake with this icing?
This was the perfect icing for my cake, delicious! My girls say it tasted like ice cream.
That’s wonderful to hear, Tracey!
Should I put the cake in the fridge after it is iced?
I always do. It’s okay on the counter for a few hours but I keep it in the fridge until it’s ready to serve and I keep the leftovers in the fridge.