Hybrid Vanilla American Buttercream

Look no further because this is the only vanilla frosting recipe you will ever need! My Hybrid Vanilla American Buttercream is the BEST buttercream recipe that is ultra creamy, silky smooth and full of delicious vanilla flavor. It has no grit whatsoever and it is not too sweet with half of the amount of sugar compared to most buttercream recipes. The method is a hybrid of American buttercream and Ermine frosting (also called German frosting) that uses ingredients that cross over both of them, but in different proportions. It is as smooth as Swiss Meringue Buttercream, yet so much easier to make without any egg whites. Once you try this life-changing frosting, you will never go back! I've used it on my Best Moist Chocolate Cupcakes pictured below. If you love making different types of frostings, check out my Best Chocolate Frosting recipe which is based on chocolate ganache, and then also my very popular Chocolate Fudge Frosting that has a soft fudgy melting quality. I pair those frostings with my BEST Moist Chocolate Cake recipe, and this Chocolate Buttercream goes with my Best Vanilla Cupcake recipe.

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS

• Easy to make - this vanilla buttercream frosting is SO EASY to make just like traditional American buttercream and there's no boiled sugar syrups or whipping egg whites involved.
• Simple ingredients - this recipe uses just 4 simple ingredients that you likely have on hand already.
• Flour power - the wheat proteins in flour act as powerful binders, thickeners and emulsifiers that help stabilize the frosting. A smooth emulsion is the key to a creamy texture that melts in your mouth rather than leaving a greasy, slick mouthfeel.
• Ultra silky smooth texture - this is the creamiest buttercream that is just as silky as Swiss Meringue Buttercream, yet lighter on the palate and not as heavy.
• Thick and spreadable - the consistency is thick enough to get good coverage on cakes and stable enough for layering and decorating.
• Great for piping - this buttercream pipes beautifully! It holds shape so nicely and is stable even in warmer conditions. It doesn't weep under the warmth of my hand when I'm doing a lot of piping for intricate decorations.
• No crust - this buttercream doesn't form a crust. It stays silky smooth and creamy even when left out or refrigerated.
• Not too sweet - the best part about this vanilla buttercream is that it is not too sweet and at all with almost half the amount of sugar compared to traditional American buttercream.

INGREDIENTS FOR HYBRID VANILLA AMERICAN BUTTERCREAM

• Unsalted butter - it's important to use unsalted butter for vanilla buttercream to give a nice creamy flavor, and this way you can control the salt.
• Powdered sugar - you'll need powdered sugar (also called icing sugar or confectioner's sugar) and it is often very lumpy so I always recommend sifting it before using it.
• Milk - you need whole milk or 2% milk.
• Pure vanilla extract - vanilla is essential as it is the main flavor against the buttery notes. I love this Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla extract.
• Salt - even though I suggest unsalted butter, that doesn't mean salt isn't important. Salt is SO important in baking, and especially in chocolate recipes!
• Meringue powder - this is an optional ingredient and not necessary for this recipe to work. However, for extra stability in hot climates, or if you are making a lot of small intricate piped decorations for a stacked cake, I can recommend adding a little meringue powder at the end. The additional protein will bind moisture and help with further emulsification.

STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS

• STEP 1). Make the hot sugar slurry. Combine powdered sugar and flour in a 1 quart saucepan and whisk to blend evenly and break up any lumps. Slowly pour in milk while whisking then place the pan over medium-low heat and continue whisking until sugar dissolves and mixture thickens slightly. Do not boil. It will get quite hot and you will see some small bubbles forming around the edges of the pan as it almost simmers and that is your sign to turn off the heat. It will take about 5 minutes. It should be thick enough that you are able to draw a defined line across the mixture coated over the back of a spoon with your finger.
• STEP 2). Cool. Pour it out into a clean bowl and refrigerate until cool. It should not be cold, but it should not be hot. It should be at room temperature.
• STEP 3). Whip butter. Place butter in the bowl of an electric stand mixer and whip for 10 minutes on medium-high speed until very pale and creamy, almost white. Stop several times during mixing to scrape down the sides and around the bottom of the bowl so that all of the butter is evenly incorporated.
• STEP 4). Mix in sugar slurry. Very slowly drizzle the cooled sugar mixture into the whipped butter in 5 or 6 additions while whipping on medium speed. I like to pour it in near the side of the bowl so it hits the bottom of the bowl and incorporates thoroughly instead of hitting the whip attachment and spraying everywhere. Stop to scrape down the sides of the bowl periodically. After about 5 minutes, it should appear very thick, fluffy, pale and creamy. Mix in vanilla and salt.
• STEP 5). Enjoy! You can use it immediately or cover the bowl if using within an hour or two. You can also add meringue powder at this stage after you mix in all of the sugar syrup if desired for increased stability.

EXPERT BAKING TIPS FOR THE BEST AMERICAN BUTTERCREAM

• Use soft butter. Your butter should be soft enough that you can easily press your finger into it. It should not be melted or greasy/weeping. At this stage, it whips the most efficiently with the sugar to make it nice and fluffy.
• Whip the butter for at least 10 minutes before adding the other ingredients. I know it seems excessive, but it makes all the difference. You will see the change in color and consistency of the butter after whipping for this amount of time. It turns nearly white and becomes so silky from all of the air incorporated into it.
• Sift the icing sugar. Powdered sugar is often very lumpy and I recommend sifting the icing sugar.
• Do not boil the milk mixture. This hybrid recipe only uses enough flour to thicken and emulsify the buttercream, but it is not enough to stabilize the syrup and guard against curdling from high heat so be cautious not to over-heat the milk mixture.
• Add the syrup slowly. The key to forming any emulsion is gradual introductions. This frosting is a water-in-oil emulsion and emulsions and break or split if the water and fat phases do not blend evenly. In order to ensure the syrup incorporates into a smooth emulsion within the whipped butter, it is important to add it gradually while mixing on high speed.
• Don't stop mixing. To create the smoothest texture, it is important to continuously mix on medium to high speed while adding the syrup to physically force the emulsion to form and push the water phase into the fat phase.

RECIPE FAQ

How 'bout some cake for that frosting?

Here are some delicious cake recipes:

Practice your piping:

These cupcake recipes are great to pair with this frosting:

Video

BEST Hybrid Vanilla American Buttercream (no grit, not too sweet)

Christina Marsigliese, Food Scientist MSc.

Look no further because this is the only vanilla frosting recipe you will ever need! My Hybrid Vanilla American Buttercream is the BEST buttercream recipe that is ultra creamy, silky smooth and full of delicious vanilla flavor. It has no grit whatsoever and it is not too sweet with half of the amount of sugar compared to most buttercream recipes. It is as smooth as Swiss Meringue Buttercream, yet so much easier to make without any egg whites.

5 from 6 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 5 minutes mins

Cool Time 20 minutes mins

Servings 3 cups

Ingredients

  

• 1 ¼ cups (150g) powdered sugar
• 1 tablespoon (8g) all-purpose flour
• ⅓ cup (80ml) whole milk
• 1 cup (227g) unsalted butter, softened
• 1 teaspoon (5ml) pure vanilla extract
• ⅛ teaspoon salt

Optional:

• 2 teaspoon meringue powder

Instructions

 

• Ensure butter is softened at room temperature. It should be soft enough that you can easily press your finger into it, but not so soft that it appears shiny and greasy.
• Combine powdered sugar and flour in a 1 quart saucepan and whisk to blend evenly and break up any lumps. Slowly pour in milk while whisking then place the pan over medium-low heat and continue whisking until sugar dissolves and mixture thickens slightly. Do not boil. It will get quite hot and you will see some small bubbles forming around the edges of the pan as it almost simmers and that is your sign to turn off the heat. It will take about 5 minutes. It should be thick enough that you are able to draw a defined line across the mixture coated over the back of a spoon with your finger. Pour it out into a clean bowl and refrigerate until cool. It should not be cold, but it should not be hot. It should be at room temperature.
• Place butter in the bowl of an electric stand mixer and whip for 10 minutes on medium-high speed until very pale and creamy, almost white. Stop several times during mixing to scrape down the sides and around the bottom of the bowl so that all of the butter is evenly incorporated.
• Very slowly drizzle the cooled sugar mixture into the whipped butter in 5 or 6 additions while whipping on medium speed. I like to pour it in near the side of the bowl so it hits the bottom of the bowl and incorporates thoroughly instead of hitting the whip attachment and spraying everywhere. Stop to scrape down the sides of the bowl periodically. After about 5 minutes, it should appear very thick, fluffy, pale and creamy. Mix in vanilla and salt.
• You can use it immediately or cover the bowl if using within an hour or two. You can also add meringue powder at this stage after you mix in all of the sugar syrup if desired for increased stability.