Oh, Buttercream—My Old Party Standby
I can’t count how many birthdays and random Tuesday celebrations we’ve saved with a batch of buttercream frosting. There was this one time—I’m thinking about Ellie’s ninja turtle party—where I *thought* we had store-bought frosting stashed away. Spoiler: we didn’t. Ended up whipping this up with a wooden spoon, powdered sugar flying everywhere, and honestly? It tasted better than the bakery cakes. If you don’t love a little mess, maybe skip this one, but otherwise, you’re good!
Why You'll Love This (Even if You Don't Love Frosting!)
I make this when store-bought tastes too sugary (or too much like sweet glue, honestly) or when I forget to buy the stuff. The kids go nuts for it because it’s SO much more fluffy and interesting than anything you get in a tin. My partner claims he “doesn’t really eat sweets”—yet somehow always manages to ‘test’ the bowl. Hold on, I will say, getting that perfect spreadable texture took me more botched attempts than I care to admit (I once melted the whole batch leaving it by the window—rookie mistake). So, if yours looks wild at first, just keep going. It somehow always comes together.
Here's What You’ll Need (Nothing Too Fancy)
- 1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature (though if you want a richer taste, try salted—my neighbor swears by it, but I’m not convinced!)
- 3-4 cups powdered sugar—I just do 3 ½, to be honest
- 2 tablespoons milk (if I’m out of milk, I’ll use cream or even water; nobody’s noticed)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (use the good stuff if you have it, but let’s not stress)
- Pinch of salt (optional, but my grandmother said it ‘makes the sweet more polite’—whatever that means)
- (Optional) Few drops of food coloring—when it’s a unicorn sort of party or, you know, Tuesday
How I Usually Throw It All Together (And Sometimes Mess It Up)
- Let the butter get nice and soft. If you forget and it’s still cold, you can *carefully* microwave it for 10 seconds—just don’t melt it into a puddle like I did that time.
- Pop the butter in a big bowl. With a hand mixer (or just a strong arm and a wooden spoon, if you’re feeling hardcore), beat the butter until it’s all light and smooth.
- Add about half the powdered sugar and beat until mostly combined (this is where I usually taste it and end up dusting myself in sugar—worth it).
- Add the vanilla and salt, plus half your milk. Give it another whirl. Some days I forget the salt. Doesn’t ruin it, I promise.
- Toss in the rest of the sugar and whatever’s left of the milk. Keep beating until it’s fluffy and spreadable. If it looks too stiff, add one more splash of milk; too runny, chuck in ¼ cup more powdered sugar. It’s not rocket science—more like edible playdough, really.
- For color, just stir in drops o’ food coloring till you get your dream unicorn or Hulk shade.
- Now—this isn’t in the books, but I always sneak a little taste here. Just to, y’know, check it’s not poisonous. Strict quality control.
Things I Wish I’d Known (Notes From My Frosting Trials)
- Soft butter is everything. If you use fridge-butter, you’ll work twice as hard and probably still end up with lumps. Trust me—I tried.
- If your frosting seems gritty, let it sit for 10 minutes. I swear it smooths out on its own. (Magic? Maybe.)
- Don’t freak out if it looks separated for a second. Just keep beating. Most kitchen disasters are solved by patience or more sugar.
Fun Variations I’ve Tried (And That One That Bombed)
- Chocolate buttercream: Swap out ½ cup powdered sugar for cocoa powder. I’ve even tossed in a melted chocolate square, but a little goes far.
- Lemon or orange: Zest a whole lemon (or orange) and maybe a squeeze of juice for a sunny twist.
- Strawberry: Add a spoonful of strawberry jam instead of some milk. Came out more pink than expected the first time, but the flavor rocks.
- Oh—and once I tried mixing in peanut butter. Ended up with a weird goo. So maybe don’t do that.
Tools (Don’t Panic if You’re Missing One)
- Hand mixer is great, but a big wooden spoon and a bit of determination (and elbow grease) work fine—though your arm will grumble at you later.
- Bowl, spatula, and a table (that wipes down easily). That’s really it! I sometimes use a piping bag, but my kiddos are just as happy with a butter knife.
How to Store It (Or Not, In My House)
Stick it in an airtight box in the fridge—should last three-ish days. Give it a good stir before spreading. But really, it’s usually all gone before I can even say, “save some for tomorrow, please?”
Serving: Who Needs Plates?
We slather it on cupcakes, biscuits, or just make little ‘frosting sandwiches’ with animal crackers. Once, I let the kids dip grapes in it (messy, but, eh—memories!). For parties, I pile a mountain on top of the cake, then hand over sprinkles and stand back!
Lessons Learnt (Pro Tips From My Messes)
- I once tried to use cold butter because I was in a rush. Result: lumpy disaster. Actually, the dog didn’t mind; the children did.
- Don’t add all the milk at once—start small, or you could end up with runny frosting soup. Recover with more sugar (if this happens, you’re not alone).
- On second thought: always taste before you spread. If it feels like you’re missing something, a pinch of salt works miracles.
FAQs (Because You Really Did Ask Me These)
- "Can I make this ahead of time?"—Sure, just cover it and pop it in the fridge, but let it sit out a bit so it’s spreadable again. Cold frosting is not your friend unless it’s for finger painting.
- "Will it pipe into fun shapes?"—Yep! The secret’s in the right consistency. If it sags, add another dusting of sugar. No one likes a sad unicorn mane.
- "Can I freeze leftover frosting?"—I suppose so, though honestly I’ve never had leftovers that last long enough to try. If you do, put it in a freezer bag and thaw in the fridge.
- "Does this crust over like bakery frosting?"—Not quite, but it does firm up just a bit. I think it tastes better the next day, but see if you can keep kids out of it that long!
Somehow, no matter what, homemade buttercream makes a party feel like... it counts. And that’s worth a dusting of powdered sugar on the floor, don’t you think? Oh—remind me to tell you the spatula-in-the-dishwasher fiasco some time. Completely unrelated, but a classic in our house.
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 3-4 cups powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Pinch of salt (optional)
- (Optional) Few drops of food coloring
Instructions
-
1Let the butter get nice and soft. If you forget and it’s still cold, you can *carefully* microwave it for 10 seconds—just don’t melt it into a puddle like I did that time.
-
2Pop the butter in a big bowl. With a hand mixer (or just a strong arm and a wooden spoon, if you’re feeling hardcore), beat the butter until it’s all light and smooth.
-
3Add about half the powdered sugar and beat until mostly combined (this is where I usually taste it and end up dusting myself in sugar—worth it).
-
4Add the vanilla and salt, plus half your milk. Give it another whirl. Some days I forget the salt. Doesn’t ruin it, I promise.
-
5Toss in the rest of the sugar and whatever’s left of the milk. Keep beating until it’s fluffy and spreadable. If it looks too stiff, add one more splash of milk; too runny, chuck in ¼ cup more powdered sugar. It’s not rocket science—more like edible playdough, really.
-
6For color, just stir in drops o’ food coloring till you get your dream unicorn or Hulk shade.
-
7Now—this isn’t in the books, but I always sneak a little taste here. Just to, y’know, check it’s not poisonous. Strict quality control.
Approximate Information for One Serving
Nutrition Disclaimers
Number of total servings shown is approximate. Actual number of servings will depend on your preferred portion sizes.
Nutritional values shown are general guidelines and reflect information for 1 serving using the ingredients listed, not including any optional ingredients. Actual macros may vary slightly depending on specific brands and types of ingredients used.
To determine the weight of one serving, prepare the recipe as instructed. Weigh the finished recipe, then divide the weight of the finished recipe (not including the weight of the container the food is in) by the desired number of servings. Result will be the weight of one serving.
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