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1-2-3 Frosting
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American-style buttercream, made by beating butter with powdered sugar and a little milk, is one of the easiest frostings to make, but it tends to be cloyingly sweet, with a noticeable granularity from the sugar. This 1-2-3 formula—1 cup cream, 2 sticks butter and 3 cups powdered sugar—is nearly as simple and failsafe, but the cream, beaten in at the end, yields a more elegant frosting with a lighter flavor and fluffier, more supple texture. A stand mixer works best, as it frees up both your hands, making it easier to gradually add the sugar and cream, but a hand mixer gets the job done, too. If you like, replace the vanilla extract with a tablespoon of grated lemon or orange zest, or make the chocolate variation below. The recipe makes enough to fill and frost an 8- or 9-inch two-layer cake, with an additional cup or so for piping and decorating. If you wish to store the frosting or have some leftover that you’d like to save for another dessert, refrigerate it in a microwave-safe container for up to three days. To soften it for use, microwave at 50 percent power, checking every 15 to 20 seconds, until just soft enough to easily stir, then whisk until smooth, creamy and spreadable.
Makes about
4 cups
Don’t use cold butter. Be sure it’s at room temperature and take the time to beat the butter until light and creamy before adding the sugar. This helps ensure the proper aeration. Also, room-temperature cream helps the frosting better emulsify because it won’t lower the temperature of the butter as cream straight from the refrigerator would.
20 minutes
-
226
grams (16 tablespoons) salted butter, room temperature
-
372
grams (3 cups) powdered sugar, whisked to remove lumps
-
1
cup heavy cream, room temperature
-
2
teaspoons vanilla extract
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01In a stand mixer with the whisk attachment or in a large bowl using a hand mixer, beat the butter on medium, occasionally scraping the bowl, until light and creamy, 3 to 4 minutes. With the mixer running on low, add the sugar about ¼ cup at at time, scraping the bowl as needed; once all the sugar has been added mix on low until well combined and creamy, about 1 minute.
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02With the mixer running on low, drizzle in the cream a few tablespoons at a time and beat until incorporated, 8 to 10 seconds, before adding more. After about ½ cup of the cream has been added, the mixture will look curdy and broken; this is normal. Add the vanilla, then beat on medium, occasionally scraping the bowl, until smooth, thick and fully emulsified, about 10 minutes. Increase to medium-high and beat until light and fluffy, occasionally scraping the bowl, 2 to 3 minutes.
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03Chocolate 1-2-3 Frosting: In a small microwave-safe bowl, microwave 4 ounces finely chopped bittersweet chocolate on 50 percent power, stirring every 30 seconds, until melted and smooth. Follow the recipe to make the frosting. Add the melted chocolate to the finished frosting, then beat on medium until combined and the frosting is light and creamy, 1 to 2 minutes, scraping the bowl as needed.