I’m an equal opportunity frosting lover, but this vanilla almond buttercream may just be my new favorite. I’ve been making this recipe for years, because it tastes good on literally any and every baked good. I put it on cupcakes for our engagement party, I’ve put it on cookies around the holidays, and I put it on this crazy Rainbow Swirl Cake to celebrate my blog passing 40,000 followers!
Making Vanilla Almond Buttercream
This frosting really couldn’t be easier. It takes just a handful of ingredients, and it’s completely ready to use in under 15 minutes. To make this frosting you’ll need:
- Unsalted butter, which has been softened to room temperature
- Powdered sugar, which will sweeten and stabilize the frosting
- Milk or heavy cream, to thin the frosting out
- Vanilla and almond extract, for flavor
Then, making it is an absolute cinch. First, you’ll want to whip the butter to make sure you don’t end up with a clumpy frosting. 30-60 seconds at medium speed in your mixer should do the trick. Next, you’ll add your extracts and salt. Note, if you’re using salted butter, you’ll want to omit the salt so you don’t end up with salty frosting. Once you’ve mixed your butter mixture thoroughly (no clumps), add your powdered sugar gradually. I add it 1/2 cup at a time, being careful to avoid massive powdered sugar clouds. You can put a towel over the mixer bowl or just add slowly to avoid this. Once you’ve added your sugar and mixed it all together, add the milk or cream to thin the frosting to your desired consistency.
If your frosting is too thick, you’ll want to add a bit more milk or cream (1 tsp at a time). If it’s too thin, you can use powdered sugar to thicken it back up.
This recipe yields 3 cups of buttercream, which I use to reasonably frost a 2 tier, 8 inch cake. If you’re looking to really cake it on (ha), you can double the recipe to yield 6 cups of frosting. Each 1/4 cup serving of frosting is 275 cal.
Vanilla Almond Buttercream Frosting
Equipment
- Stand Mixer
Ingredients
- 1 cup Unsalted butter softened to room temperature
- 3.5 cups Powdered sugar
- 1 tbsp Milk or heavy cream
- 1 tsp Vanilla extract
- 2 tsp Almond extract
- 1/2 tsp Salt
Instructions
- Add butter into stand mixer and beat on medium-low speed until butter is whipped.
- Mix in vanilla extract, almond extract, and salt and beat until mixture is smooth, scraping down the sides as needed.
- Add powdered sugar 1/2 cup at a time, until fully incorporated.
- Add milk or cream and mix on medium speed to combine.
- To thicken thin frosting, add powdered sugar. If frosting is too thick, add a more milk or cream 1 tsp at a time.
