A party without cake is just a meeting.
-Julia Childs
I couldn’t agree more with this quote. Can you really celebrate the first year of your blog without cake? NOPE!
In March, SouthernParm turned ONE! I can’t believe how quickly a year flew by. I got to share so many fun recipes, met so many great people & found a new passion for sugar cookies that I didn’t even know I had.
To celebrate such a great year, I decided to make my favorite Vanilla Buttercream Icing! While you couldn’t be there to party & eat it with me (and believe me, between Ryan and I, we ate it all!) I wanted to still share it with all of you!
Okay…I do need to admit that I used store bought funfetti cake, because it is the best so why mess with perfection…but the vanilla buttercream icing was all me! Good icing can make or break a cake & nothing you can buy in a store is a good as fresh buttercream. I hope that you all love it as much as I did! CHEERS TO ONE YEAR!
How to make this Classic Vanilla Buttercream Icing:
First, bring your unsalted butter to room temperature!
Not only does it help your buttercream become instantly creamy, but room temperature butter mixes much better than cold butter.
Next (and this is the tedious part), it is time to sift 6 cups of powdered sugar.
While nothing major will result from you not sifting your sugar, you could end up with clumps of sugar in your buttercream which may effect the consistency.
When your butter is softened, place it in the stand mixer with the whisk attachment. Whisk your butter on low-medium speed for 1-2 minutes until it becomes creamy.
Next, lower your speed to the low and add 1/2-1 cup of powdered sugar at a time until everything is in the stand mixer. Allow the butter and powdered sugar to completely incorporate before moving to the next step.
When you are ready, add 3 tsp vanilla extract & 2 tbsp of heavy whipping cream to the mixer. Whisk for 2-3 minutes on medium speed adding any additional cream needed until a buttercream consistency is met.
Tips for using vanilla buttercream icing to frost a cake:
- If you want more than one color of icing, make sure that you divide out your buttercream into separate bowls before mixing your color in.
- You do not want to chill buttercream if icing a cake. Room temperature icing is best for spreading.
- Once your vanilla buttercream icing is on your cake, make sure that the cake is wrapped tightly so that it does not become dry while chilling in the refrigerator.
As I said earlier, icing can make or break a cake. Luckily for you this Classic Vanilla Buttercream Icing is fail-proof.
Not only does the icing taste like heaven when it is first made, it “defrosts/thaws” just a perfectly and tastes even better the second and third time you eat it!
ENJOY!
- 6 cup powdered sugar
- 2 cup butter, unsalted
- 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
- 3 tsp vanilla exract
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Allow butter to come to room temperature.
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While butter is softening, sift powdered sugar so there are no large clumps.
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Add whisk attachment to the stand mixer as well as unsalted butter.
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Whisk butter on low-medium speed until it begins to cream.
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Next, returning the mixer to the lowest speed, add powdered sugar 1/2 to 1 cup at a time. Continue mixing until all ingredients are incorporated.
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Finally, add vanilla & half of the whipping cream. Whisk for 2-3 minutes (add in additional whipping cream if needed) until a thick buttercream icing is formed.
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For frosting a cake: 1) leave at room temperature for best spreading consistency & 2) if adding color, place 1/3 of icing you want to leave plain into a separate bowl before mixing color into the rest of icing.