Easy Buttercream Frosting for Cookies
This easy buttercream frosting for cookies is the simplest icing recipe to make and use for decorating cookies! It tastes AMAZING and makes absolutely GORGEOUS cookies!
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Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 sticks unsalted butter slightly softened (see notes)
- 4 c powdered sugar
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 tbsp heavy cream
- pinch of salt
Instructions
- Using your paddle attachment in your stand mixer, cream the butter on medium speed for 2 minutes.
- Turn the mixer back down to low & gradually add the sugar. Once you’ve added all of the sugar and it's fairly mixed in, turn the speed up to medium and allow the butter & sugar to cream together for about 1 minute.
- Turn off the mixer & scrape the sides & bottom of the bowl with a spatula. Turn the mixer back to low & add in vanilla, cream – a little at a time, and pinch of salt. Scrape the sides of the bowl again if you need to, and then allow everything to cream together on medium speed for another minute.
- Once your icing is nice and creamy, double check that you don't need to scrape the sides/bottom of the bowl anymore. If the icing is creamy & you've got an even consistency, you're ready to start decorating! (If you're not going to use your frosting right away, be sure to cover the bowl with plastic wrap to prevent a crust from forming.)
- See post for LOTS of detailed decorating tips so you can make perfectly decorated cookies the first time!
- Store leftover frosting in an airtight container. See notes for more details!
Notes
A note on the butter: You want to use butter that is slightly softened – maybe left out on the counter for an hour or two, or very slightly softened in the microwave for about 10ish seconds. Basically, for the consistency: when you press into it, it should still be able to give you a little bit of resistance.
Storing the icing: If you're going to use it again within a couple of days, you can keep it at room temperature. But if you're not planning to use it again for a while, you can store it in the fridge for several days. To use again, you'll just want to set the icing out of the fridge for an hour or two so it can soften up a bit before you try to start decorating with it.