Russian Buttercream Frosting

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Made with just two basic household ingredients, this flavorful and fluffy Russian Buttercream frosting is the perfect topping and filling for your favorite cakes, cupcakes, and cookies!

Prep Time10

Total Time10

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Servings:

Calories: 420kcal

Author: Katalin Nagy

Equipment

Stand mixer

Ingredients

Russian Buttercream Frosting

226 g Unsalted butter 82% fat content European-style butter, use it softened
400 g Condensed milk sweetened
½ tablespoon Vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon Salt

Metric - US Customary

Instructions

First, soften your butter. Buttercream can only be made with the right temperature butter that is neither cold, nor too soft or runny.
Prepare a stand mixer with the paddle attachment. Alternatively, use your electric hand mixer.
Cream the room-temperature butter at medium-high speed for 4 minutes until it becomes light in color and fluffy in texture.
Then, start to add the condensed milk slowly while the mixer is on. Once all the condensed milk is incorporated, turn the mixer to medium-high speed and whip it for another 5 minutes or until the mixture becomes light, fluffy, and increases in volume
Lastly, add the vanilla extract and salt and continue whipping for another minute until it is smooth and silky.
At this point, the Russan buttercream frosting should have the perfect pipeable fluffy texture. If, for some reason, it is too thin, place it in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
Note that the buttercream texture is best when the butter is at the right temperature (room temperature), and the mixture is freshly whipped. I like to use the frosting immediately or store it at room temperature in a piping bag for a few hours. If stored in the refrigerator, you will need to bring it back to room temperature before using it and might need to give it another minute or two to whip in the stand mixer to increase the volume again.

Notes

The recipe above is enough to frost 12 cupcakes generously.

To frost cakes, you will need approximately 2x for a 6-inch cake, 2.5x for a 7-inch cake, and 3x for an 8-inch cake (depending on how much frosting vs. sponge ratio you prefer on your cakes and whether you are using any other filling in between the layers).

Ingredient notes:

Measure your ingredients with a digital scale for accuracy.
Use good quality high-fat (82%) butter for making buttercream.
It is key to use high-quality vanilla for the best flavor, feel free to try my homemade vanilla extract.

Technique notes:

Make sure you read my Expert tips section above to maximize your success. A short recipe alone is not able to cover all the necessary details, and science behind baking.
The temperature and texture of the butter are key when making buttercream. Wait until it is soft, however, avoid last-minute microwaving.

Nutrition