I recently shared this buttercream frosting recipe with my friend Stacy, and it reminded me of what a simple and essential recipe it is for every kitchen. Store bought/canned frosting is… how can I say this nicely… it sucks. If you’ve ever made and/or consumed the homemade version you know exactly what I’m talking about.

Luckily, perfect homemade buttercream frosting is extremely easy to make (really though… not one of those things you say is easy but actually difficult… seriously very easy). You just need a few ingredients most people keep on hand and a mixer. Of course I’m bias towards my KitchenAid stand mixer but a hand mixer will work fine.

Making your own buttercream frosting also allows you to use cleaner ingredients and eliminate toxic chemicals and preservatives. I like to refer to these foods as “healthyish.” I’m a big, BIG fan of “healthyish” foods (remember these work snacks?? Yum.).

Make sure you start keeping these ingredients around because once you make this homemade buttercream frosting family and friends will frequently request and won’t accept store bought any longer (can’t blame them though.)

Enjoy!

Recipe

• Makes: enough icing for 1 box of cake/cupcake mix
• Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, room temp
• 3 cups powdered sugar
• 2 Tbsp milk
• 1 tsp lemon juice (fresh is best)

Directions

1. Mix the room temperature butter on medium speed (4 on KitchenAid stand mixer) with whisk attachment, until light in color and texture. About 5 minutes.
2. Turn speed to low. One cup at a time, add powdered sugar until incorporated, then add milk and lemon juice.
3. Turn up speed to medium-high (6 on KitchenAid mixer) and whip until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. If necessary about halfway through, you can turn off the mixer and scrape sides and bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula.
4. Enjoy! (It really is easy, isn’t it?)

Tips & Tricks

• Lemon juice will NOT flavor, it just stabilizes the consistency and gives the frosting a little longer shelf life.
• Fresh buttercream frosting is best within 2-3 days, and can be stored at room temperature or in the refrigerator. It will harden if kept in the fridge.
• Add a teaspoon of vanilla extract or almond extract to flavor. Or try flavoring with a tsp of liquor (like Baileys!)… really the possibilities are endless.
• Using a piping tip adds so much to your aesthetic and actually makes icing the cake/cupcakes easier.
• My go-to boxed cake mix is King Arthur Gluten Free Confetti Cake… soooo good, no one will know it’s GF!