Easy American buttercream recipe - perfect flower piping consistency

Today I’ll be demonstrating the classic American buttercream frosting recipe that I use for all of my buttercream flower piping tutorials! I will show you how to prepare this American buttercream icing at a medium consistency for flower piping, and my trick for getting all those air bubbles out so that your buttercream flowers are smooth and beautiful!

Chapters:
0:00 - Intro
0:11 - Perfect American buttercream recipe and preparation
1:13 - Preparing buttercream for piping
1:46 - Perfect buttercream piping demonstration

Perfect American buttercream (for piping) recipe

Ingredients:

2 cups powdered sugar
1/2 Cup softened butter
1 tablespoon milk (add more if needed)
1 teaspoon extract (my year roundfavourites are vanilla, almond and lemon. At Christmas I like to add peppermint extract, which pairs perfectly with chocolate cake!)

Directions:
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment cream the butter on low for a few minutes until it is nice and smooth and soft. The amount of time needed will vary depending how soft your butter was to begin with. Add 1/2 of your powdered sugar and mix on low for 30 seconds until combined. Add in remaining powdered sugar and continue mixing for 3 to 5 minutes. You will know that your butter cream is ready when it is pale in colour and thick and fluffy. Add in 1 tablespoon of milk and mix on low until combined. If the buttercream frosting is still too thick add in more milk 1 teaspoon at a time until your desired consistency is reached. Add in your flavouring and mix until incorporated.

Using a spatula and a small bowl transfer about 1/2 cup of your buttercream and use your spatula to press the buttercream down against the bottom and up along the sides of the bowl to pop any of the air bubbles. This is also when you would add any coloring. Now your buttercream is ready to put in a piping bag and start decorating.

I really hope that you found this classic American buttercream recipe tutorial helpful, I am going to link some more buttercream piping tutorials down below. If you enjoy this type of content, consider subscribing! I do a new piping tutorial twice a month on my channel.

Buttercream Flower Piping Tutorial Series:

[MrsSoniaElaine]

Looks perfect. Glad that you explained how to get the bubbles out.

[Maikoh]

Your buttercream always looks perfect! 🙌

[azurefredrikssen]

Thank you for this! I'll be trying out tonight!

[michelleslifeonrepeat]

What happens if i add in half butter and half shortening will it still pipe flowers?

[simsbuilders]

Thank you for adding the quantities used, oddly hard to find.

[MannysMadeatHome]

That is the perfect buttercream! Mine never looks like that I am so jello 🙈