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This simple Almond Buttercream Frosting is straight out of Grandma’s recipe box. With 6 ingredients and 15 minutes of your time, you can have a light and fluffy frosting to spread over all your family favorite recipes.
Don’t miss out on my tips for making it the perfect consistency, texture, and super white. I have also included a guide to calculate just the right amount of buttercream frosting you will need for your next baking project.
Homemade buttercream frostings are one of my favorite things to make and share. They’re so simple that anyone can make them and they easily go on all your favorite family recipes- cakes, brownies, cupcakes, or between two cookies.
Actually, this recipe is a modified version of an almond frosting I found in my grandma’s recipe box. It was a great start too! I swapped the shortening for butter and amped up the amount of almond extract. It’s a light, fluffy, and melt-in-your mouth Almond Buttercream Frosting that can be passed from generation to generation.
For more delicate almond desserts, try my sugar cookie bars, raspberry almond cake, edible sugar cookie dough, or these cherry blondies.
Video Tutorial: Let’s Make It Together
The Secret to Perfect Buttercream Frosting
You’ll never guess this but the secret to perfect buttercream frosting is CHOOSING THE RIGHT MIXER ATTACHMENT! This depends on the outcome you are looking for and your personal taste preferences. Either way, the frosting will be perfect no matter which attachment you choose.
The paddle attachment is used for making a smooth frosting. It is great for frosting layer cakes, brownies, and filling sandwich cookies.
The whisk attachment is used for an airy and light frosting. It is great for single layer cakes and cupcakes.
Almond Buttercream Frosting Ingredients
You’ll love how simple this buttercream is. All you need is 6 pantry staple ingredients, 7 if you include the food coloring. Keep reading for a few notes and potential substitutions.
How to Make Almond Buttercream Frosting
Below is a quick summary of how to make this buttercream frosting. Don’t forget to grab your hand-mixer or stand-mixer, a piping bag with standard piping tips or extra large piping tip, or an icing spatula for rustic designs and spreading.
1. Beat together the butter, salt, almond extract, and vanilla extract until fluffy and lightened in color.
2. Alternate adding the powdered sugar and heavy whipping cream until the frosting is well combined. Make sure you are scraping down the bowl frequently. Assess the consistency, texture, and color in the next two sections).
Find the complete recipe instructions with measurements below.
Quick Troubleshooting Guide
To get your perfect consistency and texture, follow the guide below.
Consistency: If it’s too thin, add more powdered sugar (2 tablespoons at a time). If it’s too thick, add more heavy whipping cream (1 tablespoon at a time).
Texture: If it’s too airy, fold it by hand with a silicone spatula to knock out some of the air. If it is too heavy, whip the buttercream on high to aerate for another few minutes or so.
How to Achieve A Bright White Buttercream Frosting
Depending on the color of your butter and vanilla extract, your Almond Buttercream Frosting may have a yellow tone to it. Fix this by added a very small amount of violet food coloring.
A little goes a long way, I lightly coat the end of a toothpick and that seems to be enough. The violet cancels out yellow to make an even whiter and brighter buttercream.
Storing Information
Your Almond Buttercream Frosting should be kept in an airtight glass container, piping bag, or even a reusable bag. In the refrigerator it’s best within 5 to 7 days and in the freezer within 3 months.
When you’re ready to use the buttercream frosting, let it warm up to room temperature first. Once it has softened, you can use as is (if you like the texture) or whip it with a hand-mixer or stand-mixer to give it some body.
Calculating Your Buttercream Frosting Needs
That is the question of the year! I get it, it’s difficult figuring out how much Almond Buttercream Frosting you will need because it isn’t an exact science. Here is my “rule of thumb” that I like to follow.
- 1 layer cake: half batch
- 6 cupcakes: half batch
- 6 inch layer cake: one batch
- 8×8 dessert: one batch
- 12 cupcakes: one batch
- Filling 12 cookie sandwiches: one batch
- Filling 48 macarons: one batch
- 8 inch layer cake: two batches
- 13×9 dessert: two batches
- 24 cupcakes: two batches
Easily double or triple this in the recipe card below by choosing 2x or 3x. It will do the math for you.
Clever and Fun Ways to Use It
This Almond Buttercream Frosting is a popular classic that goes with a lot of different things. The flavor profile is reminiscent of cherry, so you will want to pair it with light, fruity, or vanilla flavors. Here are a few of my recommendations:
- cupcakes- try it on my Raspberry Cupcakes.
- cakes- my Raspberry Almond Cake uses it or try it on my White Forest Cake.
- on top of dessert bars like brownies or blondies, like my Raspberry and White Chocolate Blondies or Blueberry Blondies
- to fill macarons or other types of sandwich cookies.
- to top shortbread and cut out Vanilla Sugar Cookies
P.S. If you happen to have a little leftover after you use it on whatever, spread it over graham crackers. My mom used to make us frosting sandwiches as a treat all the time. They’re so good!
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ’s)
More Buttercream Frosting Recipes You Might Like
Almond Buttercream Frosting
EQUIPMENT
- stand mixer or hand mixer
- Silicone Spatula
INGREDIENTS
- 1 cup unsalted butter - room temperature
- 1 teaspoon almond extract - pure
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons heavy whipping cream - plus more to reach desired consistency
INSTRUCTIONS
- Choose your stand mixer/hand mixer attachment. The paddle for a smooth and creamy frosting. The whisk for a light and airy frosting.
- On medium-high speed beat the room temperature unsalted butter, salt, almond extract, and vanilla extract for 3 to 5 minutes. It should be light in color and smooth.
- Add half the powdered sugar, beat on low speed until it is fully absorbed within the buttercream frosting, about 1 minute. Do this again with the remaining powdered sugar.
- Beat the buttercream frosting on low speed while slowly pouring in the cold heavy whipping cream. Continue to beat until it has been fully incorporated.
- Assess the color, consistency, and texture. * more information below in notes*
- Prepare Almond Buttercream Frosting for decorating.
VIDEO
RECIPE NOTES
Storing Information
- Keep frosting in an airtight glass container, piping bag, or reusable bag.
- In the refrigerator for 5 to 7 days.
- In the freezer up to 3 months.
- Let the frosting sit at room temperature before whipping and using.
How to Achieve A Bright White Frosting:
- Added a very small amount of violet food coloring (I lightly coat the end of a toothpick). The violet cancels out yellow to make an even whiter and brighter buttercream.
Troubleshooting the Consistency:
- Too thin, add more powdered sugar (2 tablespoons at a time).
- Too thick, add more heavy whipping cream (1 tablespoon at a time).
Troubleshooting the Texture:
- Too airy, fold it by hand with a silicone spatula to knock out some of the air.
- Too heavy, whip the buttercream on high to aerate for another few minutes or so.
Frosting Scaling Guide
NOTE: Easily double or triple this in the recipe card above by choosing 2x or 3x. It will do the math for you.- 1 layer cake: half batch
- 6 cupcakes: half batch
- 6 inch layer cake: one batch
- 8×8 dessert: one batch
- 12 cupcakes: one batch
- Filling 12 cookie sandwiches: one batch
- Filling 48 macarons: one batch
- 8 inch layer cake: two batches
- 13×9 dessert: two batches
- 24 cupcakes: two batches
Metric conversions are calculated automatically. I cannot guarantee the accuracy of this information.
This was perfect. I made a batch of cupcakes last weekend and tried this frosting and I loved how it turned out! I’ll definitely make this again!