Magnolia Bakery’s Buttercream Vanilla Icing
Updated July 8, 2022

- Total Time
- 10 minutes
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
- 1cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
- 8cups confectioners' sugar
- ½cup milk
- 2teaspoons vanilla extract
- Food coloring (optional)
Preparation
- Step 1
Place the butter in a large mixing bowl. Add 4 cups of the sugar and then the milk and vanilla extract. Beat until smooth and creamy. Gradually add the remaining sugar, 1 cup at a time, until the icing is thick enough to spread. Add a few drops of food coloring if desired. Frost cupcakes. Serve at room temperature. Leftover icing freezes well for up to two months.
Private Notes
Comments
I've been making an icing like this for years. Beat tgoether conf sugar and butter, then dribble in heavy cream, beating and adding cream until the mixture is very light and fluffy. Or you can add cream cheese instead of some of the cream. You can also add flavorings other than vanilla, like coffee, instead of some of the cream, grated rinds, etc. Don't forget a dash of salt to bring out the flavor.
So this icing is way too liquidy, the actual Magnolia Icing, is: 1 cup butter 4 cups confectioners' sugar 2-3 tablespoons milk 1 tsp vanilla food coloring
FYI, the back of the Domino confectioner’s sugar box seems to have this exact same recipe, except halved, which is convenient.
Frosting Waaaaaaayyyyyyyy to SWEET! Only added 6 cups powdered sugar, instead of up to 8 cups… just a not good, too sweet, tasteless frosting! I’d add a cube (8oz.) of cream cheese!!!
I find most confectioners sugar frostings way too sweet, including this one. I’ll add cream cheese sometimes and less of the confectioners sugar. I prefer Swiss buttercreams or Ermine frostings or any other cooked frostings , again cloyingly sweet and raw tasting.
Gross. No bigger affront to a baker than the cloyingly sweet and unctuous American "buttercream". Make a meringue and whip butter into it. Buttercream should be rich, not overly sweet and chalky.
