American Buttercream Frosting

First, bring your butter to room temperature. Buttercream can only be prepared with softened butter, neither cold nor too hot (i.e. melted butter) will work.

Prepare a stand mixer with a paddle attachment. Alternatively, use your electric hand mixer.

Cream the room-temperature butter at medium-high speed for 3 minutes until it becomes light in color and fluffy in texture.

Add in the powdered sugar tablespoon by tablespoon on low speed, then turn the mixer back on medium-high speed and whip it for another 4 minutes or until the mixture becomes light, fluffy, and increases in volume.

Lastly, add the vanilla extract, salt, and heavy cream and continue whipping for another minute until it is smooth and silky.

The frosting should have the perfect pipeable fluffy texture. If, for some reason, it is too thick, add some more cream (1 tablespoon at a time). If the frosting is too thin, add more powdered sugar (1 tablespoons at a time).

Note that the buttercream texture is best straight after making it 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.