The BEST Buttercream Frosting for Sugar Cookies

The only buttercream frosting recipe you will ever need to top your Sugar Cookies with! Two special ingredients make this frosting the most vanilla-y recipe you ever did taste. 

Happy St. Patrick’s Day everyone! What are you doing to celebrate Ireland getting all the snakes out of the land? Is that a myth? What is St. Patrick’s Day about again??

All I know is that I’m glad I’m not in school anymore, because I’m pretty sure I would be pinched within an inch of my life. I have ZERO green in my wardrobe right now. That’s because my wardrobe consists of 5 shirts. (Even after asking my friends on Facebook where to buy shirts and getting tons of suggestions, I still ended up buying all 5 shirts at Target, where I always buy my shirts. Because I’m classy and like to pick up my fashion digs and toilet paper all in one run.)

3 of my 5 shirts are the same shirt in different colors. (So if you see a blonde girl picking up toilet paper at Target wearing a black, red, or blue plaid button up, it’s me.) This is my uniform lately because I’m still working on getting that beach body back after having my 3rd kid (har har), and because I like to wear button up shirts because I’m still nursing.

The other day I get this text from my best friend Sarah:

“Ok so today we went to Muir Woods and Max [her 5 year old] saw a picture of someone standing next to a redwood tree. He said, ‘Why are Karen and Eric in that picture?’ I had no idea what he was talking about until I saw the person was wearing a red and black plaid shirt.”

These photos were taken on 2 different occasions at Sarah’s house. I can see why Max is confused.

Side note: When Sarah texted me, I sent her a picture of myself. Because I was wearing that exact same red plaid shirt. Somebody get me some green earrings or something, stat.

I hope you guys saw my post earlier this week where I shared the recipe for the Softest Sugar Cookies! This frosting is the perfect compliment! This recipe is a classic buttercream: all butter, whisked together with a bunch of powdered sugar and cream. Typically for vanilla frosting all you have to do is add a bit of vanilla extract. But THIS recipe also adds in coconut and almond extract.

Trifecta of awesomeness.

You might think it sounds overkill, but I swear it’s not. This is a variation of a copycat recipe I found for the frosting at The Sweet Tooth Fairy, which is an amazing bakery chain in Utah. (The copycat recipe is by Bless This Mess, who has an awesome blog that you need to check out!) Sweet Tooth Fairy has the BEST sugar cookies. The frosting is so light and fluffy and just has the most amazing flavor…now you know the secret, it’s a little touch of almond and coconut.

If you have a stand mixer, be sure to use the whisk attachment. It gets so much fluffier than when you use the paddle! I tested it both ways. Fluffy frosting=love.

You can frost these however you want, but I wanted to show you how to do this fun technique:

I found this frosting idea on Kayley’s blog, The Kitchen McCabe. It’s easy enough that even a frosting dummy like me could pull it off.

You guys know the glass trick right? It’s so much easier to add frosting to the bag like this. Or if you don’t have a bag you can use a sandwich bag and snip the end off.

You can also do two colors if you want. Kayley did an ombre egg, it’s so pretty!

Poll time: ^^Sprinkles?^^ Yay or nay?

Here’s the SOFTEST Sugar Cookie recipe to go with this Buttercream:

If you make any of my recipes, share it on Instagram using the hashtag #TheFoodCharlatan so I can see it! I love that.

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One year ago: Classic Deviled Eggs
Two years ago: Easter Bunny Dinner Rolls
Three years ago: 30-Minute Maple Bars

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The BEST Buttercream Frosting for Sugar Cookies

Serves Makes enough to frost 2 dozen cookies     adjust servings

Ingredients

• 1 cup salted butter, softened
• 4 cups powdered sugar, divided
• 4-6 tablespoons cream, divided
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla (I love Mexican vanilla)
• 1/2 teaspoon coconut extract
• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
• gel food coloring

Instructions

1. In a large bowl or stand mixer, use the whisk attachment* to beat the softened butter until it is fluffy, about 2-3 minutes.
2. Add half of the powdered sugar and 2 tablespoons cream. Beat well. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl.
3. Add the remaining powdered sugar and 2 more tablespoons of cream. Beat well.
4. Add salt, vanilla, coconut, and almond extracts. Beat well. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl.
5. Add remaining 1-2 tablespoons of cream, if needed.
6. Add gel food coloring if you want to tint the frosting. (liquid food coloring can mess with the consistency.)
7. This is enough frosting to do about 2 dozen cookies, but that totally depends on your cookie shape. Frost the cookies (Here's the cookie recipe) and store in a tupperware on the counter for 2-3 days.
8. Leftover frosting is great on graham crackers!

by The Food Charlatan

Recipe Notes

*I tested this recipe using the paddle attachment one time and the whisk attachment the other time. So much fluffier with the whisk! I'm never going back!

All images and text © The Food Charlatan

If you make this recipe, share it on Instagram using the hashtag #TheFoodCharlatan so I can see it!

Source: recipe is adapted from Melissa’s blog, Bless This Mess. Go check her out, her blog is great!

Here are some more killer frosting recipes!

The Best Chocolate Cake I’ve Ever Had (with Chocolate Buttercream). <<no lie.

Maple Pecan Buttercream Frosting << this stuff is amazing on Carrot Cake. AMAZING.

Nana’s Famous Fudge Brownies with Fudge Frosting <<you’ve GOT to try these. Famous for a reason.

Almond Sheet Cake with Almond Frosting < one of my favorite cakes, ever,

More amazing frosting recipes!

The Best Vanilla Buttercream Frosting from Wine and Glue
Fresh Lemon Buttercream Frosting from Spend with Pennies
White Chocolate Buttercream from Comfortably Domestic
Dark Chocolate Cake with Nutella Buttercream from Taste and Tell <<!!!!!

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