Recipe updated: April 2nd, 2024
This white chocolate buttercream frosting recipe is the easiest frosting you will ever make. The recipe uses basic ingredients such as powdered sugar, white chocolate, unsalted butter, whole milk, vanilla extract, and a pinch of salt.
This fantastic buttercream frosting is perfect for enhancing the flavor of your favorite cakes, cupcakes, and similar treats. We also like to spread it on banana bread, gingerbread cake, and applesauce cake.
🥄 Key Ingredients
- 2 ½ cups powdered sugar also known as confectioners’ sugar
- 6 ounces of white chocolate (baking bar)
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter – (1 stick) softened
- 1/4 cup whole milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Pinch of salt
👩🍳 How to Make White Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
These step-by-step instructions are accompanied by detailed photos for enhanced clarity and guidance.
Step 1. Prepare the White Chocolate
Take the white chocolate out of the package, then break them apart. Put it all into a microwave-safe bowl.
Tip: You can find white chocolate baking bars in the baking aisle of the grocery store.
Step 2. Melt the White Chocolate
Put the bowl of white chocolate into the microwave for one minute on power level six. Take it out, then stir it. Put it back into the microwave again for one minute on power level six, then remove it from the microwave again and stir it. And then one last time, put it back into the microwave for 30 seconds on power level eight. After that, remove it and stir the white melted chocolate and then set is aside for now to cool down to room temperature. We do the lower power levels so that the chocolate won’t burn.
Tip: A double boiler is another option to melt the white chocolate if you don’t have a microwave. A double boiler is a smaller saucepan that fits perfectly atop a bigger saucepan. The lower saucepan is filled with water, and the upper saucepan has the white chocolate in it. As the water heats up in the lower saucepan, it melts the white chocolate in the upper saucepan, which prevents the white chocolate coming into contact with the burner, hence, avoid scorching or burning the white chocolate.
Step 3. Prepare the Butter
Take the butter out of the refrigerator and let it sit on the countertop at room temperature for about 15 minutes to soften. Then, put the softened butter in a large bowl.
Note: If you prefer, you can put the butter in a large bowl that is safe for the microwave, then put it in the microwave for about 5 seconds (give or take a few seconds), just until the butter is soft, not melted. It doesn’t take very long at all to soften butter in a microwave, so watch the butter to make sure it is not melting.
Step 4. Make the Butter Creamy
After the butter is softened, use an electric hand mixer, or you can use a bowl of a stand mixer with a paddle attachment if you have one, to cream the softened butter into a creamy consistency. If you don’t have an electric mixer, a spoon, fork, or spatula will work just fine.
Step 5. Add the Melted White Chocolate
After the butter is creamy, add the cooled melted white chocolate we set aside earlier to the creamed butter.
Step 6. Blend the Butter and Melted White Chocolate
Use the electric mixer to blend the creamed butter together with the melted white chocolate. Start the mixer speed on low speed and gradually work up to medium speed. Mix the butter and melted white chocolate for about 2-3 minutes, or just until the mixture is smooth. Make sure to scrape the sides of the bowl.
Step 7. Add the Powdered Sugar, Milk, and Salt
Add 2 and 1/2 cups of powdered sugar, 1/4 cup of whole milk, and a pinch of salt together with the butter and white chocolate mixture.
Tip: A pinch of salt is whatever the amount of salt you can pick up with your thumb and index finger.
Step 8. Combine Powdered Sugar, White Chocolate Mixture, Milk, And Salt
With the electric mixer, blend the powdered sugar together with the white chocolate mixture.
Step 9. Add the Vanilla
Add 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract together with the powdered sugar and white chocolate mixture.
Step 10. Blend in the Vanilla
Use the electric mixer (or spatula) to blend the vanilla extract just until it is incorporated together with the powdered sugar and white chocolate mixture.
Step 11. Mix until Super Smooth
Blend the white chocolate buttercream frosting until it is a thick consistency yet super smooth and spreadable. It should not fall off of a spoon, knife, or spatula.
Step 12. Spread the Frosting on Prepared and Cooled Baked Goods
We used a 9×13 inch baking dish and made a chocolate cake with chocolate chips inside it. Then we spread our delicious white chocolate buttercream frosting on it. The frosting was thick and easily spreadable, and it covered the entire cake. The frosted cake was incredible.
⭐️ Recipe Variations
- We made white frosting, but you can take this creamy white chocolate buttercream frosting to the next level by adding food coloring to create any color your imagination can muster up.
- Get the perfect consistency every time by using less milk for thicker frosting, and more milk for thinner frosting. If the consistency of the frosting is a little bit too thin for you, just add a little more powdered sugar. The frosting should have a smooth, creamy consistency that is easy to spread over cakes and cupcakes.
- To make white chocolate buttercream icing, add more milk.
- Use white chocolate chips instead of the white chocolate baking bar.
☝️ FAQs
Put any leftover white chocolate buttercream frosting in an airtight container in the refrigerator for later use. Make sure the container is one with a lid. Do not use plastic wrap to cover the frosting, as it will stick to it. This frosting is best if used within a week’s time.
Yes, white chocolate buttercream frosting can be stored in the freezer for about four months, give or take a few months. When you are ready to use the frosting, take it out the night before and put it in the refrigerator to thaw.
💭 Final Thoughts
This delicious white chocolate frosting is prefect to spread on single layer cakes, double or triple layer cakes, and even chocolate and vanilla cupcakes. The rich and creamy taste surpasses store-bought frostings without a doubt.
So the next time you need some smooth buttercream frosting that tastes amazing, you can make this recipe within a matter of minutes. This recipe is enough to cover a chocolate cake made in a 9×13 rectangular baking dish.
📁 Recipe Card
White Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
🫕 Equipment
- Electric hand mixer (optional)
🧂 Ingredients
- 2½ cups powdered sugar
- 6 ounces white chocolate (baking bar)
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter – softened ( 1 stick)
- 1/4 cup whole milk
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- Pinch of salt
👩🍳 Instructions
- Put the white chocolate into a bowl safe for the microwave.
- Microwave the white chocolate for one minute on power level six, then stir.
- Again, microwave the white chocolate for one minute on power level six, then stir.
- And one last time, microwave the white chocolate for 30 seconds on power level eight. Remove the white chocolate from the microwave and stir, then leave it on the countertop for now to cool down to room temperature.
- Let the butter sit on the countertop for about 15 minutes to soften.
- After that, put the butter in a large bowl and cream the butter with an electric mixer to a smooth consistency.
- Add the cooled melted white chocolate to the creamy butter. Mix thoroughly.
- Add the powdered sugar, milk, and salt to the white chocolate mixture. Mix thoroughly by hand or with an electric mixer until smooth and creamy.
- Add the vanilla extract. Mix until all is blended well.
*️⃣ Recipe Notes
- You can use a double boiler to melt the white chocolate if you don’t have a microwave.
- Add less milk for thicker frosting, and add more milk for thinner frosting.
💟 More Favorite Recipes You Will Love
- Layered Pistachio Pudding Dessert Recipe – A delightful pistachio pudding dessert made with cream cheese, vanilla extract, powdered sugar, milk, whipped topping, and instant pistachio pudding. Topped with more whipped topping and mini chocolate chips.
- 3 Ingredient Peanut Butter Fudge in Microwave – Only three ingredients – creamy peanut butter, semi-sweet chocolate chips, and sweetened condensed milk – so good!
- Strawberry Lemon Icebox Cake – This strawberry lemon icebox cake is layered with fresh strawberries, lemon creme cookies, shortbread cookies, and homemade whipped cream.
A wife, a mother to a son and a daughter, and a grandmother to three granddaughters. Flo loves sharing recipes passed down from her own mother, her mother-in-law, and her grandmother as well as new recipes created with her daughter, Tamara Ray.
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