Crusting Buttercream Frosting Recipe |Great for Cookies|
If you are not a fan of hard-drying royal icing for decorating cookies, you can try this Crusting Buttercream Frosting. It crusts well, and you can stack and package cookies using this recipe.
HOW TO MAKE CRUSTING FROSTING
This is a hybrid recipe. What I mean is that I combined two recipes into one. Let me explain: I’ve been using an easy melted butter crusting buttercream frosting recipe for years. Over the years, I’ve noticed that sometimes it crusted a bit too much. To amend this issue, I added whipped butter to make the frosting softer yet still well-crusted so you can stack and even package cookies decorated with this buttercream.
INGREDIENTS
To prepare this buttercream, I make two buttercream frostings individually: Easy crusting buttercream frosting and American Buttercream.
- Here are the ingredients you need:
- Unsalted Melted Butter
- Unsalted Butter at room temperature
- Powdered Sugar
- Corn Starch
- Heavy Whipping Cream
- Flavorings: Vanilla, Almond and Lemon(optional)
- Pinch of salt
AMERICAN BUTTERCREAM
Let’s start with room-temperature butter (step 1). Cream it for 30 seconds (steps 2-3). then gradually add about half of the powdered sugar (steps 4-6). Beat until well combined and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes (steps 7-8).
EASY MELTED BUTTER FROSTING
This buttercream uses melted and cooled butter. Pour all of the powdered sugar and starch into a bowl. Add melted and cooled butter, flavorings, and heavy whipping cream (steps 1-5). Beat on low speed and gradually increase the speed to medium-high. Beat for about 2-3 minutes (steps 6-8).
TIP: I like using Vanilla, Almond, and Lemon. You can use any flavoring you prefer.
CRUSTING BUTTERCREAM FROSTING
Now we can combine two buttercreams together to form a hybrid buttercream.
Gradually beat Easy Buttercream into American Buttercream. Beating well after each addition. Scrape down the bowl a few times and continue beating until fully combined and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Taste and if desired add additional flavorings.
If frosting appears too stiff, add heavy whipping cream. But sparingly, too much moisture can cause your buttercream won’t crust properly.
STORAGE
Prepared buttercream can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for 2-3 days or in the fridge for up to a week. Bring it to room temperature before using it. If it appears too stiff, you can easily thin it with some water. I like to use a spray bottle for this to avoid using too much water (steps 1-4).
COLOR BUTTERCREAM
Color buttercream with concentrated gel food colors (steps 1-6).
BLACK BUTTERCREAM
To make black buttercream I like to start by making chocolate buttercream first. I use cocoa powder. Sift two teaspoons of dark cocoa powder into 1/2 cup of white buttercream (steps 1-3). Mix it in and if needed add a drop or two of heavy whipping cream (steps 4-6). Then add a few drops of concentrated black gel food color.
DECORATE COOKIES WITH CRUSTING BUTTERCREAM
Cookie decorating can be as simple as spreading buttercream onto a cookie with a spatula and decorating with sprinkles like my Soft Lofthouse Cookies.
Or you can get fancy with piping bags and piping tips.
SUNFLOWER COOKIES
- To make sunflower cookies, I used two piping tips: petal tip #104 and a small star tip #14 or #16.
- Mark the center of the cookie and draw a circle with an edible marker (steps 1-3).
- With yellow icing and a piping tip #104, pipe flower petals.
- The wide part of the piping tip should face outward, and the narrow part should face the center of the cookie (steps 4-8).
- Mark the outline for the flower center with a toothpick or a scribe following the drawn circle (step 1).
- With a star tip and brown/chocolate buttercream, pipe stars in a circular pattern until you fill the center.
DAISY FLOWER COOKIES
Mark the center of the cookie. Using a petal tip #104 and a pink buttercream pipe, pipe individual petals onto a cookie (steps 1-2). Pipe each petal with a narrow part of the piping tip facing out and a wide part of the petal tip facing the center of the cookie (steps 3-8).
Immediately dust the center and surrounding area with yellow nonpareil sprinkles. To make the center of the flower, you can use yellow candy, like M&M’s. Gently press the candy into soft buttercream (steps 1-3).
BASKETWEAVE COOKIES
I used piping tip #47 to create a basketweave pattern. To clean up the edge, I utilized a handy cookie scrapper called a boo-boo stick or a 2-in-1 cookie decorating tool. Learn more about different Cookie Decorating Tools.
PACKAGING
Frost the sugar cookies with a spoon, spatula, or variety of piping tips. Allow frosting to crust for 6-9 hours before stacking or packaging.
WATCH VIDEO
SUCCESS TIPS
Allow buttercream to air-dry for 6-9 hours.
Yes, you can. The powdered sugar stabilizes the heavy cream in this recipe and keeps it from spoiling.
DELICIOUS RECIPES TO TRY
- Swiss Buttercream
- Soft Sugar Cookie Recipe (it pairs nicely with Crusting Buttercream Frosting)
- Chocolate Sugar Cookies
- Lemon Sugar Cookies via Dash of Sanit
- 6-Minute Chocolate Buttercream via Natasha’s Kitchen
Crusting Buttercream Frosting Recipe
Ingredients
CRUSTING BUTTERCREAM FROSTING (hybrid buttercream) for cookie decorating
American Buttercream
- 1/2 cup unsalted room temperature butter (113grams)
- 2 cups powdered sugar (250 grams)
- pinch of salt
Easy Melted Butter Frosting
- 5 tbsp unsalted butter, melted and cooled to room temperature (70grams)
- 2-3 tbsp heavy whipping cream
- 3½ cup powdered sugar
- 2 tsp Vanilla Extract
- 1 tsp Almond Extract (optional)
- 1/4 tsp Lemon Extract (optional)
Crusting Buttercream Frosting – Hybrid Frosting
- 1 tbsp corn starch
Instructions
CRUSTING BUTTERCREAM FROSTING
American Buttercream
- At low speed and with a whisk attachment, beat room temperature (1 stick, 113 grams) butter until smooth, about 30 seconds. Then gradually add powdered sugar (2 cups, 250 grams), 1 cup at a time.Once the powdered sugar is mixed in, increase the speed to medium and beat well for about 2-3 minutes; beat in a pinch of salt.TIP: If your powdered sugar has lumps, sift it before using it.
Easy Melted Butter Frosting
- Beat butter (5tbsp, melted and cooled to room temperature), powdered sugar ( 3cups and 1/2 cup), heavy whipping cream (2-3tablespoons) until smooth, about 2-3 minutes. Beat in Vanilla extract (2 teaspoons), Almond Extract (1 teaspoon), and Lemon Extract (1/4 teaspoon).TIP: Almond and Lemon extracts are optional.
Crusting Buttercream Frosting – Hybrid Frosting
- Gradually beat melted butter frosting into the American buttercream. Beat in corn starch (1 tablespoon). If it's too stiff, you can add more heavy whipping cream. But don't thin it down too much.
- Color buttercream with concentrated gel colors, and keep it covered to prevent crusting.
- Store frosting in an airtight container to prevent crusting. This Buttercream Frosting won't crust hard like royal icing. Allow frosted cookies to air dry for 9-12hours before stacking.
Notes
- How long should I wait for the frosting to crust before stacking or packaging cookies? – I recommend you wait for the frosting to crust well. Airdry cookies for 9-12 hours before stacking or packaging.
Hi, I’m Hani
Welcome!
Thank you for visiting Haniela’s. On my blog, you’ll find delicious sweet & savory recipes made with simple ingredients. Why not start a new adventure? Discover a world of cookie decorating with my step-by-step tutorials.
Hi, I’m Hani
Welcome!
Thank you for visiting Haniela’s. On my blog, you’ll find delicious sweet & savory recipes made with simple ingredients. Why not start a new adventure? Discover a world of cookie decorating with my step-by-step tutorials.
I used this recipe on Shamrock cookies and it was really easy to pipe, stack, package and it tasted delish. Will be my go to for cutout cookies, as I don’t really care for the taste of Royal Icing. Thank you!!
Hi Kelly,
Thank you so much. I’m glad to hear you enjoy it. Made my day!
Have a great day.
Hani
Did “cool” butter mean room temp or back in the fridge after melting, please?
Is this recipe good for doubling/tripling?
Thank you!
Hi Katrina,
great question, I will clarify that in the recipe.
Butter is melted and cooled to room temperature.
Yes, it can be doubled.
Have a fantastic Weekend!
How long could the cookies with this crusting buttercream stay out/packaged before refrigerating? I was asked to make for a fundraiser and was curious if this would hold up without spoiling
Hi Teresa,
I didn’t have problem with these being out as the sugar acts as stabilizer.
Once they crust they can be packaged. I don’t refrigerate them after.
Hi! For the American buttercream the recipe says 1/2 cup butter, but then the directions say 1/2 stick…which is correct?
Hi Brittany,
Thank you so much for catching that typo. It’s the former – 1/2 cup (1 stick, 113 grams)
Happy Baking
Hani
Is this freezable?
Hi Brandi,
yes, you can freeze buttercream.
Have a great day.
Hello!
Could you sub in cream cheese for the room temp butter to create a crusting cream cheese buttercream?
Hi Liz,
I love that idea. I haven’t tried it myself. But I’ll try it out soon to make sure it works.
Have a great day.
Hani
Hi
How do I get this to be super black?
Hi Allison,
I use super black gel food coloring by Americolor Brand or Chefmaster.
Hani
My mom used to add cocoa powder to first make it darker brown (and Amazon even has a black cocoa powder!) and then add black food color to get it dark enough. Otherwise, it takes a LOT of black food coloring to make it black instead of just grey
Hi…just came across your recipe as I am looking for a crusting buttercream for easter cutout cookies. What does the cormstarch do in this recipe? Thanks.
Hi Sandy,
cornstarch helps thicken buttercream without adding more sugar and it also stabilizes it, making it a little more heat resistant.
Hello,
Could you use tapioca starch, or another starch in place of the corn starch?
Hello Sara,
You can try skipping it or use potato starch, I haven’t tried using using tapioca starch.
This was the BEST tasting frosting! Everyone said it was a hit. Used on regular sugar cookies and gingerbread cookies. It actually taste divine on the gingerbread. Top notch easy recipe.
Thank you so much, Amanda.
I haven’t tried it on gingerbread cookies, and now I must, I’m intrigued.:-)
Have a great day!
I made the hybrid buttercream frosting for the first time last night to frost cut-out sugar cookies. The flavor was absolutely delicious. I added some extra heavy cream to make the frosting easier to spread and was afraid to add too much heavy cream because it m8ght not crust enough. I noticed that this frosting piped well because of its stiffness but it didn’t readily adhere to the cookie surface. I have never experienced frosting not wanting to stick to a cookie! I would like to know how to make this frosting more creamy and light and fluffy.
Hi Tricia,
Thank you for stopping. It sounds like maybe it was a bit too thick. I haven’t had an issue of not sticking to the cookie before. I’d suggest whipping it for a little longer with a wire beater.
Happy Holidays.