This easy vanilla buttercream frosting is sure to steal the show on any cake, cookie, or cupcake. Creamy, sweet, fluffy, and foolproof to make with just four ingredients. Ready in just 10 minutes, it transforms any dessert into a special occasion treat. Unlike icing, which is thinner and shinier, buttercream frosting is thick, and perfectly spreadable. Made with butter, powdered sugar, milk, and a splash of real vanilla, it delivers the classic, crowd-pleasing flavor we all know and love.

This beloved recipe first appeared as "white butter icing" in the 1950 Big Red cookbook, and since then, it’s been a staple in every edition of Big Red, as well as many Betty Crocker baking books. Over the years, it’s evolved—switching from shortening and cream to margarine, then to butter and milk, and from mixing by hand to using an electric mixer. Despite these changes, its rich, creamy texture and timeless vanilla flavor have remained the same, making it a go-to frosting for generations.

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