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    Home ยป Recipes ยป Frosting

    White Chocolate Buttercream

    Updated: Mar 17, 2022 โ€ข Published: Aug 24, 2020 by Sam Merritt โ€ข 210 Comments

    This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Please read my disclosure policy.
    Jump to Recipe Jump to Video

    The perfect creamy, not-too-sweet White Chocolate Buttercream Frosting, perfect for covering a cake or piping on cupcakes!  Recipe includes a how-to video, and some of my favorite cakes and cupcakes to pair it with!

    cupcakes with white chocolate swirls

    I’ll be honest, the first time I made white chocolate frosting I expected it to be much, much too sweet. White chocolate is already so sweet on its own and I rarely care for it when there’s real chocolate in the picture (unless it’s tempered with browned butter, sea salt, and nuts like in my white chocolate macadamia nut cookies). 

    When I set out to make a white chocolate buttercream, I was determined that it would have a distinct white chocolate flavor, without being tooth-achingly sweet. I’ve reduced the sugar, whipped in some cream (for a light and fluffy texture) and voila, here’s a white chocolate frosting that you can actually eat by the spoonful. It may even be less sweet than my classic buttercream frosting! 

    To give you an idea of how not-overly-sweet it is, this is often my filling of choice when I’m testing my macaron recipe.. It’s creamy, smooth, with a silky mouthfeel. It’s softer than my buttercream or cream cheese frosting, closer in consistency to ermine frosting, but as you can see in the photo you can still pipe it onto cupcakes.

    ingredients for white chocolate icing

    Ingredients

    • White Chocolate. You can use white chocolate bars (shown in the photo above) or white chocolate chips so long as they are quality/premium chips (I have had bad luck with generic chips and recommend Ghirardelli). 
    • Butter. I like to use unsalted butter and then add a pinch of salt at the end so that you have complete control over the flavor of the icing. 
    • Powdered Sugar. I use considerably less powdered sugar in this recipe than I do in some of my others. The chocolate helps to give it a firm texture once it’s cooled completely and whipping a bit of cream in at the end helps give it a fluffy consistency as well. 
    • Vanilla Extract
    • Salt. As mentioned above.
    • Whipping Cream. I highly recommend whipping a splash of cream into your frosting at the end. It makes it fluffier, silkier, and light.

    As always, this is just an overview of the ingredients that I used. Please scroll down to the printable recipe below for amounts. 

    Can I Color White Chocolate Buttercream?

    Yes! You can add food coloring to this recipe. Stir gel (preferred) or liquid or even powder food coloring after you have finished the recipe. Add as much as is needed to get the desired color. I love using gel food coloring anytime I’m coloring buttercream as a little goes a long way and the colors are so vibrant.

    fluffy white icing in mixer bowl

    Tips

    • Always melt chocolate slowly! If heated too quickly, it’s prone to seizing and will take on a grainy appearance. Heat in short bursts and stir very well in between. 
    • It’s important that you let your chocolate cool after melting. Set it aside and let it cool (stirring occasionally) until no longer warm to the touch (but not so cool that it’s re-solidified!). If it’s warm, it will melt your butter and leave you with a greasy mess instead of luscious creamy frostiing.
    • Use butter that’s close to room temperature, but neither melty/greasy or too chilled. If the butter is cold, it will actually cause some of the chocolate to harden, leaving you with small chocolate clumps. 
    • I recommend whipping some cream into the frosting, but if you whip it very much you can end up with a frosting that’s almost too airy and full of air bubbles, making it difficult to spread smoothly over your cake. If that happens, just use a spatula to gently fold through the frosting, pressing it against the sides of the bowl and essentially deflating the excess air for a smooth buttercream.

    This frosting is great on just about any cake recipe, but I especially love it on my marble cake, white cake, and a super fun cake recipe that I have coming for you later this week. It’s also good (though less traditional) on red velvet cupcakes!

    white chocolate iced cake

    Storing

    I generally recommend using this frosting pretty quickly after making it. As it sits, the frosting tends to solidify a bit, giving the frosting an almost fudge-like consistency. However, it can be made in advance and stored. Cover with a piece of plastic wrap directly against the surface of the frosting. It will keep at room temperature for a day or in the refrigerator for up to a week. You will likely need to briefly re-whip the frosting before using.

    White Chocolate Buttercream Goes Great With:

    • Dark Chocolate Cupcakes
    • Chocolate Cake
    • Vanilla Cake
    • Pumpkin Cupcakes

    Enjoy!

    Let’s bake together! Be sure to check out my video in the recipe where I’ll show you exactly how I make these in my own kitchen! 

    white chocolate buttercream in glass bowl with spatula

    White Chocolate Buttercream

    A silky smooth white chocolate buttercream that's not too-sweet! Perfect for decorating cakes or cupcakes. Recipe includes a how-to video!
    This frosting will generously cover 12 cupcakes, modestly cover 24 cupcakes, or will cover a 2-layer 8" round or 9" round cake or a single layer 9x13 cake.
    4.99 from 89 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Prevent your screen from going dark
    Course: Dessert
    Cuisine: American
    Prep Time: 25 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 25 minutes minutes
    Servings: 12 servings
    Calories: 299kcal
    Author: Sam Merritt

    Ingredients

    • 6 oz (170 g) white chocolate¹ chopped into small pieces
    • 1 cup (226 g) unsalted butter² softened to room temperature (but not so soft that it’s melty/greasy)
    • 2 cups (250 g) powdered sugar
    • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
    • ⅛ teaspoon salt
    • 2 Tablespoons heavy cream

    Instructions

    • Place white chocolate in a small, heat-proof bowl and heat for 30 seconds. Stir very well, then return to microwave and heat in 15-second increments, stirring very well in between, until chocolate is completely smooth and melted.
      6 oz (170 g) white chocolate¹
    • Set chocolate aside to cool for at least 15 minutes and no longer warm to the touch (otherwise it will melt the butter and you’ll have a greasy mess).
    • While chocolate is cooling, place softened butter in the bowl of a stand mixer (or you may use a large bowl and an electric hand mixer) and beat until creamy and well-whipped.
      1 cup (226 g) unsalted butter²
    • With mixer on low-speed, gradually add melted, cooled chocolate and stir well.
    • Gradually add powdered sugar , scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl periodically to ensure that all ingredients are well combined.
      2 cups (250 g) powdered sugar
    • Sprinkle in salt and vanilla extract and stir well.
      ½ teaspoon vanilla extract, ⅛ teaspoon salt
    • With mixer on low-speed, gradually add heavy cream to frosting. Gradually increase speed to high and beat for 30-60 seconds or until desired consistency is reached (should be light, creamy, fluffy, and slightly increased in volume). If you beat too much air into the icing and would like a smoother frosting, use a spatula to cut through the batter and work out any air bubbles.
      2 Tablespoons heavy cream
    • Pipe or spread frosting onto prepared, cooled baked goods.

    Notes

    ¹You can use white chocolate bars or white chocolate chips. If using the chips, use a premium brand like Ghirardelli. You will not need to chop the chocolate first if substituting chips. 6 oz of chocolate chips is approximately 1 cup.
    ²I recommend unsalted butter (this allows us to best control the flavor of our icing), but if you only have salted on hand you can use that, just leave out the salt that is called for.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1serving | Calories: 299kcal | Carbohydrates: 28g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Cholesterol: 47mg | Sodium: 40mg | Potassium: 45mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 28g | Vitamin A: 514IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 34mg | Iron: 1mg

    Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered an estimate only. Actual nutritional content will vary based upon brands used, measuring methods, cooking method, portion sizes, and more.

    Tried this recipe? Show me on Instagram!Mention @SugarSpun_Sam or tag #sugarspunrun!

    cake covered with white frosting

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      Brown Sugar Swiss Meringue Buttercream

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Jennifer Taylor

      November 11, 2022 at 1:21 pm

      5 stars
      I always make a chocolate oatmeal cake for all family birthdays, usually with a simple buttercream icing. I decided to switch it up and make your White Chocolate Buttercream. The results were fantastic! I used Callebeau white chocolate (I find other brands too waxy and donโ€™t taste like chocolate, just sugar). I also used salted butter and didnโ€™t add any extra – it wasnโ€™t too salty. The icing is quite sweet but goes well with my oatmeal chocolate cake which is not that sweet and has lots of texture. Thanks for a great recipe!!

      Reply
      • Sam

        November 11, 2022 at 2:52 pm

        Wonderful! I’m so glad you enjoyed, Jennifer, thank you for sharing! ๐Ÿ™‚

        Reply
    2. Kelly

      August 25, 2022 at 12:59 pm

      5 stars
      Can this icing be melted to create a drizzle? Making red velvet brownies but the birthday girl is not a fan of cream cheese frosting! Thanks

      Reply
      • Sam

        August 30, 2022 at 3:18 pm

        Hi Kelly! It could work, but I would be worried about it separating. Without having tried it I can’t say for sure. ๐Ÿ™

        Reply
    3. Mariah

      August 05, 2022 at 10:43 pm

      Going to try this for a chocolate birthday cake. Not being an experienced baker, I’m wondering what the best type of food coloring would be in this buttercream?

      Reply
      • Sam

        August 06, 2022 at 10:26 pm

        Hi Mariah! I always recommend using a food gel. They are much thicker and provide great color with much less. I personally use Americolor food gels. ๐Ÿ™‚

        Reply
    4. Mythili

      July 12, 2022 at 5:15 pm

      Can I use this frosting for Russian piping tips?

      Reply
      • Sam

        July 14, 2022 at 2:17 pm

        Hi Mythili! That should work just fine. ๐Ÿ™‚

        Reply
    5. Sylvia F

      July 11, 2022 at 2:56 pm

      This sounds delicious! Do you know how much frosting this recipe makes? Thanks!

      Reply
      • Emily @ Sugar Spun Run

        July 11, 2022 at 5:18 pm

        Hi Sylvia! We havenโ€™t measured it, but it will make enough to cover a two layer 8 or 9 inch cake, a 9×13 inch cake, or 24 modestly frosted cupcakes. We’d estimate it makes about 4 cups. ๐Ÿ™‚

        Reply
        • Sylvia F

          July 11, 2022 at 6:30 pm

          Thank you so much for the super fast reply! ๐Ÿ˜ƒโค๏ธ

    6. Terri Bruch

      July 08, 2022 at 10:54 am

      5 stars
      Perfect! I needed an icing to go along with my fresh raspberry cupcakes that have a fresh raspberry filling. I googled for white chocolate icing and yours was among several but I instantly went to yours becuae I have always found your recipes the best. The tartness of the filling offsets the sweetness of the icing and everything tastes perfect!

      Reply
    7. Sharon

      July 02, 2022 at 3:28 pm

      A little sweet but amazing!! Iโ€™d add an image if I could. Love the recipe. Leftovers on graham crackers or Nilla wafers!

      Reply
    8. Charlene Sullivan

      May 09, 2022 at 1:22 am

      I need a white frosting for a German chocolate cake. Will this taste good on it?

      Reply
      • Sam

        May 16, 2022 at 3:56 pm

        Hi Charlene! A german chocolate cake is typically defined by the coconut caramel frosting. That being said, this will be good on your cake. ๐Ÿ™‚

        Reply
    9. Ashley

      April 10, 2022 at 7:28 am

      5 stars
      This turned out absolutely perfect. I beat it for about 3 minutes at the end and it came out so light in fluffy, like the best whipped cream Iโ€™ve ever had! Thank you so much for this recipe!

      Reply
    10. Noranda Arnett

      March 30, 2022 at 1:47 am

      5 stars
      I just made this and it turned out perfectly! It wasn’t too sweet, and had just the right amount of white chocolate flavour. Iโ€™ll be adding this to my recipe book!

      Reply
      • Emily @ Sugar Spun Run

        March 30, 2022 at 9:37 am

        Wonderful! Thanks so much for coming back to leave a review, Noranda ๐Ÿ˜Š

        Reply
    11. Wendy

      March 26, 2022 at 1:08 pm

      I had extra frosting so I freezed it. Unlike regular butter, this has white chocolate in it. How do you suggest I defrost and use later? Or can’t I? TIA!

      Reply
      • Sam

        March 29, 2022 at 12:36 pm

        Hi Wendy! Honestly I haven’t tried freezing this frosting, but I think it could work. I would go about defrosting it like you do with any other frosting. ๐Ÿ™‚

        Reply
    12. Janet Barry

      March 16, 2022 at 4:09 pm

      I am looking very forward to trying your recipe because I love white chocolate. I am making a Fox birthday cake for my granddaughter and I would like to make the frosting today to do the crumb coat but I will not be finishing the decorating until Friday. What would you suggest?

      Reply
      • Sam

        March 17, 2022 at 9:53 am

        Hi Janet! I actually have a section on storing the frosting in the actual post that should be helpful. ๐Ÿ™‚

        Reply
    13. S Lock

      March 02, 2022 at 9:58 pm

      Would this cover the outside only of a 3 layer 9 in cake? I plan to do a chocolate filling and white chocolate frosting on the outside.

      Reply
      • Emily @ Sugar Spun Run

        March 03, 2022 at 12:59 pm

        Yes, that should be fine! We hope your cake turns out wonderfully! ๐Ÿ˜Š

        Reply
    14. Megan

      January 29, 2022 at 5:07 pm

      When I added the white chocolate to the whipped butter it solidified. What did I do wrong?

      Reply
      • Emily @ Sugar Spun Run

        January 31, 2022 at 2:00 pm

        Oh no! It sounds like your butter may have been too cold ๐Ÿ™ Please read the tips section of the post and watch the video–both should be helpful for you.

        Reply
    15. Amy P

      July 02, 2021 at 7:01 pm

      Will this frosting be fine to put an edible image on top?

      Reply
      • Sam

        July 02, 2021 at 9:47 pm

        Hi Amy! I honestly haven’t tried it, but the consistency is very similar to a traditional American buttercream so I think it will work. If you have concerns about it being too moist you can reduce the cream a little bit. ๐Ÿ™‚

        Reply
      • Carol crawford

        September 29, 2021 at 3:42 pm

        Can u use this to do naked cake icing

        Reply
        • Sam

          September 29, 2021 at 3:59 pm

          Yes!

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