Homemade Buttercream Frosting

     I don't frost a lot of cakes but, this frosting recipe is nice to have on hand!  Some helpful hints:  Bake your cake and once fully cooled, make sure to do a crumb coat of frosting and place coated cake in fridge, this will make final coat a breeze!  If you are tinting your frosting, make sure to use food coloring sparingly - you can always ADD more but, cannot take it away!  Use Clear vanilla extract if you're making a pure white frosting.  I also weigh my powdered sugar as its more precise and I let my butter soften as that does provide a better butter/sugar creaming.  If you use decorations that need to stick to the frosting, have them ready as once the frosting "dries" nothing will stick. Hope you try this!  Enjoy! Diane 

Ingredients: 
3 Sticks (1 1/2 cups) Unsalted Butter, softened 
Pinch of Salt
1 1/2 Pounds (24 ounces) Powdered Sugar, sifted 
1 Tablespoon Vanilla Extract 
2-3 Tablespoons Heavy Cream, add more if your frosting is too thick 

Directions: 
In the bowl of a stand mixer beat your butter on Medium-High for a good 6 to 7 minutes.  Lower mixture speed to Low and slowly add in the powdered sugar and the salt. Once fully incorporated, add in on Low your vanilla and cream. Increase the mixer speed and let that mix on Medium-High for another final 6 to 7 minutes.  Frosting can be stored in fridge and let the frosting come to room temp and rewhip before using *adding a little more cream if needed. 

Yield:  enough frosting for a 9-inch layer cake or 24 cupcakes 
 
**Shown is my Mothers Day: vanilla white cake with pink buttercream frosting and raspberry buttercream filling.