Simple buttercream icing

Portion size: Makes enough for one large cake
Hands-on time 5 minutes
Difficulty: easy

A quick and easy buttercream icing recipe – made with icing sugar, butter and cream cheese – to use on cupcakes, fairy cakes or birthday cakes.

Add another classic icing to your baking repertoire, with our homemade royal icing recipe.

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Ingredients

300g unsalted butter, at room temperature
200g full-fat cream cheese, at room temperature
500g icing sugar

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Method

Put the butter and cream cheese in a mixing bowl (see tips) and beat with an electric mixer until combined and smooth.
Sift in the icing sugar in batches, beating well between each addition until smooth.

Quick wins & tips

The butter and cream cheese for the buttercream need to be at the same temperature before they’re mixed. Take them out of the fridge at the same time to warm up. If your buttercream is too soft after mixing, chill until firmer.