The Swap You Should Make For The Silkiest Buttercream Frosting

Cupcakes and cakes with gorgeous swirls of mile-high frosting look so good they'll have you pressing your nose against the pastry case. But oftentimes the buttercream frosting is so sweet you'll decide to stop snacking after just one bite. Have you ever wished buttercream frosting could taste a bit more like butter and cream and a bit less like a mountain of powdered sugar? Then we have the answer for you: condensed milk buttercream.

If you've ever unearthed a can of sweetened condensed milk from the back of your pantry, you're probably thinking there's no way this milky, sugary, syrup concoction could make frosting less sweet — but it's true. Standard buttercream recipes rely on butter, powdered sugar, vanilla, salt, and heavy whipping cream to create a stable, spreadable topping. Meanwhile, condensed milk buttercream (also called Russian buttercream due to its presence on many Eastern European desserts) can be made with just two ingredients: sweetened condensed milk and butter.

Despite using less ingredients, the resulting flavor is more complex, less sweet, and more dairy forward. And, if you're worried that condensed milk buttercream won't stand up to your cake decorating aspirations, fear not. Condensed milk buttercream boasts a similar spreadable consistency to typical buttercream but with a silky smooth texture. So give this one-two combination a try and get piping.

Although the condensed milk buttercream recipe couldn't be simpler, there are a few helpful tips to guarantee success. First, make sure your butter is at room temperature. If it's too cold, it won't whip properly, and if it's too warm, your frosting will sadly separate. Second, you want to really whip that butter. Whip it on high for five minutes or until you see your butter dramatically lighten in color. By adding air, you're preventing the frosting from tasting too much like pure butter while also creating that optimal, silky mouthfeel. Third, pour in your sweetened condensed milk slowly or in several small batches to further prevent separation. And finally, if your finished product seems a touch too gloopy, stick it in the fridge until it's the perfect firmness for frosting.

Adding sweetened condensed milk helps create a creamy texture, but if you'd rather stick to buttercream's usual sweetness, add a few tablespoons of powdered sugar to taste. Adding a dash of vanilla extract or a sprinkle of salt also won't disrupt your frosting's consistency so use what you like. Using sweetened condensed milk for a melt-in-your-mouth consistency will have you coming back for bite after bite.