buttercream

[buht-er-kreem]

noun

1. a vanilla-flavored cake frosting or filling made principally of softened butter and powdered sugar.

2. a similar mixture used as a filling for bonbons or to flavor ice cream.

Word History and Origins

Origin of buttercream¹

First recorded in 1950–55; butter + cream

Example Sentences

On a Wednesday evening in August, Celeste Perkins walked into El Atacor #1 in Cypress Park holding a towering three-tiered cake, frosted in American buttercream and airbrushed in oversaturated hues of red, green and blue.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Inside, it was all Oreo, layered with Oreo American buttercream frosting — a reflection of Escoto’s preference for nostalgic flavors.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Last year, she made a cake for Mitski when the singer performed at the Hollywood Bowl: a frosted diorama of the venue with bright orange florals exploding like fireworks from the buttercream edifice and Mitski’s audience depicted as cats and dogs.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

You can drizzle over cakes or ice creams, whip into a buttercream base to create a ruby-toned frosting for cupcakes, use as a base in a rich pan sauce for roasted chicken, enjoy in an upside-down cake, whisk into a tart, pungent salad dressing — the list goes on and on.

Read more on Salon

These are best served at room temperature, where the buttercream is soft and lush.

Read more on Salon