Condensed Milk Buttercream (Russian Buttercream)

Condensed milk buttercream, also called Russian buttercream, is made with only two ingredients: butter and sweetened condensed milk. It is light, silky, fluffy, incredibly delicious, and pipes beautifully. Most importantly for any home, hobby, or even savvy baker, it is very easy to make.

Guest blogger Sasha Nary, self-taught baker, confectionery artist and a creator of Instagram page @SashaCakesChicago, says that she was practically born eating Russian buttercream from a bottle. So, today she is sharing her best tips and tricks for making it come out perfectly every time.

Tips

• Make sure the butter is soft but not too soft.
  • If the butter is too soft, you may see your Russian buttercream start to separate. Don’t panic! Simply pop your mixer bowl with separated Russian buttercream into the refrigerator for 10 minutes and then re-whip again.
  • If the butter is too cold, this frosting may not whip up all light and fluffy; in that case, just place half of it into a microwave save bowl, warm up for 5-10 seconds, and re-whip with the other half.

• Whip the butter on high speed for no less than 8 minutes, scraping the side of the bowl every few minutes. That’s how it gets so light and fluffy.
• Add room temperature sweetened condensed milk carefully in small portions while mixing on medium speed. This prevents the butter and condensed milk mixture from becoming runny and separating.

Uses

There are so many possible ways to use this frosting:

• filling in and decorating sponge/chiffon cakes
• decorating beautifully piped cupcakes
• filling macarons

Russian buttercream also takes color beautifully – my suggestion is to always use gel food colorings [paid link].

Storing Russian Buttercream

I highly recommend using Russian Buttercream within just few hours of making it. (Since it’s so easy to make, there’s no need to whip up large amounts!)

However, if you do have leftovers or had to make it in advance, store your freshly whipped buttercream in an airtight container, refrigerated for up to 7 days, or frozen for up to 30 days. Let it come to room temperature and then re-whip it before using.

Variations

While this recipe is delicious as written, many people add salt, vanilla, or other flavorings to this frosting. It’s a personal preference.

Other Types of Buttercream

If you are interested in experimenting with other other types of buttercreams, read the post on the difference between Italian, French, and Swiss buttercream. Also, check out this vanilla frosting recipe for a classic American buttercream. And, remember to check out the web story about this condensed milk buttercream.

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Condensed Milk Buttercream

Condensed milk buttercream (Russian buttercream) is light, silky, fluffy, incredibly delicious, pipes beautifully, and very easy to make!

Course Dessert

Cuisine Russian

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 10 minutes minutes

Servings 12

Calories 242kcal

Author Stefani

Ingredients

• ▢ 1 cup unsalted butter room temperature
• ▢ 14 ounces sweetened condensed milk room temperature

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

• In a bowl of a mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, whip butter until it has tripled in volume and is light and fluffy (approximately 8 minutes). Stop to scrape the bottom of the bowl a few times.
• Add one third of the sweetened condensed milk while mixing on medium speed. Whip for about 8-10 seconds. Then, stop and scrape down the bowl. Repeat for the next third of the sweetened condensed milk and the final third. Stop mixing 8 seconds after adding the final third. Do not overmix.

Notes

It is VERY important to follow the recipe exactly as written. If you don't mix the butter long enough or don't add the sweetened condensed milk while mixing, the frosting may end up separated and too soupy. 

Different brands of sweetened condensed milk are different colors. I've found that Nestle is much lighter than Eagle Brand. Keep this in mind if you prefer a lighter looking frosting.

This recipe frosts 12 cupcakes with a large swirl or 24 cupcakes with a small swirl.

While this recipe is delicious as written, many people add salt, vanilla, or other flavorings to this frosting. It's a personal preference.

Nutrition

Calories: 242kcal | Carbohydrates: 18g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Cholesterol: 52mg | Sodium: 44mg | Potassium: 127mg | Sugar: 18g | Vitamin A: 561IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 98mg | Iron: 1mg

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Sasha Nary is a self-taught baker, confectionery artist, and creator of Instagram page @SashaCakesChicago, where she has built a loyal following around the world. She consistently shares inspiring designs and techniques for cakes, cupcakes, and decorating desserts. Some of the channels where her unique designs and tutorials have been recently featured include Wilton’s blog and social media, Cake Masters Magazine, and American Cake Decorating Magazine.

Sasha is originally from Russia/Ukraine and has lived in Chicago, IL for the past 19 years with her husband and three kids. Aside from recipe development, content, tutorials, and collaborative projects, Sasha offers group and individual classes to the local community as well as video tutorials/recipes on her Instagram page, website, YouTube and Google’s experimental project Tangi.Co.