Less Sweet American buttercream (aka American Dreamy Buttercream)
My American Dreamy Buttercream is an incredibly smooth and not-too-sweet version of American buttercream. Most traditional American Buttercreams use powdered sugar, which can create an overly sweet and grainy texture. This recipe is made by creaming butter with sugar syrup, which contains a high ratio of dissolved sugars, creating a frosting with a wonderfully creamy texture that melts in your mouth. Also, this frosting is incredibly versatile, as I’ve recently tested seven different syrups you can use.
Welcome to my American Dreamy Buttercream guide! We'll cover texture, aeration, and ingredient chemistry and explain how this frosting differs from others on my site. You’ll also see the exact process for understanding and customizing your perfect buttercream.
What is American Dreamy Buttercream?
My American Dreamy Buttercream is a type of True Buttercream, a large group of stable emulsion frostings.
These are preparations with a water-based component (such as syrups, meringues, etc.) and a fat-based component (typically butter). I’ll usually also refer to these types as “emulsion-based buttercreams.”
Generally, True buttercreams:
- are the gold standard in the pastry world for decorating (with popular ones like Swiss meringue buttercream);
- require relatively more time and effort than most other frostings;
- are not overly sweet;
- have a creamy, buttery texture;
- can create super intricate piped designs and super smooth cake sides;
- have exceptional stability to pressure and at room temperature;
- receive intense colors and flavors more easily due to the emulsion’s characteristics.
If this checks off some boxes, you’re in the right place.
So, what makes American Dreamy Buttercream different from other frostings on this site?
Let’s get into the specifics of this buttercream:
What is the texture of American Dreamy Buttercream?
This version of American buttercream is smooth and creamy, with no graininess or grittiness often found in traditional American Buttercreams. Texturally, it resembles Russian (condensed milk) buttercream or French buttercream.
I measure the aeration of my frostings, the volume taken up by air, and give it as a percentage. American Dreamy Buttercream is on the low end of aeration for my frostings, coming in at 13%. This indicates that for any given volume of frosting, 13% is taken up by air, and the rest are the ingredients in the frosting (butter, sugar, water, etc.). To compare, a high-aeration frosting could be whipped cream, with percentages up to 50%.
Aeration is an interesting characteristic because it helps us understand texture. It affects the mouthfeel, greasiness, and smoothness of a particular type of frosting. Though most of my emulsion-based frostings are minimally aerated, don’t let the low percentages deter you. Air is not the only contributor to texture. In emulsion-based frostings, a large ratio of silky or creamy syrups is usually interlaced with the butterfat, creating a melt-in-your-mouth creaminess for the final buttercream.
What is the flavor and taste of American Dreamy Buttercream?
This frosting is medium sweet at around 40%, tempered sweetness for American Buttercreams. For comparison, my Classic American Buttercream tops at 55%, but I’ve seen recipes with upwards of 65-70% sugar. I’ve created this recipe to contain similar sugar levels to European buttercreams, which have an average sweetness of 38%. You can increase or decrease the sugar level without adversely affecting stability.
The flavor of your final buttercream depends on the type of syrup you use, but no matter which syrup you choose, there will be a moderately strong butter flavor followed by a floral vanilla. The syrup chart below goes into more flavor details.
What ingredients do you need for American Dreamy buttercream?
1 | UNSALTED BUTTER
Butter is the base fat for this buttercream. It is critical to any of my emulsion-based frostings because it contains an emulsifier, which ties together ingredients. In this case, it’s bringing together the corn syrup and fat in the butter.
I always use unsalted butter in all my frostings because it allows you to customize the salty flavor at the end. Not all salted butter contains the same amount of salt, so that the frosting may become too salty.
2,6 | POWDERED SUGAR
There are times we add powdered sugar to this recipe. The initial amount is used early in the recipe to pre-condition the butter for emulsification. It not only helps sweeten the buttercream, but if used this way, it will help flavor and slightly aerate (or “cream”) the butterfat, giving the final frosting a dreamy, creamy texture. The second amount is to finish off the sweet taste of the buttercream and is customizable based on the sugar syrup you choose, so be sure to taste along the way to get the perfect sweetness.
You may wonder why we have to add extra sugar in addition to sugar syrup. Butter can only emulsify a finite amount of liquid before it breaks or becomes too loose to frost or pipe with. Since powdered sugar is solid, we can add it to increase sweetness with less of a worry about breaking the emulsion.
3 | VANILLA EXTRACT
Vanilla extract enhances the flavor of baked goods; here, it is the primary flavoring element for this frosting. Extracts are generally interchangeable to make easy flavor modifications, but be sure to google them. (For instance, almond extract is potent, and you’d likely want to start with 25% of the amount of vanilla.) You can use vanilla bean paste if you like.
Natural vanilla extract tends to be dark brown, which can make the final frosting a bit cream-colored. If you’re trying to minimize this, consider a clear vanilla extract. These extracts are artificially flavored, but I like them in cakes and frostings.
4 | SALT
A pinch of salt enhances the flavor and balances the overall sweetness of this frosting. I typically use a coarser grind of kosher salt in my baking, but crispy salt bits are not appealing in frostings, so I use finely granulated salt. This allows the salt to dissolve more readily within the frosting.
5 | SUGAR SYRUP
Your choice of sugar syrup will define the sweetness and sometimes an underlying flavor for this buttercream. Syrups are a high concentration of dissolved sugar. When fully dissolved, the solid sugar lacks any crystallization, which is the source of that granular texture. In other words, using a syrup will ensure your final frosting is smooth and creamy, unlike traditional American Buttercream, which uses a solid, undissolved, or crystallized sugar. You can use many sugar syrups, which we’ll cover below.
In the original American Dreamy Buttercream (and in the video below), I used light corn syrup, a syrup of sugars containing glucose and maltose derived from corn. This is different from high-fructose corn syrup, another corn syrup treated with enzymes to produce a high ratio of fructose. The difference between light and dark corn syrup is that dark has a bit of molasses added for color and depth of flavor, and the version I’m using in the photographs for this tutorial is dark.
7 | HEAVY CREAM
Heavy cream is added at the end as an optional ingredient to adjust the consistency and taste of this buttercream. Use full-fat heavy whipping cream; the buttercream will loosen and feel less dense and buttery on the palate.
What types of sugar syrups can you use in American Dreamy Buttercream?
I consider function and taste/flavor changes when making any ingredient substitution. With the types of sugar we use in desserts, things can get complicated in cakes, cookies, and breads.
In my American Dreamy Buttercream, each sugar syrup's function is similar, so it’s a great way to start thinking about some basic sugar types we encounter in baking. The only differences we need to consider are the varying tastes/flavors, which is a fun way to customize this buttercream.
So far, I’ve tested seven different sugar syrups.
As we went over earlier, sugar syrups are high concentrations of dissolved sugar. Each syrup has a different level of sweetness and underlying flavor. These two things are dictated primarily by the following:
- the sugar type(s) (sometimes more specifically referred to as sugar molecules), and
- the amount, or ratio, of these sugar types.
We’ll start with sucrose, which is white table sugar. I want you to think of the taste of white sugar right now because it’s our benchmark for sweetness and what we’ll compare all the others to.
With sucrose at 100% sweetness, we’ve got fructose, a sugar commonly found in fruit that is sweeter than sucrose - around 150% sweetness. This is why fruit and fruit-based syrups such as agave are wonderful sweeteners.
Glucose is less sweet, so corn syrup isn’t as sweet as the other syrups. Maltose and lactose are the least sweet of these sugars.
All the syrups I tested have different combinations and ratios of these sugars, which affect overall sweetness. You’ll see percentages listed in red, a syrup sweetness ranking to help guide you, and my notes on how sweet they are when added to this buttercream.
*Sugar percentages are all approximations; glucose percentages can include larger glucose polysaccharides.
How do you choose the syrup for your American Dreamy Buttercream?
You’ll need to consider two things to decide. The first is the Syrup Flavor. Generally speaking, these are very light flavor contributions, but they’re still something to consider if you’re looking for a buttercream that is either pure vanilla or with other flavors.
The second primary characteristic to consider is Syrup Sweetness. Most true buttercreams, including this one, will decrease sweetness when stored for over 24 hours. The result is a buttercream with a more prominent butter flavor. Therefore, I would use any syrups with a Sweetness Rating of 2 or less for frostings being eaten within the same day or if you prefer an overall less sweet, more butter-forward frosting.
Before I performed these experiments, I used corn syrup pretty exclusively. Now that I can compare, I feel that corn syrup does create a buttercream that is slightly more buttery than sweet. I still use corn syrup for buttercream within the same day or if I have a super sweet dessert that needs a less sweet buttercream. The two I’ll probably use the most are agave and inverted syrups. They have a higher concentration of fructose (remember that’s sweeter), so it’s more bang for the buck in terms of sweetness and creates a fantastic, perfectly sweet buttercream for me. (I will get an inverted syrup tutorial up later.)
My honorable mentions are golden syrup and malt syrup. Golden syrup is not as widely used in the US, which is a shame because it’s a beautiful ingredient, and when used in this recipe, it creates a light caramel-flavored buttercream. Malt syrup can also be challenging to source but well worth finding. I had to buy mine from Amazon, but you could get it from a well-stocked Korean market. Although it has a lower sweetness, the maltiness is a unique and underutilized flavor profile in frostings, and I can’t wait to try it on my chiffon cakes.
Step by step:
How do you make American Dreamy Buttercream?
STEP 1 | PREPARE FROSTING BUTTER
WHY:
A big complaint about True Buttercreams is that they feel and taste overly buttery. To address this, I’ve developed a pre-conditioning method for the butter. This makes what I call “Frosting Butter,” it aerates, sweetens, and flavors the butterfat so that the final buttercream has a silky smooth texture that does not feel overly buttery on the palate.
Frosting Butter also has the optimal creamy texture and temperature for emulsification, which is perfect for True Buttercreams. (And if you’re worried that the extra powdered sugar changes the texture of this buttercream, it does, but in a fantastic way! I’ve calibrated the recipe so that the powdered sugar eventually dissolves. To learn more about how and why Frosting Butter works, check out this post here.)
HOW:
For proper aeration, ensure the butter temperature is around 60-70 °F (15-21 °C) (1a). You don’t need a thermometer, but when the butter is at this temperature, you should be able to slide the whisk attachment into it with moderate pressure (1a, inset).
Add the butter to your mixing bowl and whisk on high speed for about 3-5 minutes, scraping down the sides at least once (1b,c). Aerated butter will still be paler, more voluminous, and ball up inside the whisk (1d).
Add the first powdered sugar in the recipe, the vanilla extract, and a small pinch of salt (1e, f). These are just the initial amounts, so don’t worry about the final flavor now, as you can add more at the very end. Mix on high speed for another 2-3 minutes. You’ll notice that the butter is slightly glossier (that’s the sugar) but still has a good fluffy, voluminous texture that balls inside the whisk (1g).
Pre-conditioning the butter with sugar causes it to become lighter in color; compare the difference in appearance before whisking on the left versus after on the right (1e). Getting this texture is not difficult, but it is essential as butter is the foundation for your buttercream.
STEP 2 | ADD SUGAR SYRUP INCREMENTALLY
WHY:
In True Buttercreams, such as this one, emulsification is the core underlying process, primarily in this step. It allows us to create stable mixtures with an ideal thick and creamy buttercream texture that will not separate. It’s awesome because it allows us to combine ingredients that usually don’t go together, such as oil (or fat) and water. In this step, we’re emulsifying the aerated butter and sugar syrup. It’s stabilized with emulsifiers contained in the butter, which are components that link fat and water-based ingredients. Adding the sugar syrup incrementally allows us to build the emulsion a little at a time, which yields a creamy final texture.
HOW:
Add the sugar syrup in 3 to 4 additions (2a), mixing after every addition. After all the syrup has been added, mix for an additional minute at high speed. Most sugar syrups are clear or transparent, making it difficult to see when properly emulsified. To complete this step, ensure you’ve mixed for an entire minute at high speed. The emulsification is successful when the butter-sugar mixture thickens and tightens into a homogenous creamy mixture. It should be thick, glossy, and balled inside the whisk (2b).
STEP 3 | ADJUST FOR SWEETNESS AND DENSITY.
WHY:
The majority of the sweetness in this buttercream comes from the liquid sugar syrup in step 2. The buttercream emulsion can only accept a finite amount of liquid before it breaks or becomes too loose to frost. However, the buttercream is not yet sweet enough, so we will add (solid) powdered sugar instead of more liquid-based sugar to maintain the emulsion. In this step, you can add heavy cream, which adds a good amount of milkfat and loosens the buttercream without destroying the emulsion.
HOW:
Give the frosting a taste; the amount of powdered sugar will depend on your sweetness preference and the type of syrup you’re using (see the chart above for my sugar level recommendations). Add the powdered sugar in increments, then mix on low speed to reduce the mess and give it a taste (3a). If you want a slightly lighter texture, add the heavy cream and mix for one minute (3b). Mix on high speed for an additional minute. The frosting should be creamy with lots of air pockets (3c).
STEP 4 | ADJUST FOR TEXTURE AND FLAVOR.
WHY:
With all its wires, the whisk is much more efficient at emulsifying than a paddle. However, during the mixing process with a whisk attachment, we’ll inevitably mix in air, which can collect into larger air pockets. Switch the paddle attachment (one with a silicone edge, if possible) to smooth the frosting against the bowl. You can repeat the smooth step as much as possible, as it’s great to do this for any frosting applications.
HOW:
Give the frosting a taste. Add more vanilla and salt if needed. Switch to the paddle attachment (4a). Mix for a few minutes and check the consistency (4b).
The final frosting should be smooth and creamy with a melt-in-your-mouth texture from the dissolved sugar syrup (4c,d). That’s the emulsion working!
As with traditional American buttercreams, there should be little to no grain or grittiness. The final color will depend on your butter, vanilla extract, and sugar syrup. I’ve used Costco butter, real vanilla extract (dark brown), and light corn syrup in these photographs. I’ve not whitened the buttercream so that you can see its natural color.
Make Ahead and Storage Tips
Leftover buttercream stores well in the fridge or freezer. It can also be made ahead of time for larger cake projects.
For a detailed tutorial, check out my How to Store Buttercream Guide.
Video
And here's a video that goes more into the science background of this frosting as well as a visual on what this looks like when frosting a large cake:
Read this before you begin
Measure by weight, if possible.
Measuring by weight is the best way for you to replicate my recipes. I develop recipes using ingredients (even liquids) measured in grams, which is why you see them listed first in the recipe cards. For measurements under 5 grams, I will typically only list the volumetric measurements (teaspoons, etc.), as most home scales are not precise for such small weights.
In most cases, I have converted grams to volumetric measurements (aka US customary units) for bakers who prefer this method. However, the measurements are not as precise and may have awkward proportions. The recipes should still work, but for the ultimate precision, try to use weight.
This is the OXO scale I use daily. I also purchased this budget version of a good scale, which I keep at my Mom’s house for baking. If you’re interested in other tools I use for my baking, I’ve compiled a list here.
Use room temperature ingredients.
All my ingredients should be used at room temperature, or 65-75 °F/18-24 °C. I will always indicate if you need something outside this range. If no details are given, room temperature is the default.
Pay attention to the ingredient descriptions.
I try not to be brand-specific, but I will always note an interesting result from a type of ingredient, be it negative or positive.
A specific note regarding salt: I use Diamond Crystal Kosher salt for everything on this site except for frostings. In frostings, you want the salt to dissolve more easily, and kosher salt tends to leave granules behind. If you substitute table salt (more finely granulated) for recipes that list kosher salt, you must use half the volume indicated in my recipes.
Substitutions are hard.
That’s not to say they’re impossible, though. For instance, in many cases, substituting reduced fat for whole milk (and thus reducing fat by less than 2%) will probably be fine. Using applesauce for oil or even Greek yogurt when sour cream is listed will definitely alter the fat content and adversely affect the crumb texture and density of the cake.
I experiment for hours to get these recipes to work for us. First, try to make them as written or use one of my tested substitutions, which I often dedicate a section to. Then, if necessary, you can make modifications afterward. Even then I would be pretty cautious, as substitutions are one of the hardest things to investigate in recipe development.
Read all the recipe instructions before beginning.
I’m in the “Pre-read the Chapter before Class Lecture” club... and I invite you to join! Baking new recipes can be intimidating, so let’s set you up for success. I want you to think about timeframes. Most fillings and frostings can be made ahead of time, and give you an extra day for mental space. Also, as you become a more proficient baker, you can anticipate and recognize steps. (“Oh, this has a meringue step, so I’ll need an extra clean bowl…” etc.) Ensure you go down the ingredient list and have everything at the right temperature.
.avif)
.avif)
.avif)
Vanilla American Dreamy Buttercream
- 113 g (½ cup) unsalted butter
- 30 g (¼ cup) powdered sugar (1), unsifted is fine*
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- pinch table salt (or to taste)
- 69 g (3 ½ tablespoons) sugar syrup**
- 40 g (⅓ cup) powdered sugar (2), unsifted is fine
- 15 g (1 tablespoon) heavy cream***, cold from fridge (optional)
For larger quantities or to pair with a cake recipe, go to my Cakeculator and choose “Vanilla American Dreamy Buttercream.”
- 113 g (½ cup) unsalted butter
- 30 g (¼ cup) powdered sugar (1), unsifted is fine*
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- pinch table salt (or to taste)
- 69 g (3 ½ tablespoons) sugar syrup**
- 40 g (⅓ cup) powdered sugar (2), unsifted is fine
- 15 g (1 tablespoon) heavy cream***, cold from fridge (optional)
For larger quantities or to pair with a cake recipe, go to my Cakeculator and choose “Vanilla American Dreamy Buttercream.”
- 340 g (1 ½ cups) unsalted butter
- 90 g (¾ cup) powdered sugar (1), unsifted is fine*
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- pinch fine sea salt (or to taste)
- 208 g (⅔ cups) sugar syrup**
- 120 g (1 cup) powdered sugar (2), unsifted is fine
- 45 g (3 tablespoons) heavy cream***, cold from fridge (optional)
For larger quantities or to pair with a cake recipe, go to my Cakeculator and choose “Vanilla American Dreamy Buttercream.”
- Prepare the Frosting Butter.
Add the slightly softened butter to the stand mixer bowl. With the whisk attachment, mix on high speed for about 2 minutes, scraping down the sides at least once. After mixing, the butter will be lighter in color, smooth, soft, and ball inside the whisk.
Add the powdered sugar (1), vanilla extract, and a small pinch of salt to the butter and whisk again at medium-high speed for another 1-2 minutes. - Add the sugar syrup incrementally.
Add the syrup in 3 to 4 additions. Stop the mixer to add a small amount, then mix at medium speed using the whisk attachment. Repeat until all the syrup is incorporated, scraping down the bowl a couple of times for even mixing.
Mix at high speed after adding all the syrup for one minute. Since most syrups are clear, it can be hard to tell when they're fully emulsified, so set a timer and mix for the full minute. - Adjust frosting for sweetness and density.
Taste the frosting to determine how much powdered sugar to add. It should be smooth, creamy, buttery, and slightly sweet. Add powdered sugar in a few increments, mixing at low speed to minimize mess. Once all the sugar is added, mix on high speed for 30 seconds and taste again. I prefer a slightly sweeter buttercream (see my footnotes).
You can stop here or add more powdered sugar as desired. Just keep in mind that exceeding double powdered sugar (2) amounts may result in a grainy texture due to sugar granules. - Adjust frosting for texture and flavor.
Switch to the paddle attachment and smooth the frosting at low speed for a few minutes to remove large air pockets. Taste the frosting; if it's too buttery, add heavy cream one tablespoon at a time until the desired consistency is reached. Adjust salt and vanilla as needed. If you’re satisfied with the texture and flavor, whip on low speed for at least one minute.
Recipe Card - Adriana's Notes
*You can use several types of sugar syrups in this buttercream. In my photographs and video tutorial, I’ve used light corn syrup; please read the ingredient description above for additional syrup suggestions and instructions on how to use them.
**The amount of powdered sugar you use will depend on your sweetness preference and syrup. Start with a small amount, mix, and taste. My sugar amount recommendations are in the chart in the introductory section.
As you adjust for sweetness, consider when you will serve this frosting. I’ve found that the sweetness will lessen as the buttercream sits out for more than one day. (I’m still studying this, but I think it concerns the sugar type and how it migrates into the water in the butterfat.) If you use corn syrup, the sweetness will decrease by about 20%. For all the other syrups, it reduces by about 10%. If you’re serving the next day, I would over-sweeten the buttercream just a bit, and it should be perfect for the next day. This effect is minimal and may even be something only you, as the baker, will notice.
***If at the end of mixing you find that your buttercream is too thick/heavy/overly buttery, you can add heavy cream. Start with one tablespoon, whisk on high speed, and taste it. You can keep doing this until you like the texture and taste. The butter can handle a little more liquid (probably up to double the amount I have listed in this recipe), but once it gets to the texture of a firm Greek yogurt, you'll probably need to stop adding heavy cream. If you get to the breakpoint where the buttercream is too loose or splits, just add a tablespoon of softened butter to re-emulsify the buttercream.
Recommended Sugar Lab Recipes + Experiments
%20(1).avif)
There’s more where this came from!
Craving the latest scoop on new Cakeculator flavors, baking science tutorials, and other delectable updates? I'm whipping up a freshly baked newsletter soon! Sign up here to be the first to get it.