Mint Buttercream

Make this smooth and creamy mint buttercream frosting and then use it top a cake, cupcakes, even brownies! The secret to this perfect mint buttercream is in the details. 

Ok before we proceed I need to confess something.  I loathed all things mint growing up. I mean why would you want to ruin chocolate by mixing mint together with it? Obviously my palette has grown up a bit. Because now. Bring it on friend. The more mint the merrier.

And there are few times during the year, where I want things green. And minty. St. Patrick’s Day is of course one of those days.

When it comes to buttercream, I like to think I’m the Buttercream Queen. Ok jk :). But my buttercream recipes and tutorials tend to reign supreme around here – like cake batter frosting, peanut butter frosting, and this whipped ganache frosting.

So I figured this Mint buttercream needed to be the star of its own show on the blog.

You can read more about the different types of frosting here. 

How To Make This Mint Buttercream Frosting

I make my buttercream, regardless of flavor, in my stand mixer. Now if you don’t have one, you could use your hand mixer, but this buttercream mixes for quite a long time to achieve the fluffy light texture. This buttercream starts by making the best buttercream recipe ever.

You want to start by creaming your softened butter in your mixer first before you add the powdered sugar. If you forget to take your butter out early, then I have 3 quick ways to soften your butter do that here.

You want to then add your powdered sugar to the bowl.  I add the a 1/2 to 1 cup at a time.

Pro Tip: Be sure to stop your mixer when adding this, and start it slow at first until it’s incorporated otherwise you will get a blizzard of sugar and butter facial. Not that is a bad thing I suppose. Except you have to start over, while you lick it off your face.

Pro Tip: Be sure to scrape down the bowl in between each addition of sugar so there isn’t any clumps of butter hiding out on the paddle attachment. 

Now I have made this buttercream with sifted and by just throwing it in the bowl. I’ll be honest, I don’t notice a difference. So you can sift if you want, but I generally skip it. It mixes for so so long, that any lumps for me get worked right out.

Then you want to add a little heavy cream for a really wow factor on the creamy level of this buttercream and the needed liquid to thin it out. I also a bit of vanilla extract to this as well.

And of course the peppermint extract. It’s mint buttercream after all ;). Peppermint extract is strong stuff, so you don’t need much.

Then of course it needs a bit of green food coloring. Ok it’s not necessary I guess. If you’re a purist, you can leave it out. I say throw it in!  I prefer to use gel food coloring so it doesn’t add extra liquid. But I’ve also used these food coloring from Wilton with great success.

Do you know they make natural food dyes now that are available? I love that! 

Pro Tip: If your buttercream thins out too much, then just a bit more powdered sugar to thicken it up again.

Then mix the dickens out of it. I mix mine for 8 minutes on a medium-high speed. Like I said a serious arm workout. You know if you use your hand mixer. I like to turn my stand mixer on and forget about it.

Tips For Making This Mint Buttercream

• Soften Your Butter: Make sure your butter is softened before you start. You can soften your butter quickly 3 different ways.
• Use Unsalted Butter: Be sure to use unsalted butter. Different brands have different amounts of salt. So it’s best to use unsalted butter then add a pinch of salt to your own tasting.
• Use A Towel: Wrap a towel around the top of your mixer so you don’t end up with powdered sugar blizzard everywhere. You can also use a damp paper towel.
• Rewhip If Necessary. If you don’t use the buttercream right away and store the buttercream you will need to rewhip it again to the same fluffy consistency before using it on a cake.

How Do I Store Buttercream?

You can keep your buttercream at room temperature if you plan to use it right away (1-2 days max).

You can also store in the refrigerator for up to a week. You will just need to re-whip it again in your stand mixer to get it to a spreadable consistency.

If you don’t plan to use it within a week, it can be frozen. I freeze mine for up to 2 months. I just let mine thaw in the refrigerator overnight, or on the counter for a few hours. And again, just re-whip again until it’s smooth and spreadable.

For more help on making buttercream icing check out my Ultimate Guide To Making The Best Buttercream Icing Ever!

How Many Cupcakes Or Cake Will This Mint Frosting Cover?

• For Cupcakes – This recipe will generously frost 12 cupcakes. I like to pipe a pretty tall amount of frosting on each cupcake.  So if you don’t use as much as I do as in the photos, then you might get more frosted (around 24 cupcakes). For help on decorating cupcakes, be sure to check out my The Ultimate Guide To Baking Cupcakes At Home .
• For Cake – This frosting will cover a 9 x 13 sheet cake or a 2 layer 8-inch or 9-inch cake.