Buttercream Cake Filling Recipes

Buttercream Cake Filling is a simple standard that anyone who is going to bake a layered cake should know.  The varierty of flavors you can get out of just this one filling is endless and as you get more experienced with it, you will want to try to be adventuresome and make some of your own “special” flavors.:

(side note – all filling recipes can be used to ice a cake if you will not be decorating it)

Basic Buttercream Cake Filling Recipe

• 1 pound bag of powdered sugar
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon Vanilla
• 2 sticks butter, cut into ½ inch slices
• 1/2 cup shortening

using the whisk attachment on your electric mixer, mix the powdered sugar, salt, vanilla and milk at low speed until smooth.
add butter, one slice at a time, until incorporated
add shortening and whip at highest speed 10-12 minutes, until volume increases by at least 50%

Flavor Recipes:

Note – If I don’t say otherwise, Fold this flavor ingredients in by hand after the buttercream filling is made.

Banana Cream  Pie Buttercream Filling – Coconut Cream Buttercream Filling – Butterscotch Cream Buttercream Filling

• Add one package of the correct instant pudding flavor into the powdered sugar (yes that simple!)

Mocha Buttercream Filling

• 2 tablespoons instant coffee, dissolved in 2 tablespoons boiling water

Chocolate Chip Mocha Buttercream Filling

• 1 cup chocolate chips – either crumble chocolate in a food processor or use mini chocolate chips
• 2 tablespoons instant coffee, dissolved in 2 tablespoons boiling water

Chocolate Hazelnut Buttercream Filling

• 3/4 cup of Nutella or similiar product

Cinnamon Buttercream Filling

• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon (I prefer a strong cinnamon taste at times and add an additional 1 – 2 teaspoons, just taste test)

Maple and Walnut Buttercream Filling

• 1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts
• 2 tablespoon Maple Syrup

Espresso Buttercream Filling

• 2 tablespoons instant espresso powder dissolved in 2 tablespoons boiling water

Cookies and Cream Buttercream Filling

• 1 cup Oreo cookies, crumbled or chopped (again this is by taste, so add more if you want more)
  • note – you can do this with many varieties of cookies, my personal favorites:
    • Girl Scout Thin Mint Cookies (YUMMY!) – Keebler Grasshopper Cookies make a good substitute
    • Oatmeal Cookies

Candy Buttercream Filling

• 1 cup (more or less to taste) of crumbled or chopped:
  • Kit Kat
  • Snickers
  • Milky Way
  • Butterfinger (YUMMY!)

Chocolate Fudge Buttercream Filling

• 7 ounces (1/2 can) sweetened condensed milk
• pinch of salt
• 3/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

• mix the chocolate chips, condensed milk and salt together in a microwave-safe bowl.
• heat on high for 1 minute intervals, stirring after each, until chocolate is melted.
• cool to room temperature before folding into buttercream then chill until completely cooled before use.

If you have questions or want some advice, feel free to reach out.  Also if you try a new variation and want to share it, please leave your recipe in the comments!  Enjoy!