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.
Condensed Milk Buttercream
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter room temperature
- 14 ounces sweetened condensed milk room temperature
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
Nutrition
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.
This condensed milk buttercream looks absolutely dreamy! I love how simple the ingredients are, yet it sounds so rich, smooth, and perfect for cakes and cupcakes. Thanks for sharing such a delicious recipe idea!
but exactly how do I make it cocoa flavored??
How much cocoa powder would you add to make it taste chocolate?
The taste was ok but using it to decorate was a no go I will never make icing using condensed milk again I will stick to the cream cheese icing… it’s the best I have ever made
LOVE, LOVE, LOVE THIS FROSTING!!! SO SIMPLE TO MAKE AND NOT ALOT OF INGREDIENTS!!!!
Tastes great but how long to refrigerate?
Thank you for sharing this recipe.
Made this for the first time today and turned out amazing! Thank you for this simple recipe.
im so going to try this today, do we end up using the full can of condensed milk?
It also works well with a can of dulce de leche.
Hello I’m hoping you can help me. I’m want to make peanut butter icing for cupcakes, can I use the sweetened condensed milk frosting recipe? Will adding some peanut butter change the consistency of the icing? Thank you! Linda
I followed directions to the time and closely. My recipe turned out very thin. What did I do wrong and how can I fix it?
I tried this recipe, tastes yumm but I think I have slightly overwhipped and it looks grainy.
How to fix this?
Hi Sasha,
I have not tried this recipe. I am interested to try.
I’m thinking of getting a less sweet buttercream as we cannot take too sweet.
I has tried a few recipes before, it is super sweet as Asian like me typically, would prefer less sweet.
May I know, is it possible I cut some % of the condensed milk to make it less sweet?
You guidance is very much appreciated.
Thank you
Iryne
How long do you put the frosting in the fridge to firm up before using it
It’s soft and creamy but very sweet. A pinch of salt could have helped this problem not as a note for optional flavorings but as an important ingredient. And vanilla extract.
Waste of ingredients. Followed to the letter but ended up runny, not separated but sloppy.
It was great! I decided to make a smaller batch (7tbsp of condensed milk with 4tbsp of butter) and whipped it by hand and it turned out to be delicious.
Does non dairy sweetened condensed milk work, along with non dairy butter?
if the recipe is messed up and gets soupy, can I refrigerate it to hardened up or add some sifted powdered sugar?
i just made this following the directions exactly. It is pretty loose. Don’t think I can pipe it. popping it into frig and fingers crossed
Thank you! This was excellent!
I have loved the chocolate version of this recipe my entire life. It was the only frosting that Mom made.
When I moved away from home after college, she wrote the recipe in blue ink on the last page of the cakes/cupcakes chapter in Joy of Cooking. The chocolate version has the same ingredients, except for the two ounces of melted unsweetened baking chocolate. Thanks so much for sharing/posting this recipe.
This frosting was the worst! It would not come together and form into peaks. I followed the directions to the letter. I had to throw out the frosting and the cake that I was going to put it on. Total waste of money and my time.
I followed the instructions to a tea, but it never got fluffy. It I more like a pudding than a frosting
It didn’t separate, but it is soooo thin. Very tasty, but not pipe-able at all. Followed the instructions intently. Going to chill and whip again and see what happens. As is will make a decent drizzle
All you taste is condensed milk. There is no butter flavor
I can’t find the proper measurements. These websites are ridiculous, print the recipe.
Can you use salted butter?
How long can these be left unfridgerated please?
I have made this many times and its my favorite however I need to make it lemon flavored, would an extract be better or can I use pure juice if it won’t make it curdle.
I need this for cupcakes for Sunday….
Thanks
Hi, I need to add lemon to this fantastic, made before frosting, can I without it curdling. Would an extract be better than pure juice. Thanks
How should i store the cupcakes once frosted?
Our butter must be different in New Zealand as mine came out like soft whipped cream. It’s very humid here too which probably dosnt help. Tastes yummy
Two questions: will this hold up for a wedding cake? i want to use it to cover and decorate a barrel cake. And, how can I multiply the recipe to make a large enough batch to do that?
Do you think this would hold up very well if I added finely chopped freeze dried strawberries? Thanks!
How many cups of frosting does this recipe make? I need to figure out by how much I need to scale it up. Thanks!
Hi there I was curious if you could use 300 ml of condensed milk rather then 400 ml? I have a full can of condensed milk in 300 ml . Pls and ty
If the buttercream is too thin will refrigerating it and rewinding afterward improve it?
This was so easy to make. Thanks for sharing. I feel like some salt would help.
Followed receipe exactly. Went into trash. Waste of good butter.
Did not work for me. Too runny,. Did not hold shape at all.
Wowwee!! So creamy and tasty. Way better than abc, not grainy at all.
But, also really messy to make.
Have you tried to use the paddle attachment on your stand mixer instead of using the whip attachment?
Wow!! This frosting turned out so creamy and tasty.
Much better than grainy American butter cream.
But, it was also so very messy to make.
Could I make it using the paddle attachment on my stand mixer instead of the whip attachment??
My first attempt at making this and was amazing. Went down a treat with the family as well.
Very satisfying! Perfect for a cake , frosting first, then decorating with berries on top.
This was very easy to make and had a nice texture to it. But neither I nor my husband liked the flavor at all, even with plenty of vanilla.
Just made the frosting, will the frosting set or stay creamy.?
Made a fluffy delicious buttercream!
super simple however i do find it on the sweet side, next time i will add shortning to the butter in hopes to cut the sweet.
Not gonna lie, I did wing it completely haha I didn’t read ahead and just dumped it all together and also didn’t have a full tin of condensed milk so I guessed the measurements and it still turned out pretty good!
How long does it last of of fridge like if I had to travel an hour or two would it drop and start to spill off the cupcake?
Can’t wait to try
I dont have any better. Only margarine. Can that be used instead? Or is there another substitute option?
Honestly it was bland and that was after I added vanilla and salt. I ended up adding half a cup of confectioners sugar and using the paddle attachment in the end because I feel like it mixed everything better. After my changes 10/10
Hello i made it the first few times it was great! Then everytime i make it it gets separated, grainy and grainy. How can i fix it? And why it always happens? Nothing changed from the first time.
I feel after starting pouring the last part of condensed milk, it starts to separate. Should i use more butter or less condensed milk? Or is there a way to fix it
I want to make this for wedding cupcakes. How long can I leave them out for guest to eat? Will they go bad?
i want to use this on wedding cupcakes. How long can I leave them out for the guest to eat? Will they go bad?
Do you have to refrigerate leftover cake or can you leave on countertop covered?
I’m an actual baker and this fails every single time. I suggest using only half of the milk. That’s the only way it worked.
This buttercream is really smooth, easy to pipe and very tasty. I would like to know though how long can a cake frosted with this buttercream be left in room temperature? Thank you.
Can the frosting be made without using the whisk attachment?
I need to make (and ice) cupcakes a day prior and then to eat the next day so will be refrigerated. Will this be ok to do?
Terrible. Way too sweet. And it never comes together no matter how long you whip. At best I got the consistency of loose whipped cream and this was with only half of the condensed milk. When I tried it as written it was just thick liquid.
I have a few questions. Can I add a pinch of salt to the recipe? Can I add vanilla extract or other flavored extract? Does this require refrigeration? Can I make this the night before and pipe it onto cupcakes the day of the event? Sorry for all the questions. Thank you in advance. Sharron
Loved it. It was simple to make and turned out great. I put in some blue food coloring in for the guy I made it for. Looked good and tasted great
How stable is this recipe at room temperature? Do you need to keep it refrigerated until the cake/cupcakes are served., or can it be left out at room temperature for a few hours?
Sasha, gonna make this today, thank you for it.
Sending you prayers for any family you have left in Ukraine.
Sad, I keep seeing this recipe wrongly printed a gazillion times already, why do you people do this. Its 2 8oz sticks NOT 2 4oz or a cup to 1 entire can of condensed milk. No wonder people are having separation issues. Why do you people post recipes to throw people under the bus..geez. Shame on you!
How many cups of frosting does the recipe make? Thanks.
Hi, how long does the buttercream stay set on cupcakes on display for a party?
Is this icing suitable for a birthday cake which may be on display for an hour or so in a warm room?
Made as per instructions. Very easy and simple to make.
Flavour is OK but probably needs something extra.
Texture is silky smooth.
I made the butter and condensed milk to ice a cake poured in milk by thirds to ice a cake. It tastes good was not at all fluffy. Probably will not try again.
I guess I was expecting a different taste. It has that evaporated milk taste…from the 50s. It mixes perfectly following the recipe…but the taste is not for me.
Could I use this as cake filling? I need a filling that doesn’t have heavy cream or sour cream. Thanks!
Interesting recipe. I made something similar using Cupcake Savvy’s recipe. It was 500g of butter so like 4 and a half sticks to one can of sweetened condensed milk. It was light and fluffy like this recipe says. I’m surprised at the different amounts of butter. I’ll see how I like this ratio too.
How many cupcakes is this recipe good for? I know it says 12 servings but does that mean 12 cupcakes?
Hi there,
I have really been wanting to try this, it sounds like a much simpler alternative to SMBC. But, at what point can you add flavorings and salt? Also, for a chocolate version, is it better to add cocoa powder or melted chocolate?
You can add them at the very end. Re chocolate, I recommend cocoa powder.
This doesn’t contain powdered sugar??
I wanted to double the icing but I only have 1 can of condensed,but do have evaporated milk,will that?
Hi there, can you tell me if this buttercream acts the same as American buttercream please I.e can you make ahead/will it store well in the fridge/ does it hold shape/can you add colours?
It looks so lovely and smooth and id really like to try it. Thank you.
This is my new go to buttercream. So easy and creamy. Holds its shape well when I piped roses and rope border on my cake. It’s like a cross between ABC and IMBC. I placed orange curd in m cupcakes and topped with Russian buttercream and they are devine. Thank you
Making it today for a bake sale tomorrow. It’s sounds so rich and yummmy
Hi. Turns out that mine seemed to be very light, not runny though…is that ok?
I have a question . I’m about to make this icing but I was wondering if I can ice my cupcakes with this and freeze them.
I haven’t personally done it. But, it should work just like shown here: https://www.bostongirlbakes.com/how-to-store-and-freeze-cupcakes/
For lemon buttercream, cani just use zest and lemon juice without using lemon curd? Is so, how much?
Is this icing shelf stable?
Why not make fresh prior to use? The wonder of this frosting is its simplicity and ease of preparation.
Followed recipe exactly and it turned to liquid. Won’t be trying again.
Easier than the one with icing sugar will be using it again as it doesn’t run when in the cakes and also keeps its shape when decorating the cake
Super easy..cant believe it’s so simple and tastes so good. Made it exactly as written. Going to put this as a filler inside my cake. Thank you
I did try, but it became running. I’v put it in fridge now and wait. I just want to ask if you will ve abke to use it under fondant. Or if you you it on cupcakes will it keep the form fir instance flowers. Hot weather where I live But thank you so much for recipe very nice taste. Also wondered if I should add a little bit of icing sugar
Saved my life. Very delicious.
I usually make SMBC but have wanted to make Russian Buttercream for ages. So easy … so delicious. Everyone loved it and it is now my new go-to frosting. Thank you for such helpful tips so I could avoid problems.
Amazing
Guys if your icing get curded or you put like milk or something that made it soupy and almost like oily then try putting some powdered sugar cause I tried that and it work really well and it made it thicker
Could this be used to decorate a cake or only cupcakes? Note that I live in a hot country
Just wondering if you pipe it on a cupcakes or cake do you still need to refrigerate the cakes or is okay at room temperature for a day or two?
Didnt turn out like it shows but worked. Mine didnt hold up trying to do a basket weave but did with the spiral top and grass. It gets warm very quick so you have to move fast. Would love to add pictures.
Really tasty and silky
You say it need be eaten after u mAke that impossible!! Too mych sweet for 3 people? So it cant be left out on cupcke like store cupcakes? If in fridge the cupcake and frosting it will harden ans tbat will bot be good for customers!!! How u expect uf be sift and last for more then 1-3 days??
Do you need to keep cool
I am a small business Baker, I came across this recipe about 6 months ago on another medium. I haven’t used anything else since. It’s so beautifully smooth and less sweet than using sugar.
How would this frosting work with Russian piping tips? Will it hold the form/ structure of the flowers?
It holds its shape really well.
I just frosted a vanilla cake with this frosting. It looks beautiful — and the bits I licked from the beaters and the knife taste delicious. I didn’t use all the can — I don’t like very sweet icing, and I added a teaspoon of vanilla and a half teaspoon of salt. It is winter and my heat is on, so I am a little wary of it melting — I hope it develops some ‘crust’ and gets a bit harder on the outside. So – 4 stars until I see what finally happens.
Do not recommend unless you want a buttery popcorn flavored frosting that is all I could taste.
Some butters are more flavorful than others. Try for a more neutral one if you make this frosting again.
If it tasted too buttery, you might’ve used evaporated milk instead of sweetened condensed milk. The cans look similar.
A buttery taste is typical of any buttercream – it’s literally in the name. But this Russian Buttercream is easy and delicious and the one my family and friends look forward to every time I bring anything iced to an event.
Has anyone used the Russian buttercream to a cake?
What measurement is a ‘cup’ in metric or imperial measurements please? I presume this is an American measurement so I have no idea how to convert it.
All recipes on this site have metric conversions available; select the metric option right below the ingredients. In the case of sweetened condensed milk, 1 cup is about 400g.
I’m new to making my own buttercream. Just wondering how you store your cupcakes? Will the icing “separate” or curdle if they are stored coverd on the counter?(it’s winter and my heat is on!!)
Every frosting acts a bit different, but with this particular one I would probably refrigerate leftover frosted cupcakes instead of leaving them out in a warm place.
It is not 400g! Only 227g!
Welcome to our world here in America, we’re always having to convert metric to our measuring system. LOL. Thank goodness for Google. It is 225 grams. Good luck on your recipe!!
You clearly have a computer so you can google converting standard to metric. Easy peasy.
Can you add coffee granules or cocoa powder to this?
You can add any flavouring to this buttercream as with any other. It’s works in exactly the same way.
Can you add flavours to the Russian bc ?
Yes, you can add vanilla or other flavorings that you like.