This perfect vanilla icing is a baking staple! Pourable with wonderful vanilla flavor, this icing is fantastic on cinnamon rolls, scones, muffins, cakes, and more. Use quality vanilla for outstanding flavor and heavy cream for a thicker consistency.
Vanilla icing is the grand finale, the crowning glory, the piรจce de rรฉsistance on thousands of different recipes including scones, cinnamon rolls, crumb cake, muffins, and so many more. It’s so simple, yet often overlooked. Don’t underestimate the power of a really good icing!
I have so many recipes that use this topping, so I decided it’s time to create a separate post. Vanilla icing, in all its dazzling drippy glory, deserves the spotlight today.
Vanilla Icing Vs Vanilla Buttercream
Let’s get one thing straight. What’s the difference between icing and buttercream? Like vanilla buttercream, vanilla icing is made with confectioners’ sugar, milk or cream, and vanilla extract. The differences are the ratio of ingredients and absence of butter. The terms icing and buttercream are often used interchangeably, but icing is typically light and liquid. Vanilla buttercream, on the other hand, is heavy and solid.
Does this vanilla icing set? Vanilla icing eventually sets as it dries. It doesn’t harden like royal icing, but if applied lightly, you can stack your iced baked goods on top of each other. Another way to guarantee this icing sets: whisking constantly, warm the vanilla icing ingredients together in a small saucepan over medium heat for 2 minutes. Warming the icing before drizzling over baked goods promises it will set faster.
Vanilla Icing Ingredients
You only need 3 ingredients. Could this BE any easier?!
- Confectioners’ Sugar: Sifting the confectioners sugar after measuring is always helpful because it breaks up any lumps.
- Milk or Heavy Cream: Use whichever you have on hand. Milk produces a thinner consistency and heavy cream produces a creamier consistency. Alternatively, you can use half-and-half. For lemon or orange icing, replace with fresh lemon or orange juice.
- Vanilla Extract: Pure vanilla extract masks the sometimes chalky flavor of confectioners’ sugar. I usually use McCormick brand vanilla extract or homemade vanilla extract. Always optional and delicious: seeds scraped from 1/4 of a vanilla bean.
Whisk these ingredients together. A fork or mini whisk is helpful since the mixture is so small. Give it a taste, then add a pinch of salt if desired. (I usually add a small pinch.)
Control the Consistency
Stick with 2-3 Tablespoons of milk/cream and 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract per 1 cup of confectioners’ sugar. This ratio of ingredients produces a wonderfully flavored and drizzle-able icing. But you have total control over the thickness!
For thinner vanilla icing: Use milk instead of heavy cream. Add more cream/milk or less confectioners’ sugar.
For thicker vanilla icing: Use heavy cream instead of milk. Add more confectioners’ sugar or less cream/milk. I prefer thicker icing for iced oatmeal cookies and sprinkle scones.
Uses for Vanilla Icing
There are literally hundreds of uses for this topping!
- Cinnamon Roll Cookies (pictured above)
- Raspberry Danish Bread (pictured above)
- Scones (like Apple Cinnamon Scones or Blueberry Scones)
- Coffee Cake or Sour Cream Crumb Cake
- Raspberry Streusel Bars
- Cinnamon Swirl Banana Bread or Glazed Strawberry Bread
- No Yeast Cinnamon Rolls
- Raspberry Swirl Pound Cake
- Apple Crumb Cake
- Cinnamon Rolls, Giant Cinnamon Roll Cake, and Cinnamon Roll Wreath
- Raspberry Sweet Rolls or Birthday Cake Cinnamon Rolls
- Apple Cinnamon Muffins (pictured below) or Crumb Cake Muffins
Drizzle on blueberry muffins, birthday cake pancakes, or star bread, pour over pound cake, or use as a topping for baked donuts, French toast, eclairs, croissants, and so much more.
Perfect Vanilla Icing
- Prep Time: 2 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Total Time: 2 minutes
- Yield: 1 cup
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Mixing
- Cuisine: American
Description
Vanilla icing is a baking staple! This recipe is perfect for cinnamon rolls, scones, muffins, cakes, and more.
Ingredients
- 1 cup (120g) confectioners’ sugar, sifted (sift after measuring)*
- 2–3 Tablespoons (30-45ml) milk or heavy cream
- 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- optional: pinch of salt
Instructions
- Whisk the confectioners’ sugar, 2 Tablespoons milk or heavy cream, and vanilla extract together. Add another Tablespoon of milk or heavy cream to thin out if necessary. For thicker icing, add a little more confectioners’ sugar.
- Taste, then add a pinch of salt if desired.
- If not using right away, cover and store icing in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
Notes
- This amount of icing is perfect for 1 batch of cinnamon rolls, scones, muffins, 1 cake etc. For a larger batch, recipe can easily be doubled or tripled.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): Glass Mixing Bowl | Mini Whisk
- Confectioners’ Sugar: I use and recommend Domino brand confectioners’ sugar.
- Heavy cream yields a thicker, creamier icing. Milk yields a thinner icing. Half-and-half can also be used.
- Flavor: Feel free to add more vanilla extract or even the seeds scraped from 1/4 of a vanilla bean. For lemon or orange icing, replace the milk with fresh lemon or orange juice.
Reader Comments and Reviews
Love your site. Just made the rough puff pastry for peach and marionberry turnovers. As a diabetic I substitute Monk fruit in anything asking for sugar. Sugar is not a friend. What are your thoughts on this?
Hi Darrel, Weโd love to help but we are not trained in baking with sugar substitutes. For best taste and texture (and so you donโt waste your time trying to adapt this recipe since it may not work properly), it may be more useful to find a recipe that is specifically formulated for sugar substitutes or sugar-free diets.
Added 2 tbsp of butter and sooo creamy now!!
5 STARS!! I doubled the recipe and baked in 9×13 for a bit longer than recipe recommends due to size. Sooo sooo good!! I made the vanilla icing (did not double that) and drizzled it over. My zucchini plant is exploding so I see lots of this yummy cake in my future.
Where are the measurements how much sugar, how much milk, how much vanilla that would be helpful other than your drawn out story I was looking for a recipe not this
Hi Stephen, you can find all of that information in the recipe card, which you scrolled past in order to find the comment form. If you want to get straight to the recipe, there is a Jump to Recipe button at the top of the page, which will take you right there.
Do you have a chocolate icing recipe? Or how much cocoa would you add to make this chocolate?
Hi Abigail, We havenโt tried making a chocolate variation of this vanilla icing, but substituting cocoa powder for some confectionersโ sugar is a great starting point. Weโre unsure of the exact amount, but maybe start with subbing 3 Tablespoons of it with unsweetened cocoa powder.
I added a little bit more cream then recommended for a half and half with the milk, it made the icing easier to spread, and taste wayy better
How do you keep the icing so white? Mine always turns a cream color from the vanilla.
Hi Tracie, you can try a clear imitation vanilla extract to help keep more of the white color, or you can add a (very tiny!) drop of purple food coloring. This helps offset any darker hues and makes the frosting whiter. Hope this helps!
I added cinnamon to the icing. Made a perfect addition for over cinnamon bread
I made this recipe once years ago. It was my first and only attempt at making scones. My daughter and I loved it! My daughter still sings praises about this recipe, especially since other recipes she tried produced tough, hockey puck scones. I thought I lost the recipe and recently discovered it saved under notes. My daughter will be happy to know that I found it. Will make some scones again soon!
Can icing on a cake made with mil or heavy cream be left out at room temp? Or icing made with milk or cream: does the whole cake have to be refrigerated
Hi Kate, we haven’t had any issues keeping frosted cakes at room temperature for up to 24 hours. After that, we recommend storing in the refrigerator.
One of the best recipes you will find. Be sure to get a kitchen scale to remove any ambiguity that is the volumetric measurement.
I made this to top some very tasteless lavender scones. So much better iced. Really like your recipe, Sally. Thanks.
Delicious blueberry scones! They came out crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. I loved it with Sallyโs vanilla icing recipe. Thanks!
They were so yummy !
Does this frosting need to be refrigerated?
Hi Kristie, If not using right away, cover and store icing in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Otherwise, we recommend following the storage instructions for the specific recipe that you use the frosting on.
When you put this icing on the item you baked. Does the pastry with the frosting have to be refrigerated?
Hi Hannah, depending on the baked good, it will likely stay fresh covered at room temperature for 3 days or in the refrigerator for up to 10 days.
Love the icing recipe
How much to cover the top of a cake?
Hi Gerry, that depends on how much icing you would like on top of the cake and the cake size – you can start with one batch and always whip up another if you need it!
I’m wondering if I can freeze leftover icing?
Hi Jen, yes, you can freeze the icing for up to 3 months.