Candy Cane Buttercream Frosting
This candy cane buttercream frosting is cool, creamy, and perfectly peppermint—like spreading a little holiday magic on every cupcake and cookie. With its fluffy texture and festive candy cane flavor, it instantly transforms any dessert into a Christmas showstopper.
Candy Cane Buttercream Frosting
Get ready to deck the halls and your dessert table, because this candy cane buttercream is about to become the “most totally awesome” frosting of your holiday season.
Made with real candy canes for that classic and nostalgic peppermint flavor, this frosting delivers the perfect balance of cool, sweet, festive flavor that would make Frosty blush.
It’s fun, festive, and straight-up delicious—perfect for cupcakes, cookies, or anything you want to glam up.
If peppermint is your seasonal soulmate, check out my chocolate peppermint cake, peppermint mocha cupcakes, and chocolate peppermint cupcakes.
Why You Will Love This Recipe
- Easy to make: Comes together quickly with straightforward steps.
- Simple ingredients: Uses basic pantry and holiday staples you likely already have on hand.
- Cool peppermint flavor: Sweet, refreshing peppermint flavor from real candy canes adds the perfect touch of holiday cheer.
- Perfectly pipeable: Smooth, fluffy texture that pipes beautifully onto cupcakes, cookies, and cakes.
- Festive & fun: Packed with holiday flavor, it’s a fun and festive way to elevate all your seasonal bakes and holiday treats.
Ingredients for Candy Cane Buttercream Frosting
- Unsalted butter – Room temperature.
- Powdered sugar
- Candy cane powder – Very finely ground candy canes.
- Heavy cream – Room temperature.
- Vanilla extract
- Salt
How to Make Candy Cane Buttercream Frosting
Step 1: Whip the butter for 5 minutes until light, pale, and creamy.
Step 2: Add in the powdered sugar and mix on low speed until combined.
Step 3: Use a food processor or blender to grind candy canes into a very fine powder.
Step 4: Add in the finely crushed candy canes, heavy cream, vanilla extract, and salt and mix until combined and smooth.
Step 5: Whip the frosting for 4 to 5 minutes on medium speed until smooth and creamy. Then, mix on low speed for several minutes to remove the air bubbles.
Courtney’s Expert Buttercream Frosting Tips
- Whip the butter for about 5 minutes before adding any additional ingredients. This will help the butter become light, pale, and creamy and helps make a super smooth and light buttercream. Make sure the butter is room temperature.
- Use a food processor or blender to grind the candy canes into a fine powder. You want the candy cane powder to be the consistency of powdered sugar.
- If the buttercream still has candy cane granules after mixing, continue to mix for a few more minutes until they are fully dissolved into the frosting.
- To make super smooth buttercream, heat 1 cup of the frosting in the microwave for about 15 seconds to melt it slightly. Then, add the melted buttercream back to the mixing bowl and mix on low speed for several minutes.
- Check out my posts on 10 Tips for Making Perfect Buttercream and How to Make Smooth Buttercream Frosting to learn more helpful tips and tricks to make the best buttercream.
Frequently Asked Questions
This recipe makes enough buttercream to frost about 3 dozen cupcakes or a 3-layer 7-inch or 8-inch layer cake.
This frosting goes very well with vanilla, white, or chocolate cake or cupcakes. Check out my peppermint mocha cupcake recipe that features this frosting.
If the buttercream is grainy, it is because the candy cane powder did not fully dissolve. Be sure that you grind the candy canes in a food processor or blender until it is a fine powder with the consistency of powdered sugar. Continue to mix the frosting for several minutes until the buttercream is silky smooth. You can also heat 1 cup of the frosting in the microwave for about 15 seconds to melt it slightly. Then, add the melted buttercream back to the mixing bowl and mix on low speed for several minutes. This will help smooth it out even more.
For this recipe, I used about 5 standard sized candy canes to make ½ cup of candy cane powder.
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Candy Cane Buttercream Frosting
Ingredients
- 2 cups (454 g) unsalted butter (room temperature)
- 5 cups (600 g) powdered sugar
- ½ cup (115 g) candy cane powder (about 5 finely ground candy canes)
- ½ cup (120 ml) heavy cream (room temperature)
- 2 tsp (2 tsp) vanilla extract
- ½ tsp (0.5 tsp) salt
Instructions
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment or in a large mixing bowl with an electric hand mixer, whip the room temperature unsalted butter for 5 minutes until light, pale, and creamy.
- Add in half of the powdered sugar and mix on the lowest speed until the sugar is combined with the butter. Add the remaining half of the powdered sugar and continue to mix on low speed until fully combined.
- To make the candy cane powder, pulse candy canes in a food processor or blender until it turns into a very fine powder.
- Add in the candy cane powder, heavy cream, vanilla extract, and salt and mix on low speed until combined. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl to ensure the ingredients are well incorporated.
- Increase the mixer speed to medium and whip the buttercream for about 4 to 5 minutes until it is smooth and creamy. If there are still cane candy powder granules in the frosting, continue to mix until they are fully dissolved. Then, turn the mixer to low speed and mix for several minutes to smooth out the buttercream.
- Optional: To smooth out the buttercream and remove any air bubbles, heat 1 cup of the frosting in the microwave for 15 seconds. Pour the melted frosting back into the mixing bowl and mix the frosting on low speed until the buttercream is super smooth and creamy.
Notes
- Room temperature: Store the frosting in an airtight container at room temperature for 1 day.
- Refrigerator: Store the frosting in an airtight container or wrapped in plastic wrap in the refrigerator for 2 weeks. To use, bring the frosting to room temperature and re-whip with an electric mixer.
- Freezer: Store the frosting in an airtight container or wrapped in plastic wrap in the freezer for 3 months. To use, bring the frosting to room temperature and re-whip with an electric mixer.
Nutrition
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About Courtney
Baker | 80s Lover | Cookbook Author
Courtney is a self-taught home baker and cookbook author of “Girls Just Wanna Bake Cupcakes”. She loves to create new and unique recipes while simultaneously listening to 80s music.
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