White Chocolate Pudding Buttercream Frosting

Buttercream frosting flavored with pudding mix for piping or spreading onto cakes and cupcakes.

Prep Time 10

Total Time 10

Yields servings

3.4 oz (96 g) small box white chocolate (or other flavor) instant pudding mix, (the 4 servings size box)
½ cup (118 ml) cold milk, plus extra for thinning
1 cup (226 g) unsalted butter, (2 sticks) room temperature
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup (120 g) powdered sugar

Whisk pudding with milk in a small bowl. Set aside until thickened; about 3 minutes; it's not very long.
Meanwhile beat butter in a large bowl with an electric hand mixer until creamy and smooth. Add thickened pudding and vanilla. Blend until combined.
Add powdered sugar and blend again.
Add additional milk, 1 Tbsp at a time until desired consistency is achieved. (I added about 4 to 6 Tablespoons.) Fill pastry bag and pipe icing onto cupcakes or spread onto cake with a spatula.

- FYI: Frosting may look slightly curdled/broken, but smooths out when pushed through a piping bag. Even if you just want to spread it on a cake, I'd suggest pushing it through a piping bag with a wide tip like a Wilton 789, or warming the tip of your spatula. You could also try nuking it in the microwave in short 10-second bursts, stirring in-between; or over a water bath for a short time to try and help the cold pudding and room temperature butter come together better.
- Use pudding frosting promptly after being made. If prepared beforehand: thin with additional milk to a spreadable consistency. Keep refrigerated.
- Remove decorated cake/cupcakes from fridge 20-30 minutes before consuming to take the chill off of the cake and frosting.
- YIELD: 2 ¼ cups frosting; enough to pipe high onto 16-18 cupcakes, spread on top of a 13x9-inch cake, or decorate a single layer round cake.
- This recipe was developed using pudding mixes available in the United States. Due to differences in ingredients, textures, and availability, substitutions or pudding mixes from other countries may not yield the same results.