Cream butter - Beat butter with paddle attachment in stand mixer for 3 minutes on high until it changes from yellow to almost white, and it becomes fluffy and creamy. (Note 2)

Add icing sugar / powdered sugar gradually in 3 lots, beating slowly (to avoid a powder storm!) then once mostly incorporated, beat on high for a full 3 minutes until fluffy.

Finish - Add vanilla and milk, then beat for a further 30 seconds. Use milk only if needed to make it lovely and soft but still holds its form (eg for piping). Use immediately to frost on cooled cakes and cupcakes! I especially love vanilla buttercream with a beautiful soft Vanilla Cake (pictured in post) or on Vanilla Cupcakes.

Remove unsightly air bubbles - Use a stick blender! Just blitz it around the bowl and watch the bubbles disappear.:)

Make it pure white - Vanilla buttercream is not pure white because of the butter and vanilla extract (which is brown). To make it pure white (like wedding cake white!) use a white food colouring (like this one). To make it whiter without using colouring, use a pale yellow butter (like Lurpak). You can also use a clear vanilla extract if you can find a good one which I have yet to find (most are imitation essence).