Did you know that a simple homemade frosting really takes as little as 5 minutes to make? Plus, you don’t need any special equipment, all you need is a bowl and whisk (or electric mixer). So, for me, buying frosting has never been an option. Of course, buttercreams and frostings have come a long way over the years with so many options to choose from. Why make a simple 5 minutes frosting when you can make a rich, velvety meringue frosting that just about 15 minutes?
1 cup (228 g) room temperature unsalted butter, 4 cups (500 g) powdered sugar, (confectioners sugar) 1/2 tsp or a pinch of salt 1 tsp pure vanilla extract, and 2 to 4 tbsp liquid – a little milk or water. Add 4 oz of melted cooled chocolate to make chocolate frosting. Replace the liquid with lemon juice to make a lemon flavor frosting. In a large bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, combine on medium speed until no lumps are visible then whip on high speed all these ingredients until light and fluffy.
The truth is there is the right frosting for the right cake and the right frosting for the right time. So choose wisely. I have explained more about it below but have also given detailed instructions in my ultimate guide to Buttercream frosting. For now, let’s drool over these 30-plus buttercream and frosting recipes.
Buttercream Recipes
Ganache Frosting
Cookie Decorating
Creative ways to use buttercream frosting
Cupcake Art: Use this frosting to create intricate designs on cupcakes. You can pipe flowers, animals or even write personalized messages. Frosting Shots: Serve small cups of frosting with edible decorations as a fun and indulgent dessert. Guests can dip cookies or fruit into the frosting for a delightful treat. Cookie Sandwiches: Spread a generous amount of frosting between two homemade cookies to create delicious sandwich treats. You can experiment with different cookie flavors and frosting combinations. Frosting Truffles: Mix crumbled cake or cookies with frosting to create truffle-like balls. Roll them in sprinkles, cocoa powder, or crushed nuts for added texture and flavor. Frosting Dips: Create sweet dips for snacks like pretzels, potato chips, or fruit. Mix the frosting with cream cheese or whipped cream for a lighter consistency. Donut Glaze: Use the frosting as a glaze for freshly baked donuts. Dip them in the frosting or drizzle it over for a decadent treat. Cake Pops: Crumble a cake, mix it with frosting, and form it into bite-sized balls. Insert a stick into each ball and dip them in melted chocolate or frosting for a tasty cake pop. Fancy Hot Chocolate: Top a mug of hot chocolate with a dollop of frosting instead of whipped cream. Add sprinkles, chocolate shavings, or crushed cookies for an extra touch. Frosting Filled Pancakes: Make pancake sandwiches by spreading a layer of frosting between two small pancakes. Serve them as a sweet breakfast or brunch option. Frosting-Stuffed Waffles: Make a pocket in a freshly cooked waffle and fill it with frosting. Add fruit slices, chocolate chips, or nuts for a delightful twist
Frequently asked questions
6 Fondant recipes
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Butter-based buttercream – simple all-purpose buttercreams like my velvet American buttercream, Vanilla buttercream (eggless). Decorators buttercream – often with all or some vegetable shortening to prevent the frosting from melting easily like my Bakery style frostings – Vanilla and Chocolate frosting as well as flour for stability often called Ermine or boiled flour frosting. Cream Cheese based – made with cream cheese, often with or without butter, like my classic cream cheese is made with butter which adds more stability, and my no-butter cream cheese frosting when you want a more luxurious dessert-type frosting. Meringue buttercream – made with the addition of whipped egg whites. Less sweet than the classic butter-based buttercream like my Swiss Meringue or Italian Meringue. Egg-based buttercream – like French Buttercream and German buttercream made with egg yolks then whipped to make a light and fluffy frosting with the addition of butter. Whipped Cream Frosting – the lightest of them all is, of course, simple heavy cream. I shared 5 different methods to make whipped cream at home. As well as a whipped cream buttercream frosting.
What cake flavor do I want? Where are you going to display the cake – inside vs. outside? The inside allows you to use perishable fillings while the outside depends on the weather. What is the weather like at the time of the event? Is it cold winter or hot humid summer? Hot summers need more caution with perishable frostings. How far does the cake have to travel? long travels in cold weather are not an issue if you pack things well. Hot summers can be a nightmare, so carry ice packs.
