When you spend time baking the perfect sweet treat, be it cake, cookies, cupcakes, or bars, you need to have an equally perfect frosting to top it all off. Frosting is not a one size fits all deal – some frosting is rich and decadent, while others are light and fluffy. One compliments earthy and savory cakes like carrot cake, while the other pairs nicely with dense, chocolatey cake. Get our favorite frosting recipes below, and see how we pair them up!
Vanilla Buttercream
Vanilla buttercream is a versatile frosting for sure. It pairs well with both chocolate and vanilla cupcakes; you can spread it on sugar cookies, graham crackers (with sprinkles!), or pretty much any flavor of cake. The perfect vanilla frosting is a recipe every baker should have in their back pocket, and we’re here to help. This recipe makes the BEST vanilla buttercream frosting we’ve ever had.
Classic Cream Cheese Frosting
Our favorite frosting is – and forever will be – cream cheese frosting, and we don’t think we’re alone there. Something about how that subtle tang of the cream cheese keeps the sugar from being too cloying. And how the consistency is irresistibly velvety and creamy. To us, it’s the perfectly balanced frosting, and this recipe here is our very favorite.
Whipped Frosting
We love to use whipped cream frosting on cakes, cupcakes, and pretty much anything we can find in the kitchen, but it can be a little tricky since it is sensitive to temperature and will flatten out over time. The trick is to use a stabilizer to ensure that the cream stays nice and fluffy and whipped until you serve it. We like to use a little bit of powdered gelatin dissolved in water as a stabilizer. Many cooks have their own tried and true tricks, but we think our version makes the BEST whipped cream frosting around.
Chocolate Fudge Frosting
Everyone needs a good chocolate frosting recipe up their sleeve! We’ve got just the thing to satisfy every chocoholic’s dream: buttercream fudge frosting. This classic recipe works for cakes and cookies alike, as well as those late night chocolate cravings that can only be satisfied by a spoonful of frosting. Go ahead and try this decadent recipe, and don’t forget to lick the bowl clean!
Peanut Butter Frosting
We’ve paired our rich chocolate cupcakes with a crazy delicious peanut butter frosting, which we could easily eat straight from the bowl… and have eaten straight from the bowl. Trust us, you’ll feel the same way once you try these – you’ll want to eat the whole batch! Get the peanut butter frosting of your dreams right here!
Browned Butter Frosting
You didn’t know it, but you’ve been waiting for this browned butter frosting recipe your whole life. Butter is wonderful in its natural state of course, but when you melt it down and cook it just until it has browned… oh lordy. It becomes nutty and toasted and it smells and tastes like heaven. Just imagine that flavor whipped into a frosting. It could probably make a piece of cardboard taste good. Get the ridiculously delicious recipe here!
Bonus Recipe: Chocolate Ganache
If you’re in the market for something sinfully delicious, this bad boy is definitely for you; it’s a perfectly rich and moist chocolate cake that’s topped with the best chocolate ganache we’ve ever tasted. Sprinkle some almonds down onto the ganache and you’re in business! Get the decadent recipe here!