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Easy Homemade Frosting Recipes

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I’m sharing my Must-Have Frosting Recipes that every home baker and cake lover needs in their kitchen! From classic vanilla frosting to Oreo, cream cheese, and more, these are the best frosting recipes for all your most-loved cakes and desserts.

A Collection of My Most-Loved Frosting Recipes

The day I realized how easy it is to make my own frosting, I went through a frosting awakening. Goodbye, overly sweet commercial frosting (no hate, it just wasn’t my thing for the longest time). And hello, fresh homemade frosting, I’ll keep you forever!

Discovering that I could make just about any frosting, just the way I like it, with a few simple ingredients was a game changer.

My blog has become a treasure trove of frosting ideas, from classic American buttercream recipes to fun flavor creations! I figured it’s high time that I share some of the easy frosting recipes that I can’t live without.

What Makes These Recipes the Best?

So, what makes these frosting recipes the best of all time? Let’s discuss…

  • Easy. I love delicious frosting without the fuss. These recipes come together super quick and with just a few ingredients.
  • Something for everyone. Whether you’re decorating cakes, cupcakes, or making sugar cookie frosting, there’s a frosting recipe for every dessert and taste.
  • Cold butter. Many frosting recipes call for room-temperature butter – not mine. The secret to most of these frosting recipes is cold butter. Chilling the butter allows for better control over the consistency of the frosting when decorating!

Common Questions

What Are the 7 Types of Frosting?

The 7 general kinds of frosting are buttercream, meringue, whipped cream frosting, royal icing, cooked icing, ganache, and glaze.

Are Frosting and Icing the Same Thing?

Frosting is usually a little thicker and fluffier than icing, and spreadable. This is why cakes are often frosted all over, then drizzled or piped with icing.

What Is the Most Popular Cake Frosting?

Buttercream is by far the most popular frosting! Simple to whip up with butter and sugar, and endlessly versatile.

Should I Refrigerate Cake Before Frosting?

It’s always important that a cake is 100% cool before you frost it. After the cake is frosted, chilling the cake is not always required. It’s best to check the individual recipe.

Helpful Frosting Tutorials

Maybe you are new to making homemade buttercream or maybe you’re looking to brush up on your skills. Here’s a few helpful tutorials to take your frosting to the next level.

Frosting Recipes You’ve Got to Try

These are the best frosting recipes that everyone needs in their collection! From the must-have basic buttercreams to some fun and easy flavors, these versatile frosting ideas are perfect for loads of desserts.

A small jar of piped vanilla buttercream with a full piping bag sitting next to it

Easy Vanilla Buttercream Frosting

A versatile, classic vanilla buttercream recipe made with cold whipped butter and powdered sugar. This frosting is a true all-rounder, perfect for piping onto cupcakes and decorating cakes. The ultimate must-have!

A chocolate cupcake decorated with chocolate frosting

The Best Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

No must-have list is complete without a classic chocolate frosting recipe! And this is the BEST chocolate frosting ever, made from fluffy homemade buttercream and fudgy cocoa powder. It’s the perfect chocolate frosting for piping and decorating.

Three cupcakes frosted with cream cheese frosting and a strawberry on top

Cream Cheese Frosting

This cream cheese frosting recipe is quick, easy, and holds its shape nicely for piping. The secret is using equal parts butter to cream cheese, for the most deliciously smooth, creamy texture. Cream cheese frosting is great to use on pumpkin cupcakes or classic carrot cake.

A mini glass jar filled with a chocolate frosting

Chocolate Fudge Frosting

This Chocolate Fudge Frosting is a rich and fudgy buttercream recipe with melted chocolate. It’s thick and creamy and loaded with chocolate. Pair this frosting with chocolate cupcakes or yellow cake.

These vanilla cupcakes are frosted with a purple colored frosting and colorful sprinkles

Swiss Meringue Buttercream

This classic Swiss meringue buttercream is a silky, elegant frosting for cakes and cupcakes, made with whipped egg whites. Flavor your meringue with any variety of extracts and pipe it to your hearts’ content. Plus, I include lots of tips and tricks for the perfect Swiss meringue!

A straight on shot of 6 cupcakes sitting in a vintage cupcake pan

Chocolate Swiss Meringue Buttercream

My chocolate Swiss meringue frosting is a silky whipped chocolate frosting that literally melts in your mouth. This recipe is the best to bring a bit of decadence to all your best desserts. Check out the handy video tutorial, too!

A mini mason jar filled with a gorgeous swirl of mascarpone whipped cream, there are cupcakes in the background with the same frosting and covered with berries.

Mascarpone Whipped Cream Frosting

This mascarpone whipped cream is a light whipped cream frosting made with velvety mascarpone cheese, heavy cream, and powdered sugar. Sweeten it with vanilla or citrus zest, and use it on cupcakes, cakes, or when making tiramisu.

A small glass jar filled with beautifully piped frosting. The jar is surrounded by berries

Cream Cheese Whipped Cream

No must-have list is complete without a classic chocolate frosting recipe! And this is the BEST chocolate frosting ever, made from fluffy homemade buttercream and fudgy cocoa powder. It’s the perfect chocolate frosting for piping and decorating.

a white plate with piped chocolate whipped cream

Chocolate Whipped Cream

Transform your favorite whipped cream into delightful chocolate whipped cream using only 4 simple ingredients. This makes a great topping for pancakes, cheesecake, and even ice cream cakes.

Four frosted cupcake with a mini Rice Krispie Treat on top

Rice Krispie Treat Frosting

This fun recipe turns everyone’s favorite childhood treat into a sweet and creamy marshmallow frosting filled with crushed Rice Krispie cereal!

A close up shot of a chocolate cupcake frosted with the best Oreo frosting

Oreo Frosting

My Oreo frosting is incredibly light and fluffy, and tastes just Oreo cookie filling! I love piping this silky frosting onto chocolate or vanilla cupcakes. It’s also easy to scale to use for fillings or layer cakes!

A close up shot of a cinnamon and brown sugar cupcake with a blue polka dot cupcake liner, topped with a big scoop of oatmeal cream pie marshmallow frosting

Oatmeal Cream Pie Frosting

I can’t get enough of this marshmallow cinnamon frosting from my Oatmeal Cream Pie Cupcakes recipe. It’s rich, creamy, and loaded with sweet morsels of Little Debbie Oatmeal Cream Pie, plus a touch of cinnamon spice.

A close up shot of a cupcake with a pink wrapper, frosted and decorated with a Circus animal cookie and sprinkles

Circus Animal Cookie Frosting

One of my go-to birthday cake frosting recipes! I take a basic vanilla frosting and fill it to bursting with colorful, finely-crushed circus animal cookies and sprinkles. It gives serious Dunkaroos vibes and it’s always a kid favorite.

a small ice cream dish with whipped cream surrounded by Fruity Pebbles Cereal

Cereal Milk Whipped Cream

This last one goes out to all my sugary cereal lovers. If the thought of frosting jam-packed with Fruity Pebbles or Lucky Charms gets you giddy, then this recipe for cereal-infused homemade whipped cream is a definite “must”!

6 colors of frosting in separate piping bags

Rainbow Buttercream

This bright and colorful rainbow buttercream frosting can be used for cupcakes or cakes. This is based on my classic vanilla buttercream, and you’ll learn tips for coloring the buttercream, preparing the piping bag and frosting cupcakes.

5 BAKE FROM SCRATCH SECRETS!
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