Discover the ultimate collection of frosting recipes for cake and cupcakes, featuring 19 delicious frostings made with simple ingredients for a smooth finish and rich flavor. From creamy buttercream to glossy ganache, this guide explores the most popular frosting types, their main uses, and the best way to get homemade frosting results every time.
Your Go-To Guide for Choosing the Best Frosting Recipe
Whether you're baking for a birthday, a casual weekend treat, or a festive celebration, finding the right frosting can completely transform your dessert. In this guide, you’ll discover frosting recipes for cake and cupcakes that deliver on texture, flavor, and finish—no matter your baking skill level.
This blog post is divided into five main types of frosting: Buttercream, Whipped Cream, Cream Cheese, Ganache, and Glaze. Each section summarizes the frosting’s texture, flavor profile, and best uses, so you can easily choose the perfect match for your cake or cupcake.
My Go-To Frosting Recommendations
When I want quick, reliable results, these three frostings are my favorites:
- Whipped cream frosting — perfect for Indian-inspired cakes like butterscotch, pineapple, and crisp or cobbler-style fusion desserts.
- Condensed milk buttercream frosting — ideal for intricate cake designs and birthday cakes that need to hold up for a long time.
- Cream cheese glaze — my pick for loaf cakes and cinnamon rolls, adding a rich and tangy finish.
Buttercream Frosting
Buttercream frosting is a classic and one of the most stable frosting recipes. It's made with butter and powdered sugar as its base.
It's perfect for layer cakes, cupcakes, and even cookies that need to be stacked. It offers a sweet, creamy texture that holds its shape beautifully for piping and decorating.
Traditional American buttercream can be overly sweet and slightly grainy, so I’ve included a simple hack to make it smooth, along with alternative versions made without powdered sugar for a silkier and less sweet frosting option.
1. American Buttercream
Texture: Light, fluffy, and slightly dense
Flavour: Very sweet with a rich buttery taste
Best for: Birthday cakes, cupcakes, piped decorations, and cookies that need to be stacked
Recipe: American Buttercream.
2. Condensed Milk Buttercream
Texture: Silky, smooth, and easy to spread
Flavour: Mildly sweet with a rich, milky taste
Best for: Layer cakes, cupcakes, and desserts that need a lighter, less sweet frosting
Recipe: Condensed Milk Buttercream.
3. Italian Meringue Buttercream
Texture: Silky, smooth, and airy
Flavour: Lightly sweet with a buttery, refined taste
Best for: Wedding cakes, celebration cakes, and intricate piping work
Recipe: Italian Meringue Buttercream
4. Buttercream Frosting without Powder Sugar
Texture: Light and creamy
Flavour: Delicately sweet with a fresh, buttery taste
Best for: Cakes and cupcakes that need a silky, less sweet frosting
Recipe: Buttercream Frosting Without Powdered Sugar
5. Oreo Buttercream Frosting without Powdered Sugar
Texture: Smooth, fluffy, and slightly crunchy from cookie bits
Flavour: Creamy, mildly sweet with a classic cookies-and-cream taste
Best for: Cupcakes, chocolate cakes, Cake Tubs and kid-friendly treats
Recipe: Oreo Buttercream Frosting Without Powdered Sugar
6. Coffee Buttercream
Texture: Smooth, creamy, and easy to spread or pipe
Flavour: Bold coffee taste with a balanced sweetness
Best for: Chocolate cakes, mocha cupcakes, brownie cupcakes, brownies, and coffee-flavored desserts
Recipe: Coffee Buttercream Frosting
7. Caramel Condensed Milk Buttercream
Texture: Silky, smooth, and slightly thick
Flavour: Deep caramel notes with a sweet, buttery richness
Best for: Caramel Cake, Vanilla and Chocolate Cake, caramel cupcakes, coffee cupcake, and layered desserts
Recipe: Caramel Condensed Milk Buttercream Frosting.
8. Buttercream Frosting for Cut Out Cookies
Texture: Creamy, slightly crusted on the outside but soft inside
Flavour: Sweet, buttery, and classic
Best for: Cut-out cookies, sugar cookies, decorated holiday cookies, and cookies for gifting
Recipe: Buttercream Frosting for Cut-Out Cookies.
Whipped Cream Frosting
Whipped cream frosting is made by whipping heavy cream with a bit of sugar and vanilla until it becomes soft, fluffy, and cloud-like. It's naturally light and airy, making it much less dense and less sweet than traditional buttercream.
This makes it the perfect match for heavier or crispy desserts like churros, waffles, cream puffs, or cannoli—where it balances richness with a refreshing finish.
You can expect a smooth, melt-in-the-mouth texture that complements light desserts like fresh fruit cakes, loaf cakes and delicate bakes, and also works beautifully with sweet breakfast treats like waffles and pancakes.
9. Stabilized Whipped Cream Frosting
Texture: Airy, smooth, and slightly firmer than regular whipped cream
Flavour: Lightly sweet with a clean, creamy taste
Best for: Fresh fruit cakes, pineapple cakes, black forest cake, tres leches cake, rasmalai or gulab jamun cake, fusion desserts, jar desserts, and make-ahead layered treats
Recipe: Stabilized Whipped Cream Frosting.
10. Stabilized Chocolate Whipped Cream
Texture: Fluffy, creamy, and slightly firm
Flavour: Lightly sweet with a smooth cocoa flavor
Best for: Black forest cake, chocolate cupcakes, jar desserts, fusion cakes, and layered treats that need to stay fresh.
Recipe: Stabilized Chocolate Whipped Cream Frosting.
Cream Cheese Frosting
Cream cheese frosting is made by blending cream cheese with butter and sugar to create a tangy, creamy, and smooth frosting. It strikes a balance between richness and slight acidity, making it distinct from other frosting types.
This frosting pairs best with cakes that benefit from a bit of tang, like carrot cake, red velvet cake, and banana bread.
You can expect a thick, luscious texture that spreads easily and adds a rich flavor without being overly sweet.
11. Stiff Cream Cheese Frosting
Texture: Thick, smooth, and spreadable
Flavour: Tangy, mildly sweet, and rich
Best for: Carrot cake, red velvet cake, banana bread, spice cakes, and cupcakes
Recipe: Cream Cheese Frosting.
12. Peanut Butter Cream Cheese Frosting
Texture: Smooth, thick, and spreadable
Flavour: Nutty, tangy, and slightly sweet
Best for: Chocolate cakes, banana bread, cupcakes, and peanut butter lovers’ desserts
Recipe: Peanut Butter Cream Cheese Frosting.
13. Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting
Texture: Smooth, thick, and spreadable
Flavour: Tangy, sweet, and fresh with a hint of strawberry
Best for: Vanilla cakes, chocolate cakes, cupcakes, and spring or summer desserts
Recipe: Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting.
Ganache
Ganache frosting is made by gently heating cream and pouring it over chopped chocolate, then mixing until smooth and glossy.
Depending on the ratio of cream to chocolate, it can be used as a pourable glaze, whipped into a fluffy frosting, or left to set into a rich, fudgy layer.
This luxurious frosting is best used for decadent cakes like chocolate truffle cake, drip cakes, tarts, and layer cakes where a rich chocolate flavor is desired.
You can expect a silky texture and deep, intense flavor that elevates any dessert it touches.
14. Dutch Cake
Glaze
A glaze is a thin, pourable icing typically made from powdered sugar mixed with a liquid like milk, water, citrus juice, or flavoring extracts. It sets to a smooth, slightly glossy finish and adds a sweet touch without overpowering the cake.
Glazes are best used on bundt cakes, pound cakes, donuts, and loaf cakes where they enhance the appearance and add moisture.
You can expect a light, sweet coating that beautifully seeps into the surface, creating a delicate crust and subtle flavor boost.
15. Cream Cheese Glaze for Pound Cake
Texture: Silky, slightly thick, and glossy
Flavour: Sweet, creamy, and mildly tangy
Best for: Pound cakes, bundt cakes, banana bread, and spiced loaf cakes
Recipe: Cream Cheese Glaze for Pound Cake.
16. Strawberry Icing for Cakes
Texture: Smooth, slightly thick, and glossy
Flavour: Bright, fruity, and mildly sweet
Best for: Strawberry Cake, Vanilla cakes, fruit tarts, and sponge cakes
Recipe: Strawberry Glaze for Cakes.
17. Quick Creamy Glaze without Powdered Sugar
Texture: Fluid, slightly thick, and shiny
Flavour: Mellow and sweet with hints of the base ingredient used; creamy and milky as condensed milk is used in this recipe.
Best for: Cinnamon Rolls, Bundt cakes, loaf cakes, muffins, and donuts.
Recipe: Glaze Recipe Without Powdered Sugar
18. Cinnamon Roll Icing without Cream Cheese
Texture: Smooth, pourable, and slightly thick
Flavour: Sweet with warm buttery notes and a hint of vanilla
Best for: Cinnamon rolls, sticky buns, bundt cakes, pound cakes, loaf cakes, and sweet breakfast breads
Recipe: Cinnamon Roll Icing Without Cream Cheese.
Other Frosting
19. Vanilla Frosting without Butter
Texture: Soft, fluffy, and pipeable
Flavour: Sweet and creamy with a clean, neutral base
Best for: Cupcakes, layer cakes, cookies, and those avoiding butter
Recipe: Powdered Sugar Frosting Without Butter
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