Nothing makes a great cake, cupcake, cookie or brownie better than delicious frosting. When it comes to cake frosting, many are intimidated to make it themselves or do not know where to start. While there are plenty of cake frosting choices on your local grocer’s shelves, nothing can touch the taste and texture of homemade cake frosting. Best of all, once you have found a cake frosting recipe that you like, adapting it to fit any variety of cake or dessert is simple.
When it comes to creating your own cake frosting, there are a wide variety of base frosting types from which to choose. Popular cake frosting types and how to make chocolate frosting include:
- Buttercream
- Decoration
- Glaze
- Whipped
The basic cake frosting recipe is fairly elementary. For this easy frosting recipe you’ll only need powdered sugar, butter or margarine, milk, vanilla, salt and beat it until its smooth and fluffy. The ratio of ingredients in the basic cake frosting basically differ from person to person. Hence, the larger portion goes to the powdered sugar and the fat or butter is just about 10% of the mixture. The salt, milk and vanilla are added in small amounts to adjust taste.
The biggest difference in most of these frostings is the fat used to bind them. Buttercream uses butter, decorators frosting uses shortening, glazes often have no binder and whipped frostings use whipped cream or topping as a base. These all create unique textures that can be used with various cakes and desserts. Decorators frosting is a very common wedding cake frosting due to its easy sculpting and clean, smooth appearance. Whipped toppings offer a light, airy feel that is perfect for delicate cakes or pastries. Buttercream is a popular favorite with its silky smooth texture and rich flavor.
If you are looking for a tasty, indulgent cake frosting recipe for your next cake, consider this Mocha Buttercream Frosting:
Ingredients:
- 0.5 cup of butter or margarine
- 2 cups of powdered sugar
- 1 egg yolk
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 tsp instant coffee powder
- 1 tbsp of cream
- 1 tbsp of cocoa powder
Preparation:
- Mix butter, sugar, cream and egg yolk in a bowl until smooth.
- Add vanilla extract, instant coffee and cocoa powder.
- Mix until even distributed. If a thicker texture is desired, add powdered sugar in small amounts to stiffen the cake frosting.
This chocolate cake frosting is ideal for nearly any cake. With its rich chocolate flavor, subtle hints of coffee and smooth texture it works well with both full cakes or cupcakes and can be easily piped if needed. Store any unused amounts in the refrigerator in a sealed container for the best shelf life.
From this cake frosting recipe, creating your own customized cake frosting is simple. Simply substitute flavorings in place of the coffee powder and cocoa powder. If you would like to a try something new, consider orange or lemon flavors for a sweet and zesty citrus zing or add a little cayenne to your cocoa powder for an interesting bit of heat in every bite. All it takes is a little testing and a few flavorings and you can be enjoying your new flavorful cake frosting in no time.