11 TYPES OF FROSTING FOR CAKES & DESSERTS

Swiss meringue buttercream is a luxurious and silky frosting made by creating a stable Swiss meringue from heated egg whites and granulated sugar. Gradually incorporating softened butter helps to create the smooth and velvety texture that’s perfect for adding a smooth finish to sheet or layer cakes. You can customize your Swiss meringue buttercream recipe to incorporate flavors like vanilla or melted chocolate for an extra layer of richness.

This luxurious and decadent buttercream frosting is created by whipping together egg yolks and hot sugar syrup to create a rich, silky and pale yellow mixture before whipping in softened butter. French buttercream is ideal for filling cupcakes or adding between layers of cake.

German buttercream is a velvety and creamy frosting that combines pastry cream made from milk, sugar, egg yolks and cornstarch with softened butter. This frosting has a lightly sweet, custardy flavor and is a versatile option that pairs well with a variety of cakes and pastries.

Cream cheese frosting has a rich, sweet and slightly tangy flavor, with a thick and creamy texture. Simple ingredients like butter, cream cheese and powdered sugar are combined to make this decadent frosting that is perfect for adding to red velvet cake, cinnamon rolls or carrot cake.

Like Swiss meringue buttercream, Italian buttercream is made by gently combining cooled meringue with softened butter to create a velvety texture. However, Italian buttercream is more stable than Swiss meringue, making it a delicious option for piping decorative designs on desserts.

American buttercream frosting is known for its versatility and simple preparation. You can easily make this type of frosting in your stand mixer by creaming together butter, powdered sugar, heavy cream and other flavors for use on cakes, cookies, brownies and cupcakes.

Whipped cream frosting is a delightful and airy recipe that elevates the simplest of desserts with its cloud-like texture and subtly sweet flavor. This frosting is made by whipping heavy cream and bloomed gelatin to stiff peaks, then gently folding in sugar and vanilla extract. This combination of ingredients creates a light sweetness and depth of flavor that complements a variety of treats, including fresh fruit salads, pies and cakes.

Similar to a Swiss meringue or Italian buttercream, seven-minute frosting uses cooked egg whites to create a light and dreamy spread. This quick frosting recipe uses cream of tartar, water, sugar, egg whites, salt and vanilla extract. It is made on the stovetop over medium-low heat, which cooks the egg whites and dissolves the sugar.

To make this simple frosting recipe even easier, you can use a KitchenAid^® hand mixer instead of a standard whisk to combine the ingredients while they heat on the stovetop.

Chocolate ganache frosting has an intense chocolate flavor that adds a level of deep richness to any dessert. This frosting recipe starts with, of course, chocolate ganache—made by mixing heated heavy cream with chopped chocolate until the chocolate melts and a silky mixture is achieved. Let the ganache cool until it is slightly firm, then whip it in your stand mixer until stiff peaks form.

Like other buttercreams, this frosting is rich, creamy and fluffy. What sets this recipe apart is the bold and invigorating flavor of cocoa and instant espresso powder. Espresso buttercream is rich, chocolatey and slightly bittersweet and can add a depth of flavor to traditional chocolate cakes, cupcakes or brownies.

A cross between cream cheese frosting and American buttercream, mascarpone buttercream is rich and tangy because of its star ingredient: mascarpone cheese. Mascarpone is a soft, lightly sweet and spreadable cheese that is often considered the Italian sister of American cream cheese. You can use this frosting instead of cream cheese or buttercream frostings for filling and decorating cakes and cookies.

Before you begin making mascarpone buttercream, prepare your workstation so everything is within reach. Gather your ingredients and place your stand mixer on a clean, flat surface, then plug it in. Attach the Flat or Flex Edge Beater¹.

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Place the unsalted butter, mascarpone and vanilla bean seeds in your mixing bowl, then turn on your stand mixer. Beat the mixture for 3–4 minutes or until it becomes light and fluffy.

Turn off your stand mixer and attach the KitchenAid^® Sifter + Scale Attachment. Use the attachment to sift the powdered sugar into the frosting mixture, then add the salt and vanilla extract directly to the mixing bowl. Remove the KitchenAid^® Sifter + Scale Attachment, then turn your stand mixer on the lowest speed to start to incorporate the powdered sugar. 

Increase the speed to medium to mix the ingredients for 2–3 minutes or until the powdered sugar has been incorporated completely. Halfway through the mixing process, use your spatula to scrape the sides. Once your frosting is rich and creamy, it can be added to cooled cupcakes, cakes, brownies or cookies.