Frosting Recipes

Frosting recipes rely upon fat to create flavor and texture.  As we see, there is enormous variety in the fats used in frosting recipes.  We seen cream cheese and whipped cream but also yogurt and avocados.  All of these contribute to a rich, delicious cake or cupcake frosting.

Two of the most common fats used to make frosting from scratch are butter and vegetable shortening.   Just like in pie crust recipes, bakers have very strong feelings about which one (or combination of the two) produce the best results.

The advantage of using butter in a frosting recipe  is its flavor.  Butter adds a rich, melt-in-your-mouth feeling to the frosting.  Using vegetable shortening can be preferable for its texture, because it makes for a lighter, fluffier frosting.  However, shortening is all fat (butter is around 80% fat) and not especially flavorful.

The solution?  We’re now trying a combination of butter and trans-fat free vegetable shortening (Smart Balance, Spectrum Organics and Crisco make it) to achieve the best frosting flavor and texture.  Ratio of each to be determined! We’ll let you know how it goes.

Unlike cake frosting that you want to remain pliable and fluffy, sugar cookie icing is a different story.  While buttercream cake frostings use large amounts of butter or other fats to keep them from drying out, cookies use a different ratio of fat to sugar so that the frosting dries smoothly, hardens and doesn’t move. All this while maintaining its vibrant color and tasting delicious!

We came across two easy, fabulous recipes for sugar cookie icing at Simply Recipes.  One creates a more textured look and is more suitable for piped decorations.  The other is smooth and glaze-like and makes your cookies safe for stacking.  Both harden nicely and make your cookies look festive and professional.

Sugar Cookie Icing Recipe #1 (for piped decorations)

1/3 cup Crisco (trans fat-free) or a 1/3 cup of softened butter
1 pound of confectioners sugar
About 1/4 cup of milk
1 teaspoon of vanilla

Mix icing ingredients together until smooth. Separate into different bowls, add food coloring to achieve various colors. Spread on cookies with a butter knife, use cake decorating piping equipment to add decorative accents. If you want the sprinkle type decorating candies to stick, brush the cookie with clear Karo syrup and then sprinkle.

Delectably Yours shares a recipe for a giant chocolate cake with whipped chocolate cream frosting.   This is a simple recipe that’s perfect for a deep and complex dark chocolate cake.  It’s also forgiving when spreading on cake or cupcakes.  This frosting requires the minimum number of ingredients.  If this sounds like chocolate overload to you, try this icing on a banana or walnut cake and garnish with toasted, chopped nuts, sprinkles or coconut flakes.  Depending on the cocoa powder you use (and if it’s sweetened), you may be able to reduce the amount of confectioner’s sugar.  Remember powdered sugar is a must in this recipe, as granulated will make the icing grainy and not whip up properly.

This also is lovely in a dollop alongside a piece of cake, or in a hot beverage like cocoa or coffee.

Chocolate Whipped Cream Frosting (From Delectably Yours)

2 cups Heavy Cream

1/3 cup Confectioner’s sugar

3 tbsp cocoa powder

If you find your cake to be very sweet, go ahead and reduce the sugar in the whipping cream.

1. Put the cream, sugar and cocoa in a large well-chilled bowl. Its recommended that you chill the bowl you are going to whip cream in, and the beaters if they are hand beaters in the fridge for a good 20-30 mins. However, this recipe asked for mixing these ingredients NOT beating them and covering the bowl and then chilling the mixture in the refrigerator for an hour.Very conveniently, we missed the chilling for one hour step. We just chilled the bowl and the beaters and then beat the whipping cream It turned out okay!

2. Remove from refrigerator and beat cream until thick. Add liqueur if you wish, at this point. Once the cream falls in soft mounds when the beaters are lifted in air, it is ready.

via Delectably yours,: Think of the Devil…..

Egg whites are key in marshmallow making and the same goes for this easy and simple frosting recipe.  They make the final product airy and cloudlike.  Rather than calling for Fluff, where there are a lot of ingredients you may not really want, this simple recipe calls for just egg whites, sugar, cream of tartar and vanilla extract.   No gelatin, corn syrup or cornstarch required.   (Also check out our Marshmallow Recipe From Rachael Ray.)

Mixing until stiff glossy peaks, you’ll have an icing that beautifully piles high on top of cakes and cupcakes.   Chocolate cake would be a natural fit, as would coffee, mocha, coconut or banana cupcakes.   Drop a dollop in your hot chocolate.  Or, a sweet potato cake with this frosting would be the ultimate Thanksgiving dessert. Garnish with mini marshmallows or graham cracker crumbs. You’ll never want to go back to store bought.

You can also add flavors using fruit purees to make a strawberry icing.  Or, even add peanut butter to resemble a traditional Fluff sandwich.  Spices like cinnamon will add pretty flecks to the marshmallows as well as a toasty flavor.

Marshmallow Frosting (Martha Stewart, originally from Jennifer Shea of Trophy Cupcakes).

Ingredients

Makes enough for 2 dozen cupcakes

* 8 large egg whites
* 2 cups sugar
* 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
* 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Directions

1. Place egg whites, sugar, and cream of tartar in the heatproof bowl of an electric mixer. Set over a saucepan with simmering water. Whisk constantly until sugar is dissolved and whites are warm to the touch, 3 to 4 minutes.
2. Transfer bowl to electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, and beat, starting on low speed, gradually increasing to high, until stiff, glossy peaks form, 5 to 7 minutes. Add vanilla, and mix until combined. Use immediately.

Marshmallow Frosting and more delicious recipes, smart cooking tips, and video demonstrations on marthastewart.com.

Behold a cinnamon cream cheese frosting on a pumpkin cupcake filled with nuts and spices.  This is a perfect fall holiday treat to bring to gatherings or have around for visitors.  It’s basically a cream cheese frosting with the addition of cinnamon, but along with the vanilla, it brings a nice warmth to the frosting.  Plus it’s a great balance with a sweet pumpkin or dark chocolate cake or cupcake.

Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting From Gimme Some Oven

8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
4 Tbsp. butter, at room temperature
4 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. cinnamon

In a medium bowl, mix together cream cheese, butter, and vanilla. Gradually add powdered sugar and cinnamon, mixing well until it’s all incorporated.  Use immediately or refridgerate.  The frosting will harden in the fridge, so plan on bring it back to room temperature if you must refrigerate it before frosting the cupcakes.

Cupcake recipe and pics after the jump.

pumpkin cupcakes with cinnamon cream cheese frosting | gimme some oven.