Getting to know different types of frosting is the perfect kick-off for a baking beginner! I will provide the most basic and must-know frosting types for you to create brilliant baked items! Stay here to learn all about them!
The frosting is apparently something you must do for cakes, cupcakes, pies, etc. It is the really essential final step because the cream not only garnishes the baked stuff but also holds the primary flavors of the items, especially the cupcakes! Let’s find out more about it!
8 Types Of Buttercream Frosting For Your Baked Goods
Buttercream frosting types are the must-learn frosting that all beginner bakers must know before getting to make an authentic cake or donut! Here is the ultimate list of buttercream frosting that you are looking for!
1. Classic Buttercream Frosting (American Buttercream)
Buttercream frosting is another easy frosting for beginners to make. It is super easy to apply and also requires basic ingredients like butter and sugar. It is a really smooth and buttery frosting. Its texture is flawless and superfine!
The remarkable thing about buttercream frosting is using confectioner’s sugar, which replaces eggs in thickening buttercream. You will beat the butter into the sugar until the mixture is fluffy and thick. Many bakers like to add heavy cream to get a better consistency.
This is the sweetest type of buttercream frosting and maybe oversweet for some people, but you can pair it with a less sweet base for a balanced taste! If you don’t make the mixture properly, it may result in a greasy or grainy texture and may also have a thin crust later on.
Buttercream frosting can show up on top of cakes for coating. You can also use it as a cream filling between layers of a cake. Piping it into patterns, flowers, or any designs you like to decorate your cake is also a lovely idea!
2. Swiss Meringue Buttercream
Swiss meringue buttercream is a basic buttercream frosting with a meringue base. It is subtle and less sweet than other types of frosting. For those who are concerned, Swiss meringue is a stable type of meringue, including only sugar and egg whites.
You can make Swiss meringue buttercream yourself by adding softened butter to the Swiss meringue and beating them together until super fluffy. You will immediately get an ultra-flawless, silky frosting texture that is perfect to top any type of cake.
However, when you add butter to the meringue, the mixture may be separate and curdle. So you should notice this point while making Swiss meringue buttercream.
Swiss meringue buttercream usually appears on wedding cakes for a gorgeous white coating. You can also spread it in between cake layers. If you want another color for this frosting, don’t hesitate to add some drops of food coloring!
Learn how to make the authentic Swiss meringue buttercream frosting!
3. Italian Meringue Buttercream
You may find that Italian meringue buttercream is identical to the earlier type of frosting, but it is slightly different in the meringue part. Italian meringue is one of the firmest types of meringue, using sugar syrup and egg whites.
Make the best Italian meringue buttercream with butter at room temperature and the meringue mixture. Whisk them together until you get the perfect light and silky frosting. It is less likely to melt in warm temperatures.
This buttercream type is considered one of the hardest types to do with extremely skillful techniques and exact measurement. The sugar addition is the main problem. You must pour the sugar syrup gradually from the side of the container, not directly to the eggs.
You should know that Italian meringue buttercream can get along really well with tall cakes with many layers at weddings or birthdays. You can also use it like using Swiss meringue buttercream. It is ideal for outdoor events for its special consistency.
4. German Buttercream
German buttercream is a custard-based frosting that people also call custard buttercream or pastry-cream butter. It has a rich, smooth, and super airy texture. This pale yellow mixture is pipable and will melt quickly in warm air.
German buttercream includes custard cream with unsalted butter and other ingredients like egg yolks, milk, flour, cornstarch, and salt. The maker will make the custard mixture first, then add butter and cream them together.
You may find German buttercream less sugary than other frosting types. It has egg yolks, thereby creating a beautiful yellow color that is a bit hard to tint. The yolks also make the buttercream super custardy, like ice cream.
You can always use German buttercream to fill sweet pastries or cupcake frosting. However, you should not use it as a decoration frosting since it can’t hold its form well without convenient conditions.
5. French Buttercream
French buttercream is another variation of the traditional buttercream frosting. You may find this French version of buttercream super rich with egg yolks, whole eggs, sugar, and water.
You can make French buttercream by pouring the hot sugar syrup into egg yolks and mixing them until you get an airy and smooth mixture. Use this gorgeous ivory mixture to decorate your cupcakes, cakes, and other baked desserts!
If you want to make French buttercream, you should use pasteurized eggs to prevent salmonella. The yellow from egg yolks makes it a bit hard to tint. This type of buttercream type cannot withstand the heat well; therefore, it’s more suitable for filling than piping.
Make the best version of French meringue buttercream with egg yolks!
6. Russian Buttercream
Russian buttercream is a two-ingredient frosting type that beginners should learn to make. Butter and condensed milk are the two components that I’ve mentioned. They will create a beautiful ivory mixture that you can use for culinary purposes.
The silky, sweet, and dense Russian buttercream may appear on top and in between layers of vanilla cakes or dessert dishes. You can also pipe it on cupcakes or fill it in macarons.
7. Marshmallow Buttercream
Marshmallow buttercream is a classic type of buttercream frosting that mainly uses marshmallow crème or fluff. The texture of this buttercream type is really fluffy and light, probably the lightest type of all frostings and icings.
Marshmallow buttercream is a very versatile, dense, and sweet frosting that you can use to top cakes and cupcakes as beautiful swirls. You can also turn it into filling for cakes. This frosting is absolutely the go-to sweet treat type for those marshmallow lovers!
8. Flour Buttercream Frosting (Ermine Frosting)
Flour buttercream frosting, also called Ermine frosting or boiled milk frosting, contains essential ingredients like flour, milk, butter, and sugar. You have to boil milk, sugar, and flour together and add some butter when the mixture is cool.
This type of buttercream frosting uses flour, which makes the mixture stable without egg whites. Its texture is also lighter than most buttercream types. With this texture, flour buttercream frosting can’t stay well in high heat and as decorations.
This old-school buttercream version is ultra-silky and rich with the same consistency as pudding. You can always use flour buttercream frosting on cakes and cupcakes, especially red velvet cupcakes. People also use this frosting to fill Twinkies and Ding Dongs.
10 Other Common Types Of Frosting You Must Know As A Baker
Here are 10 other basic and typical types of frosting that you should totally know for the gorgeous coating! I’m sure that they are all easy to make and delicious as an essential part of your baked goods!
9. Ganache
Ganache is a mixture of melted dark chocolate (or sometimes milk, white chocolate) and heavy cream. It is one of the richest, most versatile types of frosting you should learn to make for future use. It is pourable and easy to adjust as a cake topping or filling.
You can make the Ganache by adding melted chocolate and cream in a 1:1 ratio. The better chocolate you use, the tastier your Ganache becomes. You may realize that Ganache is like a combination of frosting and icing.
You may apply this frosting for almost any baked item, especially cakes and many versions of brownies for a gorgeous glossy chocolate glaze! If you chill the mixture, it will actually turn into chocolate truffles!
Chocolate Ganache can also be a dipping sauce for fresh fruits or anything that may go well with melted chocolate.
Let’s make some chocolate Ganache and cover your cake with it!
10. Whipped Cream Frosting
Whipped cream frosting may be a familiar type of frosting that all of you may know about. It simply includes white sugar, a common sugar type, and heavy whipping cream. With a few steps, it may be the fluffiest, smoothest, and easiest-to-do frosting.
Whipped cream frosting is easy to do, you just need to pay attention while mixing to not overwhip it and turn it into butter. You should also use it right after making it or store it in the fridge because it is soft and tends to collapse after a while.
However, stabilized whipped cream may be suitable for holiday treats and desserts calling for whipped cream since it lasts longer. The cream dives in white, but you can also make a dark version with cocoa powder or other extracts. Try it, and you’ll be amazed by how it tastes!
The first things you need are a clean bowl and a whisk without any touch of grease or oil. Put the bowl in the freezer first for an hour. Then, add whipping cream in the bowl and whip on high until it gets soft peaks. Add powdered sugar and continue to mix on high.
You can use whipped cream frosting for anything, especially baked goods like cakes, cookies, cupcakes, or shortcakes. It can also become a perfect topping for fresh fruits or pancakes, together with some jam.
Remember to always store this type of frosting in the fridge before use!
11. Cream Cheese Frosting
Cream cheese frosting is similar to buttercream frosting, but with cheese addition. It has a pale yellow color with a sweet but tang flavor from cream cheese. It may consist of cream cheese, organic sugar, butter, and maybe some vanilla extract.
This cream cheese frosting’s texture is very thick, soft, delicate, and rich. You should always put this frosting inside the refrigerator before use because it will quickly start to melt and be runny in warm temperatures.
Cream cheese frosting gets along well with moist sponges, so it will be a great topping for desserts calling for red velvet base. You can also use it to top Hummingbird cakes or carrot cakes.
12. Fudge Frosting
Fudge frosting is a super-rich, chocolatey, and decadent type of frosting that is pipable for cupcakes and easy to spread over cakes. It has a light brown to brown color and requires only a few ingredients and gadgets.
You can choose a chocolate source you like to make fudge frosting. It can be chocolate bars or cocoa powder. Then, combine it with butter, milk, powdered sugar, and vanilla to get a perfect creamy mixture.
The final product of fudge frosting will be a bit over-sweet with chocolate, so you should pair it with mild items like tart desserts or plain sponges.
13. Seven-Minute Frosting
The seven-minute frosting is also an old-school type of frosting that has been popular since the early 1900s. It can hold its shape really well on baked goods and also has a super sweet and subtle, not-too-rich flavor.
It will take you approximately 7 minutes to make this delectable frosting! Combine sugar, corn syrup, and water and bring the mixture to boil. It differs from other types of frosting for not containing butter. You can make it into incredible billows or swirls on cakes.
Seven-minute frosting doesn’t seem to last long at room temperature. It may harden quickly and create a crust over time. Therefore, if you get a sponge or cake with seven-minute frosting on top, you should eat it up on the same day.
Seven-minute frosting can’t be easier with this simple instruction!
14. Lemon Curd Frosting
Lemon curd frosting is a wonderful mixture that includes lemon juice or juice of some juicy lime types, lemon zest butter, and sugar. Because of this lemon curd mixture, the frosting has a really distinctively sweet and sour flavor with a thick consistency like custard.
Most bakers prefer to use lemon curd frosting as a flavorful filling for baked products, especially dessert dishes using lemon. It can also appear on top of the cupcakes.
You may want to add some whipped cream to this frosting for enhancing its consistency, flavor, and texture. Spend some time making this frosting, and I’m sure it will be super worth it!
15. Basic Vanilla Frosting
Basic vanilla frosting uses real vanilla or vanilla bean paste as the main ingredients. Vanilla items enhance the flavor and texture of the frosting and also adjust the degree of sweetness. The more vanilla you add to the mixture, the less sugar you may need!
The mixture also contains some other basic ingredients like softened butter, powdered sugar, and milk. The basic vanilla frosting has a smooth and rich texture that can fit anything in culinary uses. You can pipe it on cupcakes or coat cakes for a gorgeous white frosting.
16. Cookie Frosting
Cookie frosting is one of the most basic and easiest frosting types with only two ingredients: organic milk and powdered sugar. You may want to whisk these two things together gently to get the smooth and glossy paste for cookie decoration.
This cookie frosting mixture can have almond extract or corn syrup to enhance the flavor.
17. Glazed Frosting (Simple Glaze)
The glazed frosting is like the sugar syrup that mixes sugar and water together. The mixture will turn into a shiny, smooth, gorgeous layer outside of cakes, cupcakes, donuts cookies, and many other sweet treats.
It consists of a really thin consistency that will create a crispy crunch when it’s cool. This is an ideal feature to make a gorgeous cake glaze with food coloring and mix with corn syrup for a shiny outer layer when it’s dry. You can use it as a dipping sauce, too!
Glaze frosting has two different forms: powdered sugar glaze and chocolate glaze. The former can be a translucent topping with powdered sugar and water mixture. The latter includes chocolate that can be a perfect glaze on the cake for chocoholics!
Here’s how you can make a simple glaze with really basic ingredients!
18. Rolled Fondant
If you want to decorate your cake with a smooth and solid cover in different colors, you may want to choose rolled fondant! The mixture of rolled fondant consists of sugar, water, gelatin, or glycerin, which makes it moldable and easy to sculpt into many shapes.
This rolled fondant is the neatest cake coating since it doesn’t include any butter or cream. However, it still tastes delicious and buttery like most types of buttercream that you know! You can use the fondant as usual clay and make it into anything in your imagination!
However, rolled fondant is actually one of the most complicated frosting types to make on your own because it requires technical skills and a lot of ingredients and equipment.
The Primary Difference Between Frosting And Icing
As a fresh baker, you may sometimes confuse between frosting and icing for their similar characteristics, and people also use these two terms interchangeably. Bakers use both of them to decorate baked goods like cakes, cupcakes, donuts, muffins, pastries, etc.
The biggest and most obvious difference between frosting and icing is consistency. Frosting contains fat like butter and cream to build up the texture; therefore, it is thicker, stiffer than icing, and spreadable.
Icing is thinner than frosting and pourable. It must be drizzled or piped because it hardens while cooling. Icing is thin but solid enough to stick on baked items’ surfaces. It will harden after being piped on foods, while some frosting types tend to melt quickly in warm conditions.
And that’s how you can tell these two terms apart! It is not easy but also not hard to recognize the difference between frosting and icing. You should learn more about these two to choose the suitable one for covering, filling, or decorating your baked items!
Which Frosting Type Will Be Ideal For Your Cakes, Amazing Bakers?
After reading this article, have you imagined the different types of frosting? Have you ever made one of them for coating or decorating your freshly baked dishes? Tell me your story by commenting below this post!
I hope that I’ve brought some interesting information about the list of frosting that you are looking for! If you love this article, why don’t you like and share it to spread the word to many other people? Thank you for reading, and see you in the next article!
