Some People Excel at Frosting & Icing and some Don’t- Which One are You?

Some People Excel at Frosting & Icing, and if you are one of those, then I am sure you would be keen to know the origins of Frosting. In the 1600s, the frosted cake was first invented by a chef in France as a multi-layered frosted cake. The documented record of Frosting first appeared around 1655, made with sugar, rosewater, and eggs. Frostings have existed for 350 years, but buttercream’s debut in the 1950s in the culinary world.

However, buttercream made its debut in the 1950s in the culinary world. The term “buttercream” is often attributed to Marie-Antoine Carême, a famous chef and pastry cook in France. However, it was already used as early as 1837 by an English author who wrote. In the United States, buttercreams are also known as cream puffs or cream puff pastries.

While people around the world have been using the words frosting and icing as synonyms, primarily because both of them are used to embellish cakes, however, there is a difference between the two: Frosting is usually creamy and spreadable, while the icing is typically thin, piped, or drizzled on, and will harden when it cools. We typically use frostings to coat or top cakes and cupcakes, while we primarily use icings for decorations and light sugary coatings on cookies and doughnuts. 

We may spoil you with confusing choices and little complex homemade frostings. To simplify the whole frosting world, let me share a frosting cheat sheet with you with their details around taste, texture, tips, and tricks. 

Frosting varieties to consider for your Cakes and Cupcakes. 

Types of Frosting

The most important thing you need to know before trying different types of frostings is that they all have unique properties. It’s to be able to choose a frosting that pairs perfectly with your recipe. Whether you’re looking for a smooth finish on a cupcake or for decoration, the kind of frosting you use will make a difference in the success of your baked good. We’ll look at some typical frostings that you can use in baking. You can also find pipe buttercream roses at speciality cake shops.

Buttercream Frosting

Buttercream frosting uses butter as the main ingredient, making them the most common type of icing you will find in a cake shop. Plain buttercream is sometimes called American buttercream or simply buttercream. A simple buttercream is considered a whipped butter frosting (which beats the butter first) compared to a cubed butter meringue frosting (with butter chunks slowly added to it).
There are six common types of buttercream: American buttercream, Swiss buttercream, Italian Buttercream, French Buttercream, Ermine Buttercream, and German Buttercream.

American buttercream

This is a super easy frosting to make at home. You need to beat some butter and add powdered sugar to it.

• Taste- This is the sweetest among all the other frostings
• Texture- Can be greasy and grainy if not prepared properly.
• Difficulty- It is the easiest of all the buttercream.
• Pros- We can make different varieties using color and flavors. We can easily make it at home with no special equipment. 
• Cons-It is not so good to use in warm conditions and is too sweet for many people.

Recipe

Swiss Meringue buttercream

They are often referred to as Swiss buttercream. This contains whipped egg whites. It involves cooking the sugar and egg whites together, whipping them, and then beating in the butter. The result is a smooth buttercream used for decorations or spreads smoothly on cakes.

• Taste – Is not as sweet as American Buttercream but has a rich butter flavor.
• Texture – Smooth and silky
• Difficulty – Not as easy as American buttercream as it can separate and curdle when we add butter to the meringue
• Pros- Great base under fondants and works great for piping as well
• Cons-Requires equipment and more time

How to Make Swiss Meringue Buttercream

1. Let’s begin by separating the egg whites into two bowls. Ensure the eggs are at room temperature and no yolk ends in the mixture.
2. Whisk the egg whites and sugar together.
3. Cook the mixture (eggs and sugar) until they reach 70 degrees celsius or when all of the sugar has dissolved in a bain-marie method.
4. Whisk the cooked mixture in your stand mixer or with a hand blender until you achieve stiff peak consistency.
5. Once the meringues are cool, add room temperature butter, one tablespoon at a time while mixing.
6. Keep mixing until you reach stiff peaks again.
7. Add flavorings and mix well to incorporate.

Recipe

Italian Buttercream

The most complex involves: (The best part is that it is less prone to melting in warm climates)

1. Whipping the egg whites at room temperature.
2. Pour the hot sugar mixture into the egg whites to cook them.
3. Beating in the butter and other ingredients gives the smoothest, richest, and most stable buttercreams.

• Taste – well-balanced sweet and butter taste
• Texture – Smooth & silky
• Difficulty – One of the more complex buttercream frostings because of adding the sugar mixture to the egg whites
• Pros- Great base to be used with fondants and is stable even in warm conditions
• Cons- Involves the use of a Candy thermometer and hence can be difficult to make

How to Make Italian Buttercream

1. Put eggs, cream of tartar, and salt into a mixing bowl and turn on the mixer. Gradually increase the speed until the mixture reaches medium speed.
2. Gradually add sugar to the meringue until soft peaks are achieved. It was mixed until stiff enough to hold its form but not too stiff that it fell apart.
3. Meanwhile, heat sugar and water together at a medium-high temperature until the candy thermometer reads 115 degrees celsius.
4. Slowly add the sugar syrup into the egg mixture.
5. Once the syrup is added, increase the mixer speed to high until you achieve soft peaks (the mixture should be stiff enough to hold its shape when piped).
6. Let the meringue cool off for a few minutes before continuing.
7. After it has been allowed to cool down, mix in a tablespoon of butter at a time, and mix slowly until you reach stiff peaks.
8. Add your flavorings and mix well to incorporate.

French buttercream

It’s not a proper meringue because it uses egg yolk instead of egg whites. French buttercream and meringue buttercream aren’t the same kinds of frostings. Buttercream is made by combining eggs, sugar, and butter, then whipping them until they’re stiff. We should use pasteurized eggs because of the risk of salmonella (infection caused because of use of raw eggs)

• Taste-Use of egg yolks gives it a rich flavor that is less sweet.
• Texture- Light and silky smooth
• Difficulty- It is one of the more complex the buttercream to make
• Pros- Great Texture and flavor
• Cons- Egg yolks give it a light yellow color and are difficult to use for other tints. It isn’t easy to use piping decorations in warm conditions.

How to Make French buttercream

1. Combine the sugar with some water in a pan and bring it to a boil. Once it reaches 115 degrees celsius, remove it from the heat.
2. Whisk the yolks and salt together at a medium speed.
3. Turn the mixer down to a low speed and gradually add the sugar syrup to the bowl.
4. Increase the mixer speed and whisk until the mixture has reached room temperature.
5. Add room temperature butter to the bowl, one tablespoon at a time, and mix until well combined.
6. Add some flavorings.

Ermine Buttercream

This is also known as cooked frosting, flour frosting, boiled milk icing, etc., for red velvet cakes! Most people don’t know it’s a beaten butter frosting, but it’s usually in pre-packed bakery pastries. Eggless alternatives include cream cheese frosting, similar to Swiss meringue butter­cream but without eggs.

• Taste – Less sweet than American buttercream
• Texture – Add sugar to the milk and not to the butter for a light texture.
• Difficulty- Easy
• Pros- It doesn’t involve using a candy thermometer and eggs.
• Cons- It is not gluten-free as it uses flour and is very soft to be used in warm weather and for piping decorations.

How to Make Ermine Buttercream

1. Whisk together flour and sugar in a saucepan over medium heat for 2 minutes.
2. Gradually add the milk, adding a little at a time.
3. Once the milk has been added, bring the mixture to a medium-high temperature and whisk until it thickens to a pudding-like texture.
4. Put the mixture in a large bowl and cover it with a piece of plastic wrap so that the plastic wrap is touching the surface. Put it aside to cool.
5. Place room-temperature butter in the bowl of your mixer and whisk on high until fluffy.
6. Add the cooled mixture to the softened butter, one tablespoon at a time.
7. Add your flavorings and mix slowly to incorporate.

Recipe

German Buttercream

German buttercream is a whipped butter frosting and can be called a “beaten butter frosting” or “pastry cream butter.” The unique recipe is uncommon in the bakery scene but is an excellent change of pace from a traditional buttercream. We can make this by mixing starch-corn flour/flour, custard, sugar, and butter.

• Taste – very light in taste
• Texture – smooth and light
• Difficulty- Medium. It Falls between American buttercream and Italian buttercream.
• Pros- It is much better in taste than the American buttercream
• Cons- Can cause scrambled egg frosting if not done as per the process. It has a pale-yellow color to it and is difficult to use in hot weather.

How to Make German Buttercream

1. Heat milk to a gentle simmer in a saucepan and steep any additional flavors you’re looking to add.
2. Combine the cornstarch (flour), sugar, and room temperature eggs in a mixing bowl.
3. Add half of the simmered milk into the egg mixture while whisking.
4. Put the egg mixture into the pan with the remaining milk over medium-low heat and cook until the mixture thickens, whisking constantly.
5. Turn the heat to medium-low and whisk until the mixture thickens slightly about two more minutes.
6. Spread the custard in a shallow pan to cool.
7. Beat butter on a medium speed for a few minutes until light and fluffy.
8. Add one tablespoon at a time of custard into whipped butter while the mixer is running until it’s fully incorporated.
9. Swiss Meringue / Cooked Frosting

It starts with making an egg white sugar syrup and then gently whisking the mixture till it reaches a temperature of 71 degrees Celsius or 160 Degrees Fahrenheit. You can use a thermometer or a multimeter to achieve the desired temperature. Heating the mixture at such a high temperature kills any Salmonella bacteria that may be present. Swiss Meringue is denser and less voluminous than Italian and French Meringues. It is also a lot glossier with a thick marshmallow texture. It is a perfect meringue to top pies and desserts.

Cream Cheese Frosting

Cream cheese frosting is a delicious and versatile icing that is creamy and fluffy and can be used on cupcakes, cakes, or cookies. It’s effortless to make, and you only need three ingredients – cream cheese, butter, and powdered sugar. You can use it as a filling for cupcakes or as a topping for cake slices.

The secret to making cream cheese frosting is the addition of a little bit of sour cream. It’s unnecessary, but it makes for a smoother texture and richer flavor.

How to Make Cream Cheese Frosting

1. Mixing cream cheese and butter at room temperature is an excellent way to get a nice spreadable consistency.
2. Add in vanilla extract and salt and continue mixing.
3. Add the powdered sugar gradually, one tablespoon at a time, until it is fully incorporated into the mixture.

Whipped Cream Frosting

Whip together cream, flavorings, and powdered sugar until you get soft peaks for this Frosting. But be Whip together cream, flavorings, and powdered sugar until you get soft peaks for this frosting. But be careful as a bit of overbeating can make this frosting grainy. Don’t forget to refrigerate cakes, cupcakes, or other baked goods when you use this frosting.

How to Make Whipped Cream Frosting

1. Mixing heavy whipping cream and powdered sug­ar, start your mixer on a low setting and cover the bowl with a dishcloth to prevent a powdered sugar cloud.
2. Keep an eye on the whisking action as it mixes the ingredients. If it gets too thick, add some water. Mix for approximately 4 to 5 minutes or until the mixture becomes light and fluffy.
3. Add in your flavorings, such as vanilla extract, and mix for a few seconds. At this stage, you will have whipped cream that can be eaten as is.
4. To create a stable frosting, spread cream cheese in a separate bowl and smooth it out before adding any other ingredients.
5. Add the smooth mascar­pone cheese into the whipped creams and mix them on low.
6. Fold the frosting into a smooth, even layer.
7. Royal Icing

Combine egg white, sugar, and liquid, and you get a hard or brittle icing used mainly on cookies, doughnuts, and cakes for intricate decoration. For Baker’s running short of time, you can quickly grab meringue powder readily available in grocery stores for combining it with colorings and liquid. A thinner consistency is good for draping, while we can use thicker consistency for piping.

Ganache

People out there craving those creamy chocolate truffles are super easy to make at home by combining melted chocolate with heavy cream. You get your truffles. I prefer using dark chocolate/ bittersweet chocolate always. The cream to chocolate ratio varies as per the cocoa % in the chocolate you might use.

Remember to use the bain-marie method while melting chocolate. Leave a comment below to know more about bain-marie.

Glaze

We get a thin consistency with powdered sugar; the liquid is the clearest glaze to top the cakes and cookies. It hardens, becomes a shiny crust when cooled, and forms a protective layer around the baked item. Usually, chocolate-based glazes and gelatine glazes with fruits are suitable for baked products.

Water Icing

Heat a simple mixture of sugar, corn syrup, and water with flavorings and spread on coffee cakes, sweet rolls, and Danish pastries.

Fondants

This includes commercially available fondants- made with sugar/corn syrup, water, palm oil, stabilizers and thickeners, Marzipan-prepared from ground almonds and sugar, and modeling chocolate-from chocolate and corn syrup. All these coatings are thin sheets that give a flawless layer of decoration over the cake.

Fudge Frosting

Fudge frosting has a rich, creamy taste and a light texture. If you are looking for a decadent frosting, this is it. We make this frosting with butter, sugar, vanilla extract, milk powder, and cocoa powder. The addition of cocoa gives it its distinctive chocolate flavor as this can be rather sweet, mostly paired with plain sponges or tarts.

Seven Minute Frosting

Seven Minute Frosting is a simple yet delicious Frosting. We make this with seven ingredients, which takes about 7 minutes! This makes enough for a giant birthday cake or cupcakes. You can also use the leftover icing as a glaze on cakes or cookies.

Ten common mistakes to avoid while Frosting your Cake

1. Make the cake in advance, then make the Frosting. The key ingredients, butter and sugar, turn soft at room temperature, and the butter becomes stiff if refrigerated.
2. Never frost a warm cake.
3. Avoid overbeating the Frosting. Remember patience is the key; otherwise, you get grainy frosting.
4. Softening butter at room temperature is a big No! It should be soft enough to hold your thumbprint and should not be runny.
5. Don’t forget the side coat, which gives a clean look to your cake and prepares the cake for the second layer.
6. Never use a butter knife, but only an offset spatula, which is more user-friendly.
7. Don’t use store-bought powdered sugar; instead, sift your sugar to make it airier and avoid lumps.
8. Never add fresh fruits directly into the Frosting; always coat them in powdered sugar.
9. Don’t assume the layered cake is flat to avoid gaps and unevenness in the cake.
10. Don’t make your Frosting using a hand whisk; buy a sound hand mixer.

Try These 7 Tips to Streamline Your Frosting.

1. Add 1/3 teaspoon of vinegar to boiled icing to keep it from hardening.
2. Out of butter? You can make frosting with mashed potato, sugar & vanilla
3. Adding a small amount of lemon juice or salt to whipped cream frosting helps to whip quickly.
4. Sprinkling cornstarch or flour on the cake before icing controls the flow.
5. If you are craving a nice smooth chocolate icing, add some butter and experience the magic!
6. Add a small amount of honey to whipped cream for a fantastic flavor.
7. Dip your knife into hot water for a clean frosting on pastries and cakes.

Tips and Tricks to using your Buttercream Leftovers

Ending up with leftovers of buttercream is expected, as we make it in big batches. Let me share some tricks which you can use for your buttercream leftovers

1. Freeze it: You can freeze your leftover buttercream for three months by rolling them up in plastic wraps and storing them in freezer bags. Before using, thaw them in the refrigerator and adjust the consistency with sugar and milk
2. Drizzle over ice-creams or muffins- warm up your buttercream by thinning it up with milk and pour it over your chocolate ice cream or cinnamon rolls
3. Use it as a dip for your fruits- Mix some cream cheese and yoghurt to the thin buttercream and use it as a dip for your fresh fruits
4. Make cookie sandwiches or cake balls by mixing your leftover cake with buttercream

Find your favorite Frosting and step up your cake game!

With many frosting grounds to cover, choosing the one that suits your requirement will be an uphill task. Let me simplify this for you.

1. Best Frosting for Beginners: If you are just looking for a basic frosting, American Buttercream frosting is the best. No need to worry about any special equipment or any specific temperature
2. Frosting for advanced decorations: Italian and Swiss buttercream frostings with silky and smooth textures spread quickly on the cake and work best for all the piping decorations.
3. Frosting for Piping on Cupcakes: Italian and Swiss buttercream frostings can be used in pastry bags to top your cupcakes as they hold their shape.
4. Best Frosting for People who don’t like sweet frostings: Ermine frostings are a superb choice for people who don’t like American buttercream because of its sweetness. Chocolate frostings also can be an option as the bitter taste of chocolate balances the sweetness of the frosting. Chocolate sour cream frosting and whipped chocolate ganache frosting are some of the other options.

Sugar-Free Recipe

Whether you are a professional baker, a loving mom, or an experimental chef, I am sure you realize the power of frostings that go a long way in delighting your customers, cheering up your little one, or satisfying your sweet cravings. Bookmark this guide to find the right frostings for your recipes.

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