19 Cake Frosting Recipes So Good You’ll Lick the Bowl (2024)

This recipe makes enough frosting for a two-layer, eight- or nine-inch cake. For a single-layer sheet cake, you can halve the recipe.

11. Ganache

This is a rich mixture of chocolate and heavy cream that can be paired with many different types of cakes (or layered atop brownies and ice cream, for that matter). You can change the impact of a ganache by varying the ratio of chocolate to cream—at one-and-a-half parts chocolate to one part cream it makes a thick, luxurious filling for cake layers. If you use equal amounts of chocolate and cream—known as “ordinary ganache,” though it tastes pretty extraordinary—the result will be a bit thinner. At room temperature, this mixture will be a pourable glaze. Or, if chilled briefly, it will thicken slightly and can be spread on the outside of a cake.

12. Jam and jelly

Jams and jellies are also best in combination with other fillings such as buttercream or ganache. To use a jam or jelly as a cake filling or even as a topping, simply stir it to soften, or heat it slightly if it’s too thick. You may also want to strain jams to remove the seeds for a smoother texture.

13. Custard

Custard—a mixture of egg yolks, sugar, and milk or cream thickened with flour or cornstarch—is used as the filling in many European-style cakes. Also known as pastry cream, custards work well between layers of genoise—but can be used with any layers that aren’t too rich, such as white or chiffon cake. Pastry cream can be flavored with vanilla or other yummy flavorings, and sometimes a small amount of whipped cream is folded in to lighten it (fold an equal measure of whipped cream into pastry cream and it’s called diplomat cream). Custards are generally used only as fillings—they’re too rich and have the wrong texture to cover the outside of a cake. But a small amount of custard can be folded into a cream cheese frosting to flavor it.

14. Whipped cream

Whether lightly flavored with sour cream or chocolate or left as is in all its fluffy goodness, a layered cake filled with whipped cream frosting is a classic. Since it’s somewhat bland itself, whipped cream works particularly well with assertively flavored cakes, such as devil’s food or spice cakes. But, when paired with other fillings like fruit, it’s also good with lighter cakes such as genoise. Whipped cream can also be used to cover the outside of a cake and piped to form soft decorations, but it’s best used only for cakes you plan to eat right away. For more stable whipped cream, follow this recipe.

15. Water icing

This powdered sugar icing can actually be made using water or milk, often with the addition of a flavoring such as citrus juice or vanilla extract. A thin water icing may be brushed on a simple cooled cake like a pound or coffee cake. If made thicker, it forms a white glaze that can be drizzled onto the cake—a standard finish for many simple cakes baked in Bundt pans.

16. Rolled fondant

This is a combination of sugar and vegetable shortening that makes a thick white putty-like substance that can be rolled out like pastry dough and stretched over cakes. Rolled fondant is popular among cake artists, particularly for wedding cakes, because it holds up well in hot weather, can be tinted any color, and forms a smooth, perfect surface for decorations. Unfortunately, while it looks terrific, fondant does not have much flavor and, if applied too thickly, can taste terrible.

17. Marzipan

This smooth, sweetened almond paste is another thick material that can be rolled out and used to cover cakes. It’s off-white, so not a good candidate for tinting, but it’s quite sweet and has a much better flavor than fondant. Vienna’s famous rum-soaked Punschtorte conceals a paper-thin layer of marzipan under a sugar icing. Marzipan can also be used to mold flowers and other decorations that are then placed on a cake.

18. Royal icing

Royal icing is made from a heavy paste of egg whites (or meringue powder) and confectioners’ sugar beaten with a little vinegar or strained lemon juice to help the egg whites froth. The result is a pure-white sticky icing that dries to a hard finish. Royal icing is used for delicate piping such as elaborate “string” decorations that are piped from a tiny plain tube or paper cone. Its pure-white color makes it a good option for tinting. Its flavor is sweet and unobtrusive, but due to its crisp texture when dry, it should not be used in large amounts.

19. Sugar syrup

Sugar syrup, also known as simple syrup, is sometimes brushed on cake layers to moisten them. It’s particularly essential for drier cakes, such as genoise, but even some butter and oil cakes can benefit from being brushed with syrup, which will keep them from drying out. For this reason, syrup is popular in wedding cakes and other large projects that must be made in multiple stages. The cake is made first and can be several days old by the time it’s served—the syrup keeps it tasting fresh and moist. Syrup is not usually used alone as a filling—generally the layers are brushed with syrup and then another filling, such as jam or buttercream, is spread on top. Basic sugar syrups can be flavored with myriad ingredients, including espresso, vanilla extract, spices, liquors, liqueurs, eaux-de-vie, and fruit juice. The flavoring of the syrup should complement or match the flavors of the cake and other finishing agents.