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Frosting, icing, let me count the ways that I love thee . . .
I really like frosting. It's the icing on the cake (every pun in the world intended!). Cake is nice, don't get me wrong, and good cake is really nice, but combine that moist cakey deliciousness with buttercream and you've got heaven on a plate.
I should note, however, that I am very particular about my buttercream. There are two types of buttercream, American and French. Both have their merits, though I prefer French.
American buttercream is frosting made with confectioner's sugar ("10x" in kitchen-speak) and butter and sometimes shortening. You can always tell if American buttercream is made with shortening if it leaves a film in your mouth. This is because shortening, unlike butter, melts at a temperature higher than body temperature. It is very, very sweet. It is used in most grocery store style cakes and old-school style American bakeries. Its surface dries hard, so it's good for making sugar roses and for painting on it for fancier cakes.
French buttercream is made with a meringue that is cooked by pouring boiling sugar over it. Loads of butter is then added to the meringue, producing a super creamy, super smooth icing that is soft and less sweet than its American counterpart.
Both of these buttercreams should be flavored with first and foremost, the tiniest pinch of salt (use unsalted butter when making frosting so you can control the amount you put in. I've tried using salted butter in a pinch and it just doesn't taste nice.)
Now comes the fun part! Experiment with flavorings. Make berry flavored buttercream by cooking some frozen berries, pureeing them and then putting them through a sieve to remove the seeds. You'll have concentrated berry juice that you can add in tablespoonfuls to your buttercream until you achieve the flavor and color you want. Add a tablespoon or two of berry liquor or eau de vie to give it an extra kick.
Speaking of liquor, try adding some bourbon, Calvados or Kahlua to your buttercream. This will be absolutely lovely on almond or pound cake.
How about adding some lemon, orange, or lime zest to your buttercream to give it some pretty flecks of color? Add a little bit of complimentary extract or oil to zing it.
What about chocolate? How do I make chocolate buttercream?? Simple! For American buttercream, beat some cocoa powder into the frosting (1/4 cup per pound of buttercream). For French, beat in six ounces of melted chocolate per pound of buttercream. Use the best quality cocoa and chocolate you can comfortably afford because that's the primary flavor you’ll be tasting. And like the vanilla version, go for it and add some booze to flavor it--Chocolate Bourbon Buttercream! Who can go wrong with that?
Another interesting option to give your buttercream a little tooth is to add some crushed brittle or store-bought candy bar (like a Skor Bar). Grind it in the food processor or put it in a plastic freezer bag and smash it with a meat tenderizer or hammer. Stir it into your buttercream to give it some texture and to add sweetness.
Whatever type of buttercream you make, if you use your imagination and give it a little kick your cake is bound to . . . well, take the cake! Bon Appetit!
©2026 CDKitchen, Inc. No reproduction or distribution of any portion of this article is allowed without express permission from CDKitchen, Inc.
To share this article with others, you may link to this page:
https://www.cdkitchen.com/cooking-experts/rebecca-michaels/272-buttercream-frosting/
Buttercream-O-Rama
Frosting, icing, let me count the ways that I love thee . . .
I really like frosting. It's the icing on the cake (every pun in the world intended!). Cake is nice, don't get me wrong, and good cake is really nice, but combine that moist cakey deliciousness with buttercream and you've got heaven on a plate.
I should note, however, that I am very particular about my buttercream. There are two types of buttercream, American and French. Both have their merits, though I prefer French.
American buttercream is frosting made with confectioner's sugar ("10x" in kitchen-speak) and butter and sometimes shortening. You can always tell if American buttercream is made with shortening if it leaves a film in your mouth. This is because shortening, unlike butter, melts at a temperature higher than body temperature. It is very, very sweet. It is used in most grocery store style cakes and old-school style American bakeries. Its surface dries hard, so it's good for making sugar roses and for painting on it for fancier cakes.
French buttercream is made with a meringue that is cooked by pouring boiling sugar over it. Loads of butter is then added to the meringue, producing a super creamy, super smooth icing that is soft and less sweet than its American counterpart.
Both of these buttercreams should be flavored with first and foremost, the tiniest pinch of salt (use unsalted butter when making frosting so you can control the amount you put in. I've tried using salted butter in a pinch and it just doesn't taste nice.)
Now comes the fun part! Experiment with flavorings. Make berry flavored buttercream by cooking some frozen berries, pureeing them and then putting them through a sieve to remove the seeds. You'll have concentrated berry juice that you can add in tablespoonfuls to your buttercream until you achieve the flavor and color you want. Add a tablespoon or two of berry liquor or eau de vie to give it an extra kick.
Speaking of liquor, try adding some bourbon, Calvados or Kahlua to your buttercream. This will be absolutely lovely on almond or pound cake.
How about adding some lemon, orange, or lime zest to your buttercream to give it some pretty flecks of color? Add a little bit of complimentary extract or oil to zing it.
What about chocolate? How do I make chocolate buttercream?? Simple! For American buttercream, beat some cocoa powder into the frosting (1/4 cup per pound of buttercream). For French, beat in six ounces of melted chocolate per pound of buttercream. Use the best quality cocoa and chocolate you can comfortably afford because that's the primary flavor you’ll be tasting. And like the vanilla version, go for it and add some booze to flavor it--Chocolate Bourbon Buttercream! Who can go wrong with that?
Another interesting option to give your buttercream a little tooth is to add some crushed brittle or store-bought candy bar (like a Skor Bar). Grind it in the food processor or put it in a plastic freezer bag and smash it with a meat tenderizer or hammer. Stir it into your buttercream to give it some texture and to add sweetness.
Whatever type of buttercream you make, if you use your imagination and give it a little kick your cake is bound to . . . well, take the cake! Bon Appetit!
Serves/Makes: 1 batch
- 1 cup sugar
- 3 tablespoons corn syrup
- 1/2 cup water
- 3 eggs
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 pound unsalted butter
Put sugar, corn syrup and water in a saucepan over high heat.
Meanwhile, beat eggs and salt until fluffy.
When all of the sugar is dissolved and the mixture is boiling, pour over beaten eggs. Cut butter into cubes. When the eggs-sugar bowl is lukewarm to the touch, slowly add butter while continuing to beat until fluffy and smooth. Flavor or color as desired.
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©2026 CDKitchen, Inc. No reproduction or distribution of any portion of this article is allowed without express permission from CDKitchen, Inc.
To share this article with others, you may link to this page:
https://www.cdkitchen.com/cooking-experts/rebecca-michaels/272-buttercream-frosting/