This Chocolate Frosting Is So Good, I’ll Never Use Another Recipe Again (2024)

FAQs

What is the secret ingredient that will improve your frosting? ›

By mixing in some vinegar, it will give another layer of flavor and also help hold the icing together better. (In general, you'll need a quarter of a teaspoon of vinegar for every three egg whites you use.)

In broad terms, frosting is thick and fluffy, and is used to coat the outside (and often the inner layers) of a cake. Icing is thinner and glossier than frosting, and can be used as a glaze or for detailed decorating.

For a (16-ounce) tub of frosting, anywhere from ½ cup to 1 cup of crunchy additions will do the trick. Toasted nuts, coconut flakes, chocolate chips or chunks, halvah, and toffee will all add a fun new dimension of flavor. Stir in chopped up canned pineapple or fresh berries for an extra fruity kick.

Empty the canned frosting into a large mixing bowl. Whip the frosting using an electric mixer (either hand mixer or stand mixer) for 2 to 3 minutes until fluffy and doubled in size. It's ready! Decorate twice as many cupcakes, cakes, and cookies with ease thanks to this canned frosting hack.

Whip the frosting with half a block of cream cheese and an extra cup of powdered sugar and a few drops of the appropriate flavoring extract. If you're using chocolate, add cocoa powder. If you want a richer buttery flavor add a few tablespoons of butter as well.

Frostings are generally thicker, fluffier, and used for coating not just the outside but also between layers of baked goods. Some frostings use a meringue base, while others simply rely on butter and sugar. Icings on the other hand are typically thinner and harden to a firm consistency, like royal icings, for example.

Icing (including the popular chocolate icing called ganache) is thinner than frosting but thicker than glaze. Icings set quickly and stiffen as they dry, and are usually spooned or poured over the cake or cookie—though in the case of royal icing, they may also be piped on to create details.

Choose Swiss meringue Buttercream if you:

want to level up your cake decorating from traditional American buttercreams (the ones that use just butter/powdered sugar.) Most pro-decorators will likely use this for sharp, clean sides and detailed designs.

Creamy ingredients like Nutella, cream cheese, marshmallow creme, peanut butter or another nut butter will give the store-bought frosting tons of flavor with some additional smoothness. Mix in 1 cup of cream cheese or 1/2 cup of marshmallow creme or nut butter per can of frosting for a creamy delight.

Are you supposed to whip canned frosting? ›

Remove the frosting from the container and place it in a mixing bowl. Whip using either a stand mixer with the whisk attachment or a handheld mixer. The whipping action traps air inside the frosting, and this extra air will change it from compact to delightfully light and fluffy.

If you are making a chocolate frosting, adding more cocoa powder is a great option for thickening it. The technique is basically the same as if you were thickening with powdered sugar, but you want to use a smaller quantity of cocoa powder than icing sugar. Try adding just 1 to 2 teaspoon at a time.

For the best taste and texture, go with Duncan Hines. For a slightly cheaper, and almost equally good alternative, Betty Crocker is your best bet.

"Mixing in cream cheese, whipped cream, lemon zest, or even Nutella can make such a difference." From making frosting creamier or fluffier to changing its flavor, these easy changes will certainly impress anyone you're planning to share your dessert with.

Yes, it is definitely possible to over-beat frosting. Over-beating can cause the frosting to become too thick and stiff, making it difficult to spread or pipe onto the cake. It can also cause the frosting to lose its smooth, creamy texture and become gritty.

Sugar is the most important ingredient in all types of frostings, providing sweetness, flavor, bulk and structure.

Add white vinegar.

Although many do so to avoid cracks and to achieve a smooth appearance, I find just the tiniest bit — about 1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon — also curbs the sweetness, allowing the wonderfully creamy mouth-feel of the icing to truly shine.