11 Types Of Frosting And How To Use Them

What do cakes, cookies, pastries, donuts, and cupcakes all have in common? Well, aside from their finger-licking goodness, they are all begging to be decorated, draped, or drizzled with some sort of frosting. This finishing step is arguably the most crucial element of so many baked goods. Adding sweet, sticky frosting can practically transform your desserts from just fine to a slice of heaven. 

But not all frosting is created equal, and knowing which type to use to top your desserts is key. If you thought that classic buttercream and cream cheese is all there is to frosting, then you're in for a treat. When it comes to homemade frostings, the choices are surprisingly vast and confusing at times. From light and airy whipped cream frosting to rich and chocolaty ganache, there are many options to choose from, and different desserts are suited to each unique type.

Whether you're looking to enhance the appearance of your cookies, elevate the flavor of a cake, or simply want to lick it straight off a spoon, frosting is your friend — if you know how to work with it. To help you master the basics, Mashed broke down 11 different types of frosting and exactly how to use them to make your desserts that much more delectable every time. 

Mix cream and chocolate together, and you've got the base for another finger-licking frosting, the ganache. As one baker puts it, ganache basically tastes like chocolate truffles in frosting form (via Julia's Cake & Eat It!).  Ganache can be made with milk, white, or dark chocolate and is popularly used as a glaze or for layering cakes as well as drizzling all over the top. And that's not all — ganache is also an excellent base for fondant cakes because its surface becomes hard and smooth as it sets (via Cake Central).

The experts at Fine Cooking explain how ganache is actually more versatile than you might think. It is basically a fat-in-water emulsion of chocolate and heavy cream. The ratio of those two ingredients can be altered to yield ganache of varying consistencies — from thin and saucy, to stiff and fudge-like, to light and fluffy — making it ideal for various mouth-watering treats. 

However, making ganache can be a tricky business. To make sure you end up with velvety chocolate goodness instead of a burnt, clumpy mess, start by chopping up your chocolate of choice and melting it in warm cream. Then whisk to emulsify the mix until it is super smooth and flows off your spatula. Next, be sure to let it slowly cool and set before frosting your dessert. The key here is to gradually change the temperature of the chocolate, as dramatic changes can ruin the texture of your ganache (via Fine Cooking). 

Finger-licking, lip-smacking, and delightful, royal icing is the ultimate cookie frosting. It dates back to the 1600s, but really gained popularity (and its regal name) after it was used for Queen Victoria's wedding cake in 1840 (via Donna Jane Cakes). 

Royal icing is basically standard icing but with a minor twist. It starts with confectioners' sugar and water, along with meringue powder or egg whites. As Food Crumbles notes, this added ingredient makes the icing quicker to set, harder, and less prone to cracking. Royal icing is arguably the best part about sugar cookies (and gingerbread, too!), but is also often used to decorate cakes. And you can definitely get creative with it, using food dye to add colorful playfulness to your baked goods, or flavor enhancers like vanilla extract and citrus juice.

Tasting Table offers up a simple royal icing recipe. It calls for 4 cups of powdered sugar, 2 large egg whites, a teaspoon of fresh lemon juice, and a teaspoon of water. Add it all to a bowl and use an electric mixer on low speed to blend until the icing is smooth. You can continue to add water, a little at a time, until you reach the consistency you're looking for — ideally, you want to see it make a ribbon trail as it falls off the spatula. And if your icing gets too thin, balance it out by adding some more powdered sugar. It's a truly foolproof frosting. 

Cinnamon rolls, carrot cakes, and red velvet all share one important thing in common. Aside from being delicious, they are usually finished off with scrumptious cream cheese frosting that can make your mouth water just looking at it. Cream cheese frosting is a yummy yet simple combination of cream cheese, butter, sugar, and often vanilla extract (via Food Network). While texturally, a frosting made with cream cheese might look and feel pretty similar to buttercream, it has a more rich and complex flavor — a little tinge of tang that balances the sweetness of sugar, giving your taste buds a treat to savor in every bite. 

For a quick and easy recipe for cream cheese frosting, Tasting Table says to mix 1 3/4 cups each of butter and cream cheese. After creaming those together, add 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract and gently mix in 1 cup of confectioners' sugar. 

Another more unique frosting option is the ever-classy meringue. There are three different variations: Swiss, Italian, and French. All three are made with egg whites and sugar, but they vary slightly in their preparation methods, as explained by Cooks Illustrated.. However, unless you're using a stand mixer, all three are going to require some serious strength and willpower to whip them to perfection. 

French meringue is probably the simplest to make of the three. Egg whites are whipped until they are light and airy, and then sugar is slowly added. The mixture is beaten until stiff peaks form. Italian meringue takes a little more effort. It's made by whipping egg whites until stiff, and then continuing to beat them while pouring in hot sugar syrup, until the mixture forms a fluffy yet smooth and satiny texture. Swiss meringue also involves some heat in the form of a double boiler. Both egg whites and sugar are gently whisked while sitting atop boiling water and then aggressively beaten again after being pulled off the heat until the mixture forms a voluminous meringue texture. 

It's worth noting that, while they can all stand on their own as frosting, French, Swiss, and Italian meringues can also be converted into buttercream frosting by slowly incorporating butter to the mixture at the end.

Sweetened condensed milk frosting is easy-peasy, but requires no lemon squeezing, we promise. It only requires you to have two things in hand: sweetened condensed milk that's been chilled in the fridge and unsalted butter. If you want, vanilla extract and other flavorings can be added as well. In three simple steps, you'll have a perfect frosting that is stable for you to pipe, layer, and decorate your cake or cupcakes with (via Cake Decorist).

Using electric beaters or a stand mixer, start by beating butter at a high speed until it gets light and fluffy. Add any flavoring you want to use and then slowly mix in sweetened condensed milk until it is fully incorporated. You'll see that the frosting will turn airy, creamy, and super tasty. The best part about this frosting is that it is something you can quickly whip up without breaking a sweat. And the fact that it uses the bare minimum of ingredients makes it one of our favorites. Yes, we lazy folks with a sweet tooth are living the dream.