Frosting

For most of the recipes, the directions are to beat together the butter and sugar, then add other flavoring ingredients, then add milk/cream/half&half or more sugar as needed to get your desired consistency. For example, you may want the frosting stiffer for piping or smoother for spreading by hand. For softer frostings sometimes refrigerating for a while before spreading can help the texture. I am completely in love with the strawberry mascarpone and peanut butter flavors but these all turned out well! Most of these would do well with vanilla and chocolate cupcakes but I’ll also suggest some other good pairings for these frostings as well!

Frosting

Brown Butter

Description

good on vanilla, pumpkin, brown sugar, hazelnut, almond and many other flavor cupcakes

Ingredients
  • 4 tbsp butter
  • 2 cups powdered sugar
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1-2 tbsp milk or cream
Directions
  1. Brown butter in sauce pan (heat over medium and stir constantly until starts to brown). Remove from heat and immediately mix in sugar and other ingredients.

Chocolate

Description

this is a good basic chocolate frosting recipe

Ingredients
  • 1 cups butter (no substitutes), softened
  • 4.5 cups confectioners’ sugar
  • 1 1/4 cups baking cocoa
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup milk
Directions

Cinnamon Marshmallow

Description

(good with apple or other spiced cupcakes)

Ingredients
  • 2 cups butter
  • 2 ½ cups powdered sugar
  • 1 tsp almond extract
  • 13 oz marshmallow crème
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
Directions

Cookie Dough

Description

good on basic flavors like chocolate/vanilla

Ingredients
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened to room temp
  • 3/4 cup light brown sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/4 cup milk
  • 1 cup mini chocolate chips
Directions

Fudge

Description

thick fudgy frosting, goes well with many things, including banana, pumpkin, strawberry, chocolate, etc.

Ingredients
  • ½ cup butter
  • 4 (1 oz) squares unsweetened chocolate
  • 1 lb powdered sugar
  • 1/2 cup milk
Directions
  1. Melt the chocolate and butter in the microwave or in a double boiler then add in the milk and powdered sugar, stirring till it’s smooth.

Jello Flavoring

Description

You can flavor/color frosting with jello packages! Just mix in a small amount and your frosting will take on that flavor. These are mostly fruity flavors so they’d pair best with vanilla or fruity cupcakes (lime, raspberry, lemon, strawberry, etc.)

Ingredients
  • 1/2 cup vegetable shortening
  • 1/2 cup butter, softened
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 4 cups, powdered sugar (1 pound)
  • 2 tbsp milk
  • 1-3 tbsp Jello mix
Directions

Lemon Blackberry

Description

good with lemon cupcakes and any other fruity cupcakes

Ingredients
  • 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
  • 1/4 cup blackberry puree
  • 1 tsp. vanilla extract
  • 1 Tbsp. lemon zest
  • pinch of salt
  • 5-6 cups confectioner’s sugar
Directions

Maple

Description

Ingredients
  • 2.25 cup confectioners’ sugar
  • 0.50 cup brown sugar
  • 8 tbsp. unsalted butter
  • 0.13 tsp. salt
  • 0.50 cup maple syrup
  • 1 tsp. vanilla
  • 2 tbsp. whole milk
Directions

Mint Chip Frosting

Description

best on chocolate or vanilla cupcakes

Ingredients
  • 4 cups confectioner’s sugar
  • ½ cup butter
  • 1/8 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp mint extract
  • 4 tbs milk
  • 1 cup mini chocolate chips
Directions

Nutella

Description

chocolate so it pairs well with many flavors, good on banana, pumpkin, walnut spice, to name a few

Ingredients
  • 1 cup (230g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
  • 2 cups (240g) confectioners’ sugar
  • 3/4 cup (222g) Nutella
  • 3-4 tbsp (45-60ml) heavy cream*
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • salt to taste
Directions

Oreo

Description

best on chocolate, vanilla, or mint cupcakes

Ingredients
  • 8 tbsp butter, room temperature
  • 1/2 cup vegetable shortening
  • 4 cups powdered sugar (1 lb)
  • 1/2 tsp butter flavoring or 1/2 teaspoonvanilla extract
  • 6 tbsp Oreo cookies, finely crushed (plus extra as needed for garnish)
Directions

Peanut Butter

Description

good on chocolate, banana, apple, and nutty or spiced cupcakes

Ingredients
  • 1 cup room temp. butter
  • 1 cup creamy peanut butter
  • 1 cup marshmallow creme
  • 2 cups confectioners sugar
  • 3 tbs milk
  • 2/3 tsp vanilla
Directions
  1. mix all ingredients together

Pink Lemonade

Description

this has a very strong lemonade flavor! Best paired with vanilla or other fruit flavors like strawberry, raspberry, lemon, lime, etc. cupcakes.

Ingredients
  • 3 cups confectioners sugar
  • ½ cup unsalted butter (room temperature)
  • 2 tbsp frozen pink lemonade concentrate
  • Pinch of salt
  • yellow food coloring (optional)
Directions

Pumpkin Cream Cheese

Description

good with pumpkin or other spiced cupcakes

Ingredients
  • 4 cups powdered sugar, sifted
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp freshly ground nutmeg
  • 12 oz cream cheese, at room temperature
  • 8 tbsp unsalted butter (1 stick), at room temperature
  • 1/3 cup pumpkin purée (not pie filling)
Directions
  1. Mix sugar with butter and cream cheese till smooth. Add in spices and pumpkin

Red Wine

Description

good on chocolate, red velvet, vanilla cupcakes

Ingredients
  • 1/2 cup butter, room temperature
  • 2 cups confectioner’s sugar
  • 1/4 cup Cabernet Sauvignon
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
Directions

Salted Caramel

Description

best on basic cupcake flavors

Ingredients
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 tbsp water
  • 1/4 cup heavy cream
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 12 tbsp unsalted butter (1 1/2 sticks), at room temperature
  • 1/2 tsp fine salt
  • 1 cup powdered sugar
Directions
  1. Briefly stir together granulated sugar and water in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Continue cooking, without stirring, until mixture turns dark amber in color, about 6 to 7 minutes.
  3. Remove from heat and slowly add in cream and vanilla, stirring until completely smooth. Set aside until cool to the touch, about 25 minutes.
  5. Mix butter, sat, and sugar until smooth and fluffy and then stir in the caramel mixture. Top cupcakes with a bit of sea salt.

Strawberry Mascarpone

Description

best on vanilla, strawberry, or other fruity cupcakes. For pretty colors, save half the frosting before adding the strawberry and swirl together

Ingredients
  • 1/4 cup softened butter
  • 1 8-ounce container mascarpone, at room temperature
  • 1 8-ounce brick cream cheese, softened
  • 1/2 cup fresh strawberries, pureed
  • 2 tbsp strawberry jam
  • 4-5 cups powdered sugar
Directions

Vanilla Chai

Description

good on chai or vanilla cupcakes and other lightly spiced or lightly flavored cupcakes

Ingredients
  • 1 cup (2 sticks) butter
  • 1 tsp. vanilla extract
  • 2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
  • 1 Tbsp. cold milk, if needed to thin out the buttercream
  • 1 tsp. ground cardamom
  • 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
  • tsp. ground ginger
  • 1/8 tsp. ground cloves
  • 1/8 tsp. ground nutmeg
Directions

White Chocolate

Description

similar to the fudge frosting but for white chocolate instead. Goes well on chocolate/vanilla, nutty, and cookie flavored cupcakes

Ingredients
  • 1 cup butter, softened (no subs)
  • 2 cups confectioners’ sugar
  • 6 ounces white chocolateor 6 ounces white baking bar, melted and cooled
  • 3 -5 tbsp whipping cream or 3 -5 tablespoons half-and-half
Directions