Buttercream

American Buttercream

Ingredients: Butter, Powdered Sugar, Milk, Vanilla

American buttercream is the most common type of frosting used by home bakers and professional bakeries alike. The simple ingredients make it quick to prepare and lend itself well to colorings or flavors. Its main uses include frosting cakes and cupcakes and as a filling for other baked goods. The stability made from the sugar and butter makes it great for piping details onto cakes and cupcakes. The only drawbacks of American buttercream are its sweetness level and heat sensitivity. Many people are sensitive to the high quantity of sugar in this buttercream, and the high fat content from the butter makes it susceptible to melting in high temperatures.

Yellow cupcakes frosted with American buttercream icing.
Millie Davenport, ©2024, Clemson Extension

Chantilly cake.
Millie Davenport, ©2024, Clemson Extension

Cream Cheese Buttercream

Ingredients: Butter, Powdered Sugar, Cream Cheese, Vanilla, Milk

Cream cheese buttercream is a lot like regular American buttercream, including a lot of the same ingredients. The main difference is the addition of cream cheese. It tends to have a lot of the same uses, including frosting cakes and cupcakes and filling other baked goods. The distinction comes with the specific types of cakes it’s used on. Cream cheese frosting is primarily used on cakes that are richer and heavier, such as red velvet and carrot cakes. The tangy flavor helps to balance the heavy feeling people get when enjoying those types of desserts.

Swiss Meringue Buttercream

Ingredients: Egg whites, Sugar, Butter, Vanilla

Swiss meringue buttercream is beloved by many home and professional cake decorators alike. It is very popular for frosting cakes, especially wedding cakes, because of its smooth finish and ability to hold small details. Due to the egg whites, this buttercream tends to be less sweet, making it more versatile. The main downside to this type of buttercream is the complexity of preparation. It requires heating egg whites and forming stiff peak meringue before beating in the butter.

White cupcakes.
Millie Davenport, ©2024, Clemson Extension

Other Frosting Types

Ganache

Ingredients: Chocolate and Cream

Ganache is the frosting for the chocolate lovers of the world. It can be used in a variety of ways, just by changing the ratio of chocolate to cream. The most popular uses include as a glaze, filling, or even to make truffles.

A cake with ganache frosting.
Krystle Lacey ©2024, Clemson Extension

Whipped Cream

Ingredients: Cream and Sugar

Whipped cream is one of the easiest types of frosting to make. It is made by beating heavy whipping cream and slowly adding in sugar until stiff peaks form. However, it can also be easily overmixed and turned into butter. Whipped cream is very popular for its lighter-than-air texture and subtle flavor. It is generally used as a topping or decoration on top of cakes, but not to cover a whole cake as it tends to soak in and melt due to high temperatures.

A pie with whipped cream icing.
Krystle Lacey ©2024, Clemson Extension

A pie with whipped cream icing.
Krystle Lacey ©2024, Clemson Extension

Fondant

Fondant is a type of sugar paste usually bought pre-made and pre-colored. It is used to create designs and smooth finishes on professional cakes. It is known to not have a great flavor but can be easily removed when eating. Fondant is great for outdoor events, as it tends to hold up better to heat than buttercream.

A cake with fondant frosting.
Krystle Lacey ©2024, Clemson Extension

A cake with fondant frosting.
Krystle Lacey ©2024, Clemson Extension

Royal Icing

Ingredients: Egg Whites, Sugar, Water

Royal icing is a thin icing that sets hard on the outside. Royal icing is well-known in the baking world of cookies. Its main use is to provide intricate details on cookies because the icing won’t be easily destroyed. It also has a long shelf life because of the high quantity of sugar, making it ideal for creating cake decorations in advance.

Recipes

Key Lime Pie

Ingredients

Graham Cracker Crust

1½ cups graham cracker crumbs
1/3 cup granulated sugar
6 tbsp melted butter

Key Lime Filling

28 oz can sweetened condensed milk
½ cup sour cream
¾ cup lime juice
2 tsp vanilla extract
zest from 2 limes

Whipped Cream Topping

1 cup heavy whipping cream
½ cup powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375 °F

Graham Cracker Crust

1. In a large bowl, mix the graham cracker crumbs, butter, and sugar until the mixture looks and feels like wet sand. You can add more butter or cracker crumbs depending on how wet or dry the mixture is.
2. Press this mixture onto the bottom and sides of an 8-9” pie pan.
3. Bake for 7-10 minutes or until dry and golden brown.
4. Cool for 30 minutes.

Key Lime Filling

1. Reduce the heat of the oven to 350 °F
2. In a medium bowl, whisk the sweetened condensed milk, sour cream, vanilla, lime juice and zest together until smooth.
3. Pour this mixture into the prepared and cooled graham cracker crust and bake for 10 minutes until solid in the middle. Let cool slightly before placing in fridge, refrigerate for at least 3 hours

Whipped Cream

1. Using a hand mixer with a whisk attachment and whip heavy cream, sugar and vanilla extract on medium speed until stiff peaks form.
2. Pipe in whatever design you desire on the top of the chilled pie, garnish with lime slices and zest if desired.
3. Serve and Enjoy!

Coconut Cream Pie

Ingredients

Graham Cracker Crust

1½ cups graham cracker crumbs
1/3 cup granulated sugar
6 tbsp melted butter

Coconut Filling

4 large egg yolks
¼ cup cornstarch
1 can coconut milk
1 cup half and half
2/3 cup granulated sugar
¼ tsp salt|
1 cup sweetened shredded coconut (toasted)
2 tbsp softened butter
1 tsp vanilla extract
½ tsp coconut extract

Whipped Cream Topping

1 cup heavy whipping cream
½ cup powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
½ cup sweetened shredded coconut (toasted)

Instructions

Toasted Coconut

1. Preheat oven to 325 °F
2. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and spread sweetened coconut on top in a single thin layer.
3. Toast the coconut for about 6-8 minutes or until golden, stirring every couple minutes to prevent burning. Watch these carefully.

Graham Cracker Crust

1. Raise the oven temperature to 375 °F
2. In a large bowl mix the graham cracker crumbs, butter, and sugar until the mixture looks and feels like wet sand. You can add more butter or cracker crumbs depending on how wet or dry the mixture is.
3. Press this mixture onto the bottom and sides of a 8-9” pie pan.
4. Bake for 7-10 minutes or until dry and golden brown.
5. Cool for 30 minutes.

Coconut Cream Filling

1. Whisk egg yolks and cornstarch together and set aside.
2. In a small saucepan, whisk the coconut milk, half and half, granulated sugar and salt together over medium heat. Bring this mixture to a boil, whisking occasionally. Boil for 2 minutes.
3. Once boiling, reduce heat and take about ½ cup of the mixture, slowly stream into the egg yolk mixture while whisking to prevent scrambling.
4. Take the new egg yolk mixture and stream that back into the pot until combined, this process is called tempering of the eggs!
5. The pudding should be beginning to thicken, whisk and cook for 1 minute. Remove from heat. Stir in butter, 1 cup toasted coconut, vanilla and coconut extract.
6. Pour filling into the pie crust and cover with plastic wrap placed directly on the surface of the pie to prevent a skin from forming. Cool for at least 3 hours; you can place in freezer for faster cooling.

Whipped Cream

1. Using a hand mixer with a whisk attachment, whip heavy cream, sugar and vanilla extract at medium speed until stiff peaks form.
2. Pipe in whatever design you desire on the top of the chilled pie, garnish with remaining toasted coconut
3. Serve and Enjoy!

German Chocolate Cake

Ingredients

Chocolate Cake

2 cups granulated sugar
½ cup softened butter
1 cup milk
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
1¾ cup all-purpose flour
¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
1 cup hot coffee

Filling

1 cup heavy cream
1 cup granulated sugar
3 egg yolks
½ cup unsalted butter
1½ cups sweetened coconut flakes
1 cup finely chopped pecans
1 tsp vanilla extract

Ganache

¾ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
¼ cup heavy whipping cream

Instructions

Cake

1. Preheat the oven to 350 °F
2. Grease and flour three 8” round cake pans.
3. In a large bowl, whisk together sugar and butter until combined
4. Add the milk, eggs, and vanilla and whisk until combined.
5. Sift in the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, salt and baking powder and mix until smooth.
6. Slowly stir in the hot coffee (if you don’t like coffee, you can replace with hot water) until the batter is smooth.
7. Divide evenly between the 3 prepared pans and bake for 20-22 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
8. Cool completely.

Filling

1. In a medium saucepan, whisk together sugar, cream, and egg yolks.
2. Add in butter and cook over medium heat; whisk until thickened (5-10 minutes).
3. Remove from the heat and stir in coconut pecans and vanilla.
4. Let cool to room temperature.

Ganache

1. In a small pot, melt chocolate and cream together over low heat, stirring often. Set aside to cool.

Assembly

1. Place one cake layer on a serving dish. Then, top with 1/3 of the filling. Repeat with the remaining layers and drizzle the chocolate ganache on the very top in your desired design.
2. Slice and Enjoy!