The Best Frosting Recipes for Cakes and Cookies

Mrs. Fields Frosted Cookies Everybody knows that the frosting can make or break your favorite cakes and cookies. Get it wrong and hours of work is lost. Get it right and people are lifting you on their shoulders and naming streets in your honor. (Or so we hear.) Make your frosting always hit the mark by using our handy guide for finding the best match for your cakes and cookies. For Cakes Old-Fashioned Vanilla Frosting - This light, fluffy frosting can be colored (or left a soft off-white). You can also substitute the vanilla with almond flavoring. Use it on: chocolate cake, red velvet cake, cupcakes Chocolate Buttercream Frosting - This silky frosting has great texture and deep flavor, perfect for piping or spreading. Use real cream for best results and keep it refrigerated. Use it on: chocolate cake, yellow cakes, berry cakes, cupcakes Quick Chocolate Frosting - This lighter-than-air quick frosting takes only a few ingredients and a few minutes to prepare. It's a great recipe to keep on hand. Use it on: chocolate cakes, yellow cakes, cupcakes Cream Cheese Frosting - The perfect balance of flavor and texture, this frosting is not too sweet, not too tangy, and has a sturdy texture perfect for piping and frosting. Use it on: carrot cake, red velvet cake, spice cake, cupcakes Chocolate Ganache - For serious chocolate lovers, it doesn't get better than ganache. This recipe is decadent and perfect for glazing your favorite cake. Use it on: chocolate cakes, cupcakes, and even brownies For Cookies Royal Icing - This shiny, highly versatile frosting is the favorite of sugar cookie decorators. This recipe is solid, simple (and there's a video tutorial to help). Use it on: cut-out sugar cookies Chocolate Royal Icing - The chocolate alternative that, in our opinion, is severely underused. Yum. Use it on: cut out sugar cookies Buttercream Frosting - Fluffy, spreadable, color-able and loves sprinkles. Perfect for spreading or piping. Use it on: drop sugar cookies Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting - Sometimes cream cheese frosting can overpower a cookie, but a little cinnamon balances everything out. Use it on: pumpkin cookies, spice cookies, gingerbread cookies Do you have a favorite go-to frosting? Tell us about it!
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