All-Star Cupcake Frosting Recipes

All cupcake frostings were not created equal. Some are sweet, some with a tang; some have fruits, others are garnished with nuts. Making cupcake frostings in itself is an art – you have to take into consideration how it looks, its consistency, and most especially how it tastes. No wonder a lot of people have experimented on cupcake frostings over the years. The tastes that you can incorporate in frostings are as diverse as the combination of different ingredients to suit your preferences.

Cupcake frostings range from the most basic – such as the basic vanilla or chocolate frosting – to the exotic. Each has its own group of loyal supporters, and each can be delicious in their own right. The main criteria for choosing the three cupcake recipes featured below are its taste and how easy it is to prepare. It was not easy to play favorites among cupcake frostings, but for us, these three emerged as clear winners:

Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting

Many people find it hard to believe that cream cheese and cupcakes are compatible mates. Trying out this recipe will hopefully convince you otherwise. To make this frosting, you will need 30 grams (or 1 ounce) of softened butter, 80 grams (or 3 ounces) of softened cream cheese, one and a half cups of confectioner’s sugar, and a teaspoon of lemon rind (grated).

Start by sifting the sugar. Then, combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl and beat together until smooth. Make sure that there are no lumps that could destroy the consistency of the frosting when you pipe it onto the cupcakes.

Quick, easy, and delicious!

Chocolate Ganache Frosting

Who doesn’t love a rich, luscious, dark chocolate frosting? It is chocolate indulgence at its very best. This cupcake frosting is best used on cupcakes that taste just right – a cupcake that is already too rich might overwhelm the ganache frosting.

All you need for this recipe are half a cup of thickened cream and 200 grams (or 7 ounces) of dark bittersweet chocolate. Before cooking, break the chocolate into small pieces and place it inside a mixing bowl. Set aside and heat the cream over low heat. When it has come to a boil, turn off the heat and carefully pour the cream over the chocolate. Stir continuously until the chocolate pieces have completely melted. Let it sit in room temperature for a while until it has sufficiently cooled, and has achieved a thicker consistency.

Dig in, spread it over your cakes, and voila! A rich chocolate cupcake dream that will satisfy your chocolate craving.

Cinnamon Coffee Frosting

I must admit that perhaps this was where personal bias came into play. I love cinnamon, I love coffee, and I love cupcakes. Three C’s that make a perfect morning. Why not combine all three into one perfect pastry? Bless whoever came up with this – its sweet aroma and it exquisitely crafted taste would send any cupcake lover into cupcake nirvana.

For this recipe, you will need a teaspoon of granules of instant coffee (choose decaf if someone in your home is averse to caffeine), half a teaspoon of ground cinnamon, a pinch of salt, a teaspoon of vanilla extract, half a cup of softened butter, 3 cups of confectioner’s sugar, and 1/3 cup of milk.

To prepare it, first mash the coffee granules in a small bowl with the back of a spoon. When it is already powdery, add the salt and the cinnamon. In a separate, larger bowl, combine the softened butter, vanilla, and the coffee, salt, and cinnamon mixture. Add milk and sugar alternately while stirring continuously to achieve your desired consistency.