Cake Frosting Recipes

These are tried and true “church cookbook” frosting recipes.  Each recipe is enough for the tops and sides of 3 cake layers, a sheet cake or oodles of cupcakes. 

Recipes in this hub: 

Cream Cheese Frosting

Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting

Coconut Cream Cheese Frosting

Butter Cream Frosting

Chocolate Butter Cream Frosting

Chocolate Fudge Frosting

Caramel Frosting

Strawberry Frosting

Dream Whip Frosting

Seven Minute Frosting

Sugar Glaze

Classic Cream Cheese Frosting

½ c or 1 stick butter, softened

1 pkg, 8 oz cream cheese, softened

1 lb confectioners sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

½ to 1 c chopped pecans, optional

1 c coconut, optional

1- Cream butter and cream cheese.

2- Gradually add powdered sugar. Beat until light and fluffy.

3- Stir in vanilla.

4- Stir in pecans and/or coconut.

5- Frost cooled cake.

Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting

Add 3 or 4 T cocoa to cream cheese frosting recipe.

Coconut Cream Cheese Frosting

4 T butter

2 c Baker’s Angel Flake coconut

1 pkg, 8 oz, cream cheese

2 tsp milk

3 ½ c sifted confectioners sugar

½ tsp vanilla flavoring

1- Melt 2 T butter in skillet.

2- Add coconut. Stir constantly over low heat until golden brown.

3- Spread coconut on paper towel to cool.

4- Cream 2 T butter with cream cheese.

5- Add milk and sugar alternatively, beating well.

6- Add vanilla. Stir in 1 ¾ c of coconut.

7- Sprinkle reserved coconut on top of cake.

Basic Butter Cream Frosting

½ c butter

½ c Crisco

1 ½ tsp vanilla

5 c confectioners sugar

3 to 5 T milk

1- Soften butter.

2- Combine with remaining ingredients. Beat until smooth.

3- Amount of milk depends on desired consistency for spreading.

Chocolate Butter Cream Frosting

Add 3 or 4 T cocoa to butter cream frosting recipe.

Chocolate Fudge Frosting

4 squares unsweetened chocolate

½ c butter

1 lb confectioners sugar

½ c milk

2 tsp vanilla

1- Combine butter and chocolate over low heat until melted.

2- Remove from head and add sugar, milk and vanilla. Stir until smooth.

3- Set in a bowl of ice and water. Beat until smooth enough to spread.

Caramel Frosting

1 stick butter

Pinch of salt

1 c packed dark brown sugar

1/3 c half and half or evaporated milk

2 ½ to 3 c sifted confectioners sugar

1 tsp vanilla

1 c chopped nuts, optional

1- Melt butter over low heat.

2- Slowly add brown sugar, stirring constantly.

3- Continue stirring, bringing mixture to a boil. Cook 2 to 3 minutes.

4- Remove from heat. Add milk.

5- Return to heat, again bringing to a boil, stirring constantly.

6- Cool to lukewarm. Gradually add confectioners sugar.

7- Beat until smooth.

8- Add vanilla and nuts.

Strawberry Frosting

1 stick butter

½ c frozen sliced strawberries in syrup

½ box powdered sugar

Pinch of salt

1. Melt butter.

2. Spoon strawberries into butter, reserving syrup.

3- Add powdered sugar and salt.

4- Add syrup as needed for frosting consistency. Depending on the humidity, frosting can be runny, so don’t add all of the syrup right away.

5. Mix thoroughly.

6. Frost layer tops and sides.

Dream Whip Topping

1 ½ T Crisco

1/4 c Dream Whip

1/3 c plain flour

2/3 c milk

2 lb powdered sugar

1 tsp vanilla

Combine all ingredients with electric mixer.

Seven Minute Frosting

2 egg whites, unbeaten

1 ½ c sugar

Dash of salt

5 T water

1 ½ tsp light corn syrup

1 tsp vanilla

1- Combine egg whites, sugar, salt, water and corn syrup in the top of a double boiler, mixing thoroughly.

2- Place over water at a hard boil.

3- Beat constantly with electric mixer.

4- Cook 7 minutes or until frosting stands up in peaks.

5- Remove from heat.

6- Add vanilla. Beat until thick enough to spread.

Sugar Glaze

1 c sugar

½ c water

1 tsp each of these 5 flavorings: coconut, rum, butter, lemon and vanilla

1- Combine ingredients in saucepan and bring to low boil.

2- Spoon warm glaze over pound cake. This will soak in and make the cake very moist.