21 Best Frosting Recipes Including Buttercream, Cream Cheese, and Royal Icing

Although I have a buttercream frosting recipe that I use for just about everything, I wanted to try a few different types and flavors of frosting, especially for cupcakes. So I went looking and found some really interesting frosting recipes to test.

This roundup brings them all together in one place so you can explore different types of frosting and find new favorites to try. I learned quite a bit while putting this list together, and I think you will too.

The Difference Between Frosting and Icing

Frosting and icing are often used interchangeably, but there is a difference.

Frosting is thick, fluffy, and spreadable. It is most often used to cover cakes or swirl onto cupcakes.

Icing is thinner and glossier. It is typically used for more detailed decorating, like outlining and flooding cookies with royal icing.

A collage of five different desserts covered with large swirls of homemade icing and frosting. There is peanut butter icing, chocolate buttercream frosting. maple fudge frosting.

Some of the most popular types of frosting include buttercream, cream cheese frosting, and Swiss meringue frosting, and this roundup includes recipes for each of them, along with several other delicious options to try.

Frosting Recipes

Buttercream Chocolate Frosting

A delicious chocolate cupcake covered with thick swirls of chocolate frosting and chocolate chips. — Recipe and Image from Delicious Table

This chocolate buttercream is smooth, rich, and perfect for decorating cakes or topping cupcakes. It has a classic flavor that works for just about any dessert.

Caramel Cream Cheese Frosting

This creamy caramel frosting gets its flavor from a simple shortcut using caramel ice cream topping. It is an easy way to add a rich caramel twist to cakes or cupcakes.

Gluten Free Oreo Icing

A pretty blue and white polka dotted bowl filled with a high volume of gluten free oreo frosting. — Recipe and Image from Cupcakes and Kale Chips

This Oreo frosting is made with gluten free cookies, making it a great option for those with dietary restrictions. It is rich, creamy, and can easily be made with regular Oreos if preferred.

Biscoff Frosting

The beater from a stand mixer is standing upright on a kitchen counter with a very large dollop of Biscoff buttercream frosting covering it. There is a jar of biscoff spread and a couple biscoff cookies beside the paddle of icing. — Biscoff Frosting by Keep Calm and Eat Ice Cream

If you love Biscoff spread or cookies, you are going to want to try this Biscoff frosting. It is rich, creamy, and hard to resist once you grab that first spoonful.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Buttercream Frosting

Three cupcakes covered with large swirls of chocolate chip cookie dough frosting on top. — Recipe and image from Bake it with Love

This cookie dough buttercream is a fun and unique frosting that adds a sweet twist to cakes and cupcakes. It is an easy way to switch up a classic chocolate cupcake.

Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting

This lemon cream cheese frosting is light, smooth, and full of fresh flavor. It adds a soft, bright finish to cakes and cupcakes and is perfect for spring baking.

Pistachio Buttercream Frosting

A piece of chocolate cake covered with a thick layer of soft green pistachio buttercream. The cake is sitting on a white counter that's been dusted with sugar and pistachio nuts. — Recipe and Image from The Littlest Crumb

This pistachio buttercream is a unique flavor that pairs well with cakes, cupcakes, and even brownies. It is a fun way to add something a little different to your baking.

Russian Buttercream

This Russian Buttercream is made with sweetened condensed milk, giving it a rich, creamy texture. It is a simple and decadent frosting that is definitely worth trying.

Mint Chocolate Chip Buttercream

Mint chocolate chip icing scooped on top of plain vanilla cupcakes. The frosting looks like scoops of ice cream. — Recipe and Image from Bake it with Love

This mint chocolate chip buttercream is easy to make and full of fresh mint flavor with bits of chocolate throughout. It is perfect for topping cupcakes or pairing with homemade brownies.

Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting

A small clear bowl filled with a large swirl of cinnamon cream cheese icing. The bowl of icing is sitting on a white counter with cinnamon sticks and a pink napkin. — Recipe and Image by Little Sunny Kitchen

A touch of cinnamon adds warm flavor to this classic cream cheese frosting. It is perfect for spice cakes, pumpkin desserts, and even snickerdoodle cookies.

Maple Fudge Icing Recipe

A single cupcake sitting on a cooling tray covering in a thick layer of maple fudge frosting. The frosting is decorated with cake crumbs. — Recipe and Image by Life as a Strawberry

This maple fudge frosting is rich, creamy, and full of classic maple flavor. It skips the heavy cream and extra cooking steps, making it a simpler option that is perfect for fall baking.

Chocolate Beer Frosting

This chocolate beer frosting is a fun twist that uses beer instead of cream for added depth of flavor. It pairs well with rich chocolate cakes and is a great way to try something a little different.

Coconut Pecan Frosting

This coconut pecan frosting is a classic choice for German chocolate cake, with a rich, nutty flavor and a soft, sticky texture. It is sweet without being overpowering, thanks to the balance of coconut and pecans.

Vanilla Bean American Buttercream

A white pedestal plate with four vanilla cupcakes covered in large swirls of American buttercream and sprinkles. There is a single cupcake being served and a milk glass with a straw in the background. — Recipe and Image from Kelly Neil

American buttercream is one of the easiest and most popular frostings to make. This vanilla bean version is sweet, creamy, and easy to work with, making it perfect for cakes and cupcakes.

Large Batch Simple Buttercream

A row of cupcakes on small paper plates and linen tablecloth. Each cupcake is decorated with a large swirl of cherry frosting. — Recipe and Image by Wholesome Farmhouse Recipes

This large batch buttercream is perfect for decorating big cakes or several dozen cupcakes. The base vanilla recipe can also be easily flavored, making it a versatile option for different desserts.

Cookie Butter Cream Cheese Frosting

Biscoff Cream Cheese Icing on top of a carrot cupcake with a drizzle of caramel sauce and a biscoff cookie placed inside the cupcake — Recipe and Image from A Baking Journey

This Cookie Butter Cream Cheese Frosting is full of warm, spiced flavor and comes together with just a few simple ingredients. It is an easy way to add something a little different to cupcakes or cakes.

Caramel Frosting Buttercream

An picture from above a tray of caramel frosting covered cupcakes on a red and white plate. You can see two large cupcakes with swirls of caramel frosting on top. — Recipe and Image by Grand Baby Cakes

This Caramel Frosting Buttercream gets its rich flavor from real caramel sauce, giving it a smooth and indulgent finish. It is a great choice when you want to add a deeper, dessert-style flavor to cakes or cupcakes.

Coconut Frosting

This Coconut Frosting has a soft, tropical flavor with a light, creamy texture. It is a great option for adding a subtle coconut twist to cakes and cupcakes without being too heavy.

Icing Recipes for Cookies and Cakes

Peanut Butter Icing

This peanut butter icing is smooth, creamy, and whips up in just 5 minutes. It is a quick way to add rich peanut butter flavor to cookies, brownies, or cakes.

Caramel Cake & Caramel Icing

A caramel cake covered with a smooth shiny layer of caramel icing. — Image and Recipe by Intelligent Domestications

This classic caramel icing is smooth, glossy, and full of rich caramel flavor. It has that old fashioned feel that makes it perfect for fall baking and family favorites.

Royal Icing

This classic royal icing is a go to for decorating cookies, with a smooth finish that is perfect for outlining and flooding. It is a reliable base recipe with helpful tips for different decorating techniques.

Four different frosting recipe images, one is italian buttercream on a chocolate cupcake, then a blue bowl full of oreo frosting, a pretty soft yellow lemon cupcake with lemon buttercream frosting and a cinnamon frosting recipe for Fall

Other Recipe Collections to Check Out

It’s always a great time to check out new recipes, and I especially like collections with a common theme. Here are some various recipe collections I have written. Enjoy.

A collage of four different iced coffees including Frappuccino. Mocha, Macchiato, and a Dalgona.

20 Coffee Recipes

Making fancy coffees at home is something I just started this summer and we are addicted. I have already made several of the delicious recipes in this collection and there are so many great coffee recipes to try.

One Comment

Michelle Leslie says:

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I’m no baker, I prefer to do the tasting after all the hard work is done. My daughter, on the other hand, loves experimenting, so I’ve shared all this yumminess with her and offered to be her willing guinea pig 😉