How To Make Frosting From Scratch

There’s nothing quite like showing up to a party or potluck and setting down your contribution on the dessert table with pride. Before you know it, the main meal is over and it’s time for everyone to ravage the dessert table. Suddenly you’re fielding compliments left and right on your delicious cake, waiting for your impressed party-goers to ask the inevitable – “Is it homemade?!”

This is the moment you’ve been waiting for. You get to tell everyone that yep, you made that cake from scratch. All of the sudden, a nagging morsel of guilt starts poking at the edge of your mind… well, the cake is mostly made from scratch. All of it but the store-bought frosting. You promise yourself the next time you bring a dessert to a party, it’ll be entirely homemade – including the frosting.

Homemade frosting not only tastes better, but the texture tends to be lighter and fluffier than the frosting from a container. But the best part? Making your own frosting is easy, and takes barely any time at all. Whether you’re feeling chocolate or vanilla for your latest baked creation, smother your dessert in these homemade frostings that you can proudly say were born in a mixing bowl in your very own kitchen.

Homemade Vanilla Frosting

This one only takes 5 minutes! You’ll get about 1 cup of frosting from this recipe, so depending on what you’re baking, you may want to double the ingredients if you’re planning to make a lot of cupcakes or a larger cake.

What You’ll Need

• 2 cups of powdered sugar
• 2 tablespoons of butter or margarine, softened
• 2 tablespoons of milk
• 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla

Instructions

Step #1

Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl.

Step #2

Beat at medium speed until ingredients have blended thoroughly, and consistency is smooth and fluffy.

Homemade Chocolate Frosting

For this delicious chocolate frosting, you’ll need to set aside a little more time than for vanilla – only 15 minutes though! This recipe makes about 12 servings of frosting, or enough to cover an 8-inch tall cake.

What You’ll Need

• 2 3/4 cups of powdered sugar
• 6 tablespoons of unsweetened cocoa powder
• 6 tablespoons of softened butter
• 5 tablespoons of evaporated milk
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

Instructions

Step #1

Use one medium mixing bowl to combine 2 3/4 cups of powdered sugar and 6 tablespoons of cocoa powder, and set aside.

Step #2

In a large mixing bowl, beat 6 tablespoons of butter until smooth, gradually incorporating your sugar and cocoa from Step #1.

Step #3

Gradually blend in 5 tablespoons of evaporated milk and 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract.

Step #4

Blend and whip until your frosting is light and fluffy.