Your Cakes Deserve A Boozy Frosting Upgrade

Booze is no stranger to the dessert table. Flambéed Bananas Foster, Guinness-infused stout cakes, and whiskey-caramel sauces are all popular desserts that make liberal use of liquor. But have you ever considered that a few childhood-inspired confections could use a more adult upgrade? It's time to treat your most nostalgic cakes to a flavorful update with booze-infused frosting. 

As you're whipping up a classic buttercream frosting (or pulling a tub of frosting out from the pantry), consider mixing in a few tablespoons or up to a quarter cup of your favorite spirit. Like vanilla extract, this shot of liquor will add sophisticated depth to your cake. You can use the alcohol to either complement your base flavor or bring in a unique twist. For instance, if you love the taste of a classic lemon cake, double down on its zesty citrus flavor with a limoncello-spiked frosting. Alternatively, you can complicate the cake's citrusy sweetness with the flavor of tart cranberries, incorporating cranberry-infused vodka into your buttercream. The result is a Cosmopolitan-inspired cake that's guaranteed to please a crowd.

The possibilities of alcohol-infused frostings are endless. Coconut is a contentious ingredient among the younger set, so use your adults-only party as an opportunity to get boozy and top your coconut cake with a coconut rum frosting. Or, add a dash of bourbon to your frosting and a garnish of mint leaves to recreate the flavors of a mint julep.

Ina Garten had a similar idea when developing the recipe for her perfect pound cake. She adds Cognac and lemon zest to her vanilla cake, calling to mind the flavors of a Sidecar cocktail. You can recreate this idea by adding Cognac, lemon zest, and vanilla to your frosting to elevate any cake or cupcake.

Similarly, try adding high-quality bourbon to your next batch of vanilla frosting to bring out a smokier, more caramel-rich note from the vanilla. Bailey's is another boozy twist to pour in, perfect for rich, dense chocolate cakes. Like adding espresso powder to your deeply chocolate desserts, Bailey's (or coffee-scented Kahlúa) will add nuanced depth to your chocolate frosting's flavor.