3 Expert Tips For Upgrading Your Homemade Frosting Game

After baking a birthday cake worth celebrating, you'd hate to stumble before the finish line with subpar frosting. Whether you've made something too thick or too thin, too sweet or too bland, or simply inexpertly piped, it's tempting to reach for a tub of store-bought frosting. But with just three expert tips, your frosting game can transform from dismal to professional grade. Speaking exclusively to Chowhound, Anna Gordon, the founder and co-owner of The Good Batch Bakery, shares exactly how. For the best frosting, Gordon recommends the following: balance the flavor, perfect the texture, and keep the decorations simple.

First comes flavor. Without a hint of tanginess, a kick of zest, or a touch of high-quality vanilla, your frosting will taste like a one-note sugary punch to the palate. But adding nuance to your frosting doesn't have to be onerous or expensive. Gordon notes that there's a lot of flavor already hiding in the kitchen. "You could use olive oil, sea salt, citrus juice and zest, fresh minced herbs, warming spices, fresh berries, and even soft cheeses like brie or goat cheese," she says. If you're a little intimidated to start from scratch, Gordon's recommendations apply to store-bought frosting, too. The goal is to add interest and balance out that sugary sweetness. 

Now that you've rounded out the flavors in your frosting, Gordon's other tips to live by come into play. But before you excitedly reach for your piping bag, there's one impending pitfall. "Always work with a completely cooled down cake," Gordon says. Otherwise, your frosting will melt right off. 

While your cake cools, focus on finding that perfect frosting consistency. For Gordon, that means getting it to a smooth, spreadable texture. Even if you've followed a frosting recipe exactly, the consistency must pass the eye test. If it's too thin, like a glaze, you need more butter and sugar. If it's too thick to spread, Gordon recommends whipping in a little milk until the frosting has relaxed a little. This particularly applies to store-bought frosting, which could use a re-whip before piping.

Last but not least, Gordon highlights that the most beautifully frosted cakes tend to keep it fairly minimal. For those new to frosting cakes, Gordon suggests they keep their focus on even, neat spreading rather than fancy piping work. Luckily, "naked" cakes, or cakes with no frosting on the sides, are in vogue. Try Gordon's tips on your next perfectly baked red velvet cake to impress your friends and family.