Whether for birthday parties or weddings, bakers whip up different types of frostings and toppings to decorate and enrich cakes. Each is made of unique ingredients and with varying techniques. The following guide explains what you need to know about tried-and-true frostings and toppings.

Cake Frosting & Topping Types

1. Buttercream

Any cake topped or layered with buttercream is bound to be a hit. Highly versatile buttercream is a mixture of butter, powdered sugar, and flavoring or coloring. Chocolate, coconut, jams, and juices can all be used to flavor buttercream frostings. Sweet, smooth, and densely textured, buttercreams can be spread and swirled onto cakes or piped into rosettes.

2. Ganache

Ganache is a filling or frosting made from heavy cream and chocolate. It’s drizzled onto pastries in liquid form but firms up when allowed to set. It’s velvety-rich and adds elegance to any specialty cake prepared for weddings, corporate events, or anniversaries. Topping a ganache with fresh fruit adds to the deliciousness of a chocolate dessert.

3. Glaze

Glazes have a thinner consistency than other kinds of frostings. Rather than coating an entire cake, a glaze is poured on top, soaks into the crumb, and drizzles down the sides. Bakers often use glazes on coffee and pound cakes, flavoring them with vanilla, fruit, juices, and zest.

4. Whipped Cream

Whipped cream frostings are used to ice and fill cakes. To build texture, bakers add gelatin, marshmallow, or butter to a mix of whipped cream and powdered sugar. Light and sugary, whipped cream frostings are beloved by both adults and children.

5. Cream Cheese

Although technically a type of buttercream, cream cheese frosting has a bit of a tang, which pairs nicely with red velvet, carrot, and hummingbird cakes.

If your next special occasion calls for delicious, professionally made cakes, you can rely on Emerson’s Bakery to produce a fresh-baked masterpiece. This local bakery has been serving mouth-watering donuts, pastries, breads, and cookies to residents of Cincinnati and throughout the Tri-State area for nearly 50 years. When you need a celebration cake, their skilled staff will pull out all the stops. Learn more about their products and services online, or call (859) 371-9228 to place a custom order.