Maple Frosting Recipe with Pecans from The Food Charlatan (2024)

FAQs

Are you supposed to whip canned frosting? ›

Better Homes and Gardens tested whipping store-bought frosting and confirmed that the process really does increase the quantity due to “beating air into the frosting.” Simply stirring canned frosting may also help spread it more easily.

Flavor with extract

If you're starting with vanilla frosting, adding flavor is one of the easiest tweaks you can make. A little of your favorite extract—whether it's almond, peppermint or lemon—would be a great addition. It's easy to go overboard with extracts. Start with 1/4 teaspoon, whip it in and taste.

If your store-bought icing is too soft to pipe, you can stiffen it by adding powdered sugar. Use a hand mixer to incorporate 1 tablespoon of confectioners' sugar into your icing. Continue until your desired consistency is achieved.

Making a glaze from canned frosting

The basic process is simple: scoop any flavor of canned frosting into a microwave-safe bowl and heat it on high for 30 to 45 seconds, stirring in between each interval until you achieve your desired consistency. For half a can of frosting, reduce the cooking time by half.

The amount will depend on how much frosting you have and how light you want the final result to be. Add a couple of generous spoons of Cool Whip to the frosting [1]. Gently fold in the Cool Whip using a spoon. Be careful not to knock out the air from the whip.

But, there are ways to make it more interesting; one such way is to hit it with a shot of vinegar. Don't worry, the icing won't taste sour or like vinegar at all, but the acid will help balance out the sweetness, making it taste more pleasant. Even better, it will make the icing stronger and more durable.

"Mixing in cream cheese, whipped cream, lemon zest, or even Nutella can make such a difference." From making frosting creamier or fluffier to changing its flavor, these easy changes will certainly impress anyone you're planning to share your dessert with.

You'll need to thicken the consistency. Empty a can of frosting into a bowl and mix in 1 tablespoon of confectioner's sugar with a mixer, adding more sugar 1 tablespoon at a time until you reach the desired consistency. Add a pinch of salt to balance the sweetness of the added sugar and any flavorings.

Italian Meringue Buttercream

This is considered one of the very difficult methods for making buttercream because the sugar syrup must be cooked to a specific temperature and then, while piping hot, poured into the whipped egg whites.

The most stable of the buttercreams, Italian buttercream is made from a meringue made bystreaming hot sugar syrup into egg whites as they're being whisked.

Why does my homemade frosting get hard? ›

If it's too stiff and sticks straight up, I suggest adding in more heavy cream (1 Tbsp at a time). If it's too thin and doesn't form a little peak at all, try adding a bit more powdered sugar (1/4 cup at a time). You can also chill it in the fridge for 10-minute intervals.

Frosting is the thickest of these confections and is ideal for spreading or piping on cakes, cupcakes and cookies. Icing is a little thinner than frosting and is often poured or piped over coffee cakes, pound cakes, doughnuts and cookies—and it usually hardens when it dries.

To make icing without icing sugar, start by grinding granulated white sugar in a blender for 5 minutes or until it feels fine and powdery. Then, pour the sugar into a bowl and whisk it to make it fluffier and clump-free. Once you've whisked the sugar, just use it as a substitute for icing sugar in your recipe!

Add powdered sugar

If the frosting has not reached your desired thickness after chilling, add a few tablespoons of sifted powdered sugar to help your buttercream stiffen.

Dump your canned frosting into a large mixing bowl with a hand mixer or into the bowl of an electric mixer and whip it up. Without even adding any other ingredients, this will aerate the frosting for a fluffier consistency.

If your frosting appears chunky or curdled, it's over-whipped. To fix, stir 1 Tablespoon of heavy cream into the frosting by hand to smooth out again. Use more heavy cream if needed to smooth out. Use it: After you make the whipped frosting, it's ready to frost your cupcakes, cake, or other confections.

Heavy Cream

Then whip the frosting until it fluffs up. Heavy cream also works if the recipe instructs you to heat the frosting. Add the heavy cream on low heat on the stovetop, and the heavy whipping cream will reduce, helping the frosting to thicken.

Though frosting and icing are both sweet creations that add an extra layer of flavor to desserts, frosting is often thick and spreadable, while icing is generally thin in consistency and is typically drizzled or spooned over baked goods.