Cream and glaze recipes

American Vanilla Buttercream

This is one of the simplest frostings. Cream butter with powdered sugar and thin the mixture with a small amount of liquid until it reaches a paste-like consistency. The frosting is rich, dense, and sweet, melting easily when heated.

Recipe: American Vanilla Buttercream

American Chocolate Buttercream

Butter cream absorbs various flavors very well. Add chocolate, coffee, food coloring, flavored liqueurs, fruit concentrates, citrus, or extracts toward the end of whipping.

Recipe: American Chocolate Buttercream

Vanilla cream

This classic vanilla buttercream frosting is ready in just 12 minutes and is perfect for decorating cakes, cupcakes, or cookies of any flavor.

Recipe: Vanilla cream

Royal icing

Royal icing is most often used to decorate cookies; it becomes dry and hard. For his simple recipe, Alton Brown whips pasteurized egg whites.
The glaze is easy to color and can be prepared in advance.

Recipe: Royal icing

Protein-butter cream on Swiss meringue

This version of buttercream is less sweet than the American variety and has a fluffier and more stable texture. Sugar and egg whites are beaten in a double boiler until light and fluffy, then room-temperature butter is whisked into the chilled meringue until the mixture is smooth and glossy. When you whisk in the butter, the buttercream often forms clumps; continue whisking, and they will dissolve.

Recipe: Protein-butter cream on Swiss meringue

Chocolate whipped cream

Alton's delicious whipped cream contains an unexpected ingredient: a pinch of cayenne pepper, which complements the cocoa powder and balances the sweetness.

Recipe: Chocolate whipped cream

Protein-butter cream with Italian meringue

Like the Swiss version, this dense and fluffy buttercream is perfect for piping with a piping bag. It's made with an Italian meringue base, in which heated sugar syrup is beaten into egg whites until stiff peaks form. Small pieces of butter are then folded in to create a rich, smooth cream.

Recipe: Protein-butter cream with Italian meringue

French buttercream

This rich, silky custard is made by adding sugar syrup to whole eggs and egg yolks, then whisking in butter until it reaches a thick yet light consistency. Its high fat content and beautiful pale yellow color make it perfect for decorating and filling cakes.

Recipe: French buttercream

Cream cheese frosting

Make this classic frosting to top red velvet cupcakes, carrot cake, or any dessert where you want to add a savory twist to sweetness.

Recipe: Cream cheese frosting