The best cream and glaze recipes

Royal icing

Royal icing is most often used for decorating cookies; it becomes dry and hard. Alton Brown whips pasteurized egg whites for his recipe. The icing is easy to color and can be made a day in advance.

Recipe: Royal icing

Mexican-Style Cupcakes with Cheesecake Frosting

Chili powder and ground cinnamon are the secret ingredients in this chocolate curd cream.

Recipe: Mexican-Style Cupcakes with Cheesecake Frosting

Simple Birthday Cake with Marshmallow Frosting

Whip the ingredients according to Alex Guarnaschelli's recipe until fluffy. Before spreading the frosting on the cake, gently fold in the vanilla.

Recipe: Simple Birthday Cake with Marshmallow Frosting

Banana muffins with cream cheese frosting

Giada uses mascarpone cheese and honey to create a cream cheese frosting that makes a delicious complement to banana muffins.

Recipe: Banana muffins with cream cheese frosting

Cream cheese frosting

With just 4 ingredients and in 15 minutes, you can make a delicate frosting that's perfect for red velvet cake or any dessert.

Recipe: Cream cheese frosting

Royal icing

Royal icing is the secret to the best cookie decorations. This easy-to-make icing can be tinted with food coloring. When it dries, it hardens and becomes glossy—the perfect way to add detail to your cookie designs.

Vanilla cream

This classic vanilla frosting can be used to decorate cakes, cupcakes, or cookies of any flavor.

Recipe: Vanilla cream

Egg and butter cream with chocolate

Ina Garten uses espresso powder and a splash of rum to transform a classic recipe into a luxurious chocolate treat.

Recipe: Egg and butter cream with chocolate

Ganache glaze

Alton's wonderful, sophisticated chocolate ganache can be used as a glossy glaze or light cream for any dessert.

Recipe: Ganache glaze

Almond cake with white chocolate glaze

Mix melted white chocolate with butter, cream cheese, and powdered sugar. The frosting can be made up to 2 days in advance; just beat it with a mixer to soften it before decorating the cake.

Recipe: Almond cake with white chocolate glaze

Carrot cake with pineapple-cheese cream

Cream cheese, powdered sugar, butter, and pineapple juice are all you need for this fruity twist on traditional cream cheese frosting.

Recipe: Carrot cake with pineapple-cheese cream

Chocolate cupcakes with peanut butter frosting

The key to this quick glaze is room-temperature peanut butter, which ensures the ingredients combine well. Ina stirs the glaze until it reaches a rich, creamy consistency.

Recipe: Chocolate cupcakes with peanut butter frosting

Three Milk Cake with Dulce de Leche Glaze

It has everything we love about the traditional tres leches (three milks) cake: a sweet, delicate, creamy cake—but in a new, impressive way, baked in a deep pan with a hole in the center. Leftover cake should be stored in the refrigerator on a rimmed plate, as some of the sweet milk mixture will leak out. The next day, simply scoop it up with a spoon and pour it over the cake slices.

Recipe: Three Milk Cake with Dulce de Leche Glaze

Chocolate cake

Caramelized sugar imparts a rich flavor to the glaze. Keep an eye on it while you prepare it, as it thickens very quickly.

Recipe: Chocolate cake

Carrot cake with marshmallow frosting

Bobby's version of classic cream cheese frosting uses 2 cups of marshmallow fluff.

Recipe: Carrot cake with marshmallow frosting

Birthday cake with hot pink buttercream frosting

Ina makes the perfect bright pink frosting using 14 drops of food coloring. Before adding the butter to the mixture, make sure it's at room temperature to ensure a smooth, creamy consistency.

Recipe: Birthday cake with hot pink buttercream frosting