Food and Recipes Desserts 46 Decadent Flavored Frostings To Elevate Boxed Cake Mix By Hallie Milstein Hallie Milstein Hallie Milstein is an Editorial Fellow for Southern Living covering food and culture. She has been published in Modern Luxury magazines, Our State Magazine, and Hudson Valley Magazine. Southern Living's editorial guidelines Updated on May 25, 2023 Share Tweet Pin Email Trending Videos Photo: Jennifer Davick While we can't resist a homemade cake, we don't have the time or patience to whip up a three-tiered layer cake on some days. In a perfect world, we would make all of our cakes from scratch, but we'll admit that there have been many forgotten school bake sales or church potlucks when boxed cake mix has come to the rescue at the last minute. Boxed cake mix is much more versatile than it may seem, and we're here to show you how to pass that Duncan Hines off as homemade. Our number one tip for upgrading your boxed cake mix? Fresh frosting. Homemade frosting is much simpler (and quicker) to make from scratch than cake batter. While baking your cake, you can whip up a batch of one of these creatively flavored icings to top it off. These fun frosting recipes will carry you through the seasons, from holiday-party-ready buttercreams to Strawberry Frosting meant for summer potlucks. With these decadent frosting and icing recipes, no guests will ever guess the cake came from a box. And while you're at it, upgrade your boxed cake mix with this simple hack from our Food Editor. 01 of 46 Salted Caramel Frosting Greg DuPree; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall Use this sweet-and-salty caramel frosting to dress up a vanilla cake. It's made with three different types of sugar to achieve depth of flavor. 02 of 46 Lemon-Orange Buttercream Frosting Southern Living This bright, citrus-packed frosting is worthy of a prime place on the dessert buffet. Uplift any simple yellow cake with this zesty frosting spread thickly all around. 03 of 46 Strawberry Frosting Hector Sanchez; Styling: Caroline M. Cunningham This frosting, loaded with fresh chopped strawberries, pairs beautifully with any fruity cake. A drop of food coloring guarantees that your cakes will be pretty in pink, surrounded by bright berries. 04 of 46 Homemade Caramel Frosting Jennifer Davick This caramel frosting can pair with vanilla, chocolate, or spice cake, making it the ultimate versatile choice for year-round baking. We promise it's so much better than store-bought. 05 of 46 Buttermilk Frosting Hector Sanchez Southerners love to use buttermilk in everything, including in our frostings. This reliable frosting will pair beautifully with any cake flavor, but we especially love it with our Gingerbread Cake. 06 of 46 Coconut Buttercream Photo: Victor Protasio; Food Styling: Torie Cox; Prop Styling: Heather Chadduck Hillegas This double-action coconut buttercream brings a bit of tropical flair to your cake. It's made with unsweetened coconut milk and coconut extract for extra flavor with just a dash of vanilla extract. 07 of 46 Coconut-Pecan Frosting Jennifer Davick We use this Coconut-Pecan Frosting to top our German Chocolate Cake, but it's truly delicious all on its own. You're welcome to lick the spoon but remember to save enough for the cake. 08 of 46 Brown Sugar-Cream Cheese Frosting Alison Miksch Brown sugar brings warmth to the classic cream cheese frosting, making it the perfect pairing for a carrot cake. This silky frosting comes together in about 10 minutes, and it looks best garnished with candied carrot curls. 09 of 46 Peppermint Buttercream Hector Manuel Sanchez Pretty pink peppermint buttercream? Sounds like the holiday frosting of our dreams. It couldn't look dreamier in heavy-handed dollops. 10 of 46 Fudgy Coca Cola Cake Frosting Antonis Achilleos; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Styling: Kathleen Varner A fudgy chocolate frosting gets a hint of cherry spice with the addition of your family's favorite soft drink. This frosting goes great with chocolate and vanilla, but we especially love it with our Coca-Cola Layer Cake. 11 of 46 Cherry Swirl Frosting Antonis Achilleos; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Styling: Kathleen Varner A two-toned swirl of white and pink frosting means these cupcakes look as good as they taste. Cherry Swirl Frosting is infused with Cheerwine soda and looks adorable topped with a maraschino cherry. 12 of 46 Coca Cola Frosting Micah A. Leal This cream cheese frosting is spiked with a few cups of cola to add tang and zing. Reduce the soda to syrup and mix it into the buttercream for a frosting as sweet and refreshing as its namesake. 13 of 46 Lemon-Lime Cream Cheese Frosting Antonis Achilleos; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Styling: Kathleen Varner Fresh lime and lemon juice combine with lemon zest to create a creamy frosting you'll be using to top all your springtime cakes. Slather this on top of a Bundt or sheet cake to add citrus flare to any last-minute cake. 14 of 46 Strawberry-Sour Cream Buttercream Photo: Greg DuPree; Prop Styling: Mindi Shapiro Levine; Food Styling: Torie Cox Strawberry and sour cream? Don't knock it until you try it. This topping delivers just the right ratio of fruity sweetness to the tang. 15 of 46 Brown Butter-Pistachio Frosting Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Torie Cox If you lean more towards savory than sweet, this creative frosting recipe is for you. Use it to top a decadent chocolate cake. 16 of 46 Orange Buttercream Hector Sanchez Pair this fruity orange buttercream with cranberry at Christmastime or strawberry in the summer. With citrus frosting so tasty, you can't go wrong. 17 of 46 Browned Butter Frosting Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Mary Clayton Carl; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall Browning your butter gives it a deliciously deep nutty flavor that shines in this Browned Butter Frosting. Pair it with toasty, buttery pecans, and you've hit a home run. 18 of 46 Peanut Butter Frosting Southern Living The dreamiest way to upgrade your chocolate cake? With a heavy dollop of Peanut Butter Frosting. Spread a layer of nutty frosting onto the chocolate cake and revel in every delicious bite. 19 of 46 Ginger Whipped Cream Jennifer Davick; Styling: Lydia Degaris Pursell Spice up your go-to whipped cream frosting with this Ginger Whipped Cream recipe. Slices of peeled fresh ginger lend themselves to the delectable frosting perfect for seasonal baking. 20 of 46 Nutty Cream Cheese Frosting Southern Living Nutty Cream Cheese Frosting is just five simple ingredients and two steps away with this recipe. Soften your cream cheese before preparing this decadent icing filled with pecans. 21 of 46 Brown Butter Toffee Frosting Greg DuPree Creamy Brown Butter Toffee Frosting with dark brown sugar can save the day for any last-minute cake. We recommend making the frosting before the cake to give it time to firm up. 22 of 46 Coconut Cream Frosting Greg DuPree; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis; Food Styling: Torie Cox Cream of coconut and coconut extract gives this frosting a double dose of coconut flavor. This dreamy frosting pairs excellently with both fruity and decadent cakes. 23 of 46 Lavender Frosting Hector Sanchez Whipped cream sweetened with lavender buds or tea is a delicate flavor combination for a light cake. Use a touch of pale purple food coloring to give curious cake lovers a hint at its unique and delightful flavor before digging in. 24 of 46 Luscious Lemon Frosting Jennifer Davick Lemon juice and lemon zest pair up to deliver the most decadent lemon frosting to grace your cake. Luscious frosting is as simple as can be and lives up to its name in spades. 25 of 46 Pecan Frosting Southern Living This nutty and sugary frosting is well-equipped to take any cake to the next level. With only three ingredients, you've got an excellent cake topper. 26 of 46 Mascarpone Frosting Hector Sanchez Traditionally used in Tiramisu and beloved savory dishes across the South, mascarpone also makes for wonderful frosting. Best of all, Mascarpone Frosting only has four ingredients. 27 of 46 Ermine Frosting Hector Manuel Sanchez; Prop Styling: Heather Chadduck Hillegas; Food Styling: Torie Cox Ermine Cream is light and airy, yet a solid choice, like a cross between buttercream and whipped cream. This vintage recipe shines with simple flavor and texture. 28 of 46 Praline Frosting Be warned. This frosting hardens quickly, so serve it immediately for the best results. With some planning, you've got sweet Southern frosting with lots of nutty texture that will impress atop a boxed cake. 29 of 46 Vanilla Buttercream Antonis Achilleos; Food Styling: Torie Cox; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke When in doubt, stick to the classics. Make sure to start with softened butter for this go-to recipe. We use heavy cream to make Vanilla Buttercream fluffier than ever. 30 of 46 Peach Buttercream Frosting Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Ginny Branch; Food Styling: Torie Cox This Peach Buttercream Frosting delivers a smooth and rich icing signature to buttercream with summer peaches' delicate, sweet flavor. Brown your butter and process your peaches for the best results. 31 of 46 Bourbon-Vanilla Bean Buttercream Frosting Greg DuPree; Food Styling: Torie Cox; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis We layered this spirited frosting on Eggnog Cake, but Bourbon-Vanilla Bean Buttercream is so good, it'll wow with any flavor underneath. It's simple and oh-so-creamy with a dash of bourbon. 32 of 46 Lemon-Thyme Frosting Antonis Achilleos; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Styling: Mary Clayton Carl Jones Adding thyme to classic citrus frosting makes it infinitely more elegant. This VIP-worthy, herb-infused frosting may seem chic, but it couldn't be easier to assemble. 33 of 46 Berry-Swiss Meringue Buttercream Frosting Antonis Achilleos; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Styling: Mary Clayton Carl Jones This meringue frosting is the bright and pillowy topping on hand to make your box cake the center of attention. Freeze-dried raspberries are the key to pink buttercream that's fluffy and not too sweet. 34 of 46 Vanilla-Sour Cream Frosting Antonis Achilleos; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Styling: Mary Clayton Carl Jones Rather than more obvious choices like cream cheese, sour cream in frosting makes it tangier than ever. It's the perfect element to balance sweet vanilla flavor and the sugary cake of your choice. 35 of 46 Fresh Raspberry-Cream Cheese Frosting Victor Protasio; Food Styling: Margaret Monroe Dickey; Prop Styling: Christina Daley Give your boxed cake the old razzle-dazzle with tart and sweet raspberry-filled frosting. Gather your freshest berries and just a few other ingredients you already have to get started on a dependable topping for chocolate or vanilla cake. 36 of 46 Fudge Icing Iain Bagwell; Styling: Kay Clark Rich chocolate icing is the result of this well-loved recipe. What's the secret ingredient? Dr. Pepper. 37 of 46 Salted Peanut Butter Frosting Antonis Achilleos; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Styling: Mary Clayton Carl Jones We love this recipe atop a Devil's Food Cake, but it can save almost any cake. Our Test Kitchen calls this Salted Peanut Butter Frosting "out of this world." 38 of 46 Coffee Liqueur Ganache Icing Southern Living What's a party without cake? Grab your go-to coffee liqueur. We like Kahlúa, and let's get the party started. The result is a decadent frosting with bittersweet chocolate and deep flavor. 39 of 46 Browned Buttercream Frosting Antonis Achilleos; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop styling: Lydia Pursell If you love our Brown Butter Frosting, you'll really love its boozy cousin: Browned Buttercream Frosting. Browned butter and bourbon are an all-star pairing on top of a cake. 40 of 46 White Chocolate-Cream Cheese Frosting Antonis Achilleos; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Styling: Mary Clayton Carl Jones If you want to turn your box mix red velvet cake into a class act, this recipe is for you. White Chocolate-Cream Cheese Frosting is rich and elegant—It presents wonderfully spread in a ruffled design. 41 of 46 Wacky Cake Frosting Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall What makes this frosting so wacky, you ask? It's crazy good. It's also shockingly easy to whip up. 42 of 46 Malted Chocolate Buttercream Antonis Achilleos; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Styling: Mary Clayton Carl Jones Mix malted milk powder into this chocolate buttercream frosting for a nostalgic flavor we can't get enough of. It's simple, straightforward, and one of our best to date. 43 of 46 Chocolate-Cream Cheese Frosting This frosting is a light and creamy option that all chocolate lovers can get behind. To amplify the gooey chocolate effect, slather this frosting on a moist, fluffy chocolate cake. 44 of 46 Salted Milk Chocolate Frosting Antonis Achilleos; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke You've heard of salted caramel—Now introducing Salted Milk Chocolate Frosting. The addition of salt makes this frosting a perfect not-too-sweet pairing with raspberries. 45 of 46 Cream Cheese Frosting Victor Protasio Classic cream cheese frosting is an essential recipe to have in your repertoire. It's the ideal mix of sweet, creamy, and tangy flavors. 46 of 46 Chocolate Frosting Cyndi Monaghan / Getty Images Going for the homemade type is infinitely better than the kind you can get from a jar when it comes to simple chocolate frosting. It's a decadent classic that will light up virtually every flavor cake. Frequently Asked Questions How can you thicken frosting for cakes and cookies? When thickening frosting, first determine whether you are working with buttercream or royal icing. For buttercream frosting, chilling is the first step to thickening it before adding powdered sugar to achieve your desired results. Add powdered sugar or cornstarch for royal icing before letting it rest. What are the easiest ways to upgrade store-bought frosting? Upgrade store-bought frosting by adding pantry staples to help improve the consistency, flavoring, and texture. Smooth additives include cream cheese, whipped cream, and butter. Try using peanut butter, Nutella, jam, or marshmallow creme for additional flavor. Improve the frosting's texture by adding chopped nuts, chocolate chips, flaked coconut, or sprinkles. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit