Cakes

Baking a cake for a special occasion is one way to show off your baking skills, and celebrate with family and friends.

Fluffy and spongy cakes baked from scratch are moist and fresh, ready to be filled with custard, curd, Bavarian cream, and mousse.

You can even infuse cakes with syrups like cherry syrup or raspberry syrup for an added flavor to your cake.

If you know what type of cake you want to make, you can find fillings and frostings that will compliment specific cake flavors to impress your guests.

Vanilla Cake

Vanilla cake is flavored with vanilla extract, vanilla paste, or vanilla beans.

Vanilla cakes are fluffy and spongey so you can add a syrup to infuse into the cake to add flavor if desired.

You could infuse raspberry syrup, champagne syrup, or cherry syrup into your cake layers. Simply spread the syrup on top of the cake layers, then add a cream filling in the middle. You could add diplomat cream, white chocolate mousse, or vanilla pastry cream, and then add another layer of cake on top.

Vanilla cakes can be iced with fruity buttercreams like raspberry or pineapple buttercream.

Vanilla cakes are quite versatile with frostings, so you could ice the cake with a mocha buttercream, cookies and cream buttercream, or Tiramisu buttercream.

Vanilla Cake Fillings

• vanilla custard
• strawberry buttercream
• vanilla buttercream
• banana buttercream
• lemon curd
• coffee buttercream
• raspberry buttercream
• maple cinnamon buttercream
• pineapple buttercream
• chocolate buttercream
• mocha buttercream
• lime curd
• lime buttercream
• white chocolate mousse
• raspberry mousse
• blueberry buttercream
• Tiramisu buttercream
• vanilla diplomat cream
• strawberry mousse
• cookies and cream buttercream
• vanilla pastry cream
• orange curd

Lemon Cake

Lemon cake is made by adding lemon zest, lemon juice or lemon extract to a vanilla cake base to create a citrusy flavor to the cake.

Lemon cake can be filled with a curd, mousse, Bavarian cream in between the layers of cake.

You can ice a lemon cake with lemon buttercream, strawberry buttercream, or raspberry buttercream.

Adding a fruity flavored buttercream like strawberry or raspberry can add a ton of complimenting flavors to a lemon cake.

Lemon Cake Fillings

• lemon curd
• lemon mousse
• lemon buttercream
• lemon cream cheese buttercream
• lemon Bavarian cream
• white chocolate buttercream
• raspberry buttercream
• raspberry mousse
• strawberry buttercream

Chocolate Cake

Chocolate cake is made by adding melted chocolate or cocoa powder to a vanilla cake base.

Chocolate cake is a rich dessert. Many people find a chocolate cake overwhelming when it’s filled with chocolate buttercream, and iced with a chocolate ganache.

It’s better to choose a lighter filling for a chocolate cake such as mint whipped cream, caramel mousse, or raspberry compote.

You can ice chocolate cakes with sweet frostings such as toffee buttercream, mocha buttercream, or orange buttercream frosting for a complementary flavor that balances out the heavy chocolate cake.

Chocolate Cake Fillings

• caramel mousse
• raspberry compote
• mint whipped cream
• mint buttercream
• peanut butter Bavarian cream
• peanut butter buttercream
• peanut butter cream cheese frosting
• toffee buttercream
• chocolate buttercream
• orange buttercream
• lime cream cheese buttercream
• cookies and cream buttercream
• chocolate hazelnut buttercream
• mocha buttercream
• caramel buttercream
• cookie dough buttercream
• cinnamon buttercream
• chocolate pastry cream
• chocolate cream cheese frosting

Red Velvet Cake

Red velvet cake is made by adding cocoa powder and red food coloring to a vanilla cake base. The flavoring is similar to chocolate cake.

Red velvet cake is typically filled and iced with vanilla cream cheese buttercream.

Red Velvet Cake Filling

• vanilla cream cheese buttercream
• marshmallow cream cheese frosting
• Oreo cream cheese frosting
• white chocolate cream cheese frosting

Carrot Cake

Carrot cake is made with cinnamon spice, chopped pecans, and shredded carrots to create this luscious cake.

Carrot cake is usually filled and iced with cream cheese frosting for a decadent cake to enjoy!

Carrot Cake Fillings

• vanilla cream cheese buttercream
• apple filling

Pineapple Cake

Pineapple cake is made by adding crushed pineapple and its juices to a vanilla cake base.

Pineapple cake is a lighter cake that you can serve in the summertime. It’s a refreshing cake on a hot summer’s day.

You can fill pineapple cakes with classic cream cheese buttercream.

Another option is to make it with a pina colada flavoring with coconut and rum buttercream.

Pineapple Cake Fillings

• coconut and rum buttercream
• pineapple curd
• cream cheese buttercream
• pineapple buttercream
• coconut frosting
• lime buttercream

Banana Cake

Banana cake is made by adding lemon juice and mashed bananas to a vanilla cake base.

Banana cake is a light cake you can fill with peanut butter Bavarian cream, banana custard, or strawberry compote.

You can ice banana cakes with sweet frostings such as chocolate buttercream, peanut butter buttercream, or cream cheese buttercream.

Banana Cake Fillings

• chocolate buttercream
• peanut butter buttercream
• peanut butter Bavarian cream
• caramel buttercream
• banana custard
• strawberry cream
• strawberry buttercream
• strawberry compote
• chocolate peanut butter buttercream
• cream cheese buttercream
• banana curd
• coffee cream cheese frosting

Coffee Cake

Coffee cake is made by adding espresso, or instant coffee to a vanilla cake base.

Coffee cake can be filled with coffee pastry cream or caramel pastry cream.

You can ice coffee cakes with coffee buttercream, mocha buttercream, or chocolate buttercream.

Coffee Cake Fillings

• coffee buttercream
• coffee pastry cream
• caramel pastry cream
• coconut and rum buttercream
• cream cheese buttercream
• mocha buttercream
• chocolate buttercream
• white chocolate buttercream
• apricot jam

Cake icings can be made out of buttercream, cream cheese, and whipped cream for a rich, creamy, frosting.

Cake icings add flavor, texture, and an eye catching look to your beautiful baking creations.

Buttercream frosting or cream cheese icing are the perfect base to add a variety of flavors to create your own rich icing for cakes.

Whipped cream based frosting is has more liquid, and isn’t as thick, therefore it’s easily spreadable for your cake.

You can add a ton of flavor to cake icing using simple ingredients like freshly brewed espresso, vanilla beans, lemon zest, lime juice, jam, etc.

Try using one of these sweet cake icing flavors for your next cake!

Cream Cheese Frosting

Cream cheese frosting is a tangy, creamy frosting for cakes.

It’s not as sweet as buttercream, and has the memorable cream cheese and vanilla flavor.

Cream cheese frosting needs to have the right consistency to be piped into shapes using a piping tip.

Cream cheese frosting works well for carrot cake, red velvet cake, and vanilla cake.

Vanilla Buttercream Frosting

Vanilla buttercream frosting is rich and creamy, with an aromatic flavor of vanilla.

It’s a stiff icing, therefore its works well for intricate piping like creating roses or petals.

Vanilla buttercream is made with heavy cream instead of milk to thin it out, therefore it has more of a buttery, velvety flavor.

You can easily color vanilla buttercream frosting using gel food coloring, or liquid food coloring.

Vanilla buttercream frosting can be used for almost any cake! Vanilla cake, lemon cake, pumpkin cake, etc.

Strawberry Frosting

Strawberry frosting is one of the most fruity frostings you’ll ever eat!!

To make strawberry buttercream you have to first make strawberry puree. It smells as good as it sounds.

The puree is added to a buttercream base, and it produces a vibrant pink frosting.

Strawberry buttercream has a bit of unique look to it, it has tiny pieces of strawberry mixed throughout the icing.

I recommend using the buttercream within 1-2 days, as the flavor fades over time.

Strawberry frosting can be used for making strawberry shortcake, or on top of vanilla cake.

Orange Whipped Cream

Orange whipped cream is made by whipping heavy cream until stiff peaks.

Orange zest and a little powdered sugar make this cake icing refreshing with citrus and have a sweet flavor.

White Chocolate Buttercream

White chocolate buttercream is made by adding melted vanilla chocolate to a buttercream base.

White chocolate is a fairly sweet chocolate, but added to buttercream makes it a delicious and creamy frosting that isn’t too sweet.

White chocolate buttercream is a beautiful crisp white frosting, but you can color if desired using gel food coloring.

Coffee Icing

Coffee icing is an incredible flavored icing because it’s FULL of coffee flavor.

It tastes like you’re eating a latte.

Coffee buttercream icing is made by adding instant coffee (I recommend using freshly brewed espresso) to a buttercream icing base.

Coffee buttercream frosting has a hazel color to the frosting.

Champagne Buttercream Frosting

Champagne buttercream frosting has a lovely hint of bubbly flavor.

Champagne buttercream frosting can be made using a sweet sparkling wine infused into a vanilla buttercream frosting. You could even use a strawberry sparkling wine for a little extra fruity flavor.

Champagne buttercream frosting is perfect for a wedding shower, NYE party, or birthday party celebration.

Chai Spiced Frosting

Chai spiced frosting has the flavor of a chai latte.

Chai spiced frosting is made by infusing chai spice into a vanilla buttercream frosting.

Chai spiced frosting has a birch color to it.

It’s a unique tea flavored frosting that goes well with a vanilla cake, pumpkin cake, or coffee cake.

Cookies and Cream Frosting

Cookies and cream frosting has a hint of vanilla buttercream frosting, and tastes like you’re eating cookies in the form of icing.

Crushed cookies and cookie crumbs are added to the frosting to create this decadent and rich buttercream icing.

Cookies and cream buttercream frosting can be used for chocolate cake or vanilla cake.

Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

Chocolate buttercream frosting is a chocolatey, creamy frosting.

Chocolate buttercream frosting is made by adding a little vanilla extract, and cocoa powder to a buttercream base frosting.

Chocolate buttercream is a heavy frosting.

Chocolate buttercream can be used for frosting chocolate cake.

Hazelnut Icing

Hazelnut icing is a nutty and chocolatey frosting.

Hazelnut buttercream icing is made by adding cocoa powder, and hazelnut sauce to a buttercream frosting.

Hazelnut frosting is a unique frosting in that it has a nut flavored undertone with chocolate flavor.

Hazelnut frosting goes well with chocolate, vanilla, or mocha cakes.

Peanut butter Frosting

Peanut butter frosting is a fluffy and light buttercream.

Peanut butter icing is made by simply adding peanut butter to a buttercream base.

It’s a bit unique, in that the frosting is thinned out by adding freshly whipped whipping cream.

The whipping cream adds a creamy texture to the buttercream frosting.

Peanut butter frosting goes well on top of chocolate cakes.

Elderflower Buttercream

Elderflower buttercream is a floral and refreshing buttercream frosting.

Elderflower buttercream is made by adding elderflower cordial to a buttercream base.

Elderflower buttercream goes well with lemon cake or vanilla cake.

Mint Chocolate Icing

Mint chocolate buttercream is a minty fresh, chocolatey icing.

Mint buttercream icing is made by adding mint extract, and dark chocolate chips to Italian buttercream icing.

You can also color the icing using liquid or gel food coloring if desired.

Mint buttercream icing goes well on top of a chocolate cake.

Marshmallow Vanilla Frosting

Marshmallow vanilla frosting has a hint of marshmallow and vanilla flavors.

Marshmallow vanilla frosting is made using marshmallow fluff and vanilla extract, which is infused into a buttercream base icing.

Marshmallow vanilla frosting can be piped onto chocolate cake or vanilla cake.

Lemon Frosting

Lemon buttercream is a citrusy frosting with a burst of lemon flavor.

Lemon buttercream is made by adding lemon extract and freshly grated lemon zest to infuse into buttercream icing.

Lemon buttercream is goes well on top of lemon cake or vanilla cake.

Amaretto Icing

Amaretto buttercream is a sweet, cherry flavored frosting.

Amaretto buttercream is made by infusing amaretto and vanilla extract into buttercream frosting.

Slowly add the powdered sugar into the frosting, and taste test for yourself. Only add as much sugar as you need to. It might be too sweet otherwise.

Amaretto icing can be piped onto vanilla cake for a sweet cherry cake flavor.

Raspberry Buttercream Frosting

Raspberry buttercream is a fruity, sweet flavored frosting for cakes.

Raspberry buttercream is made by creaming together butter and shortening with powdered sugar.

The flavor of the buttercream comes from the concentrated flavor of raspberry jam, and vanilla extract.

Hot water is used to thin out the icing as needed, depending on how thick you want the icing for your cake.

Banana Buttercream Icing

Banana buttercream frosting has a creamy banana flavor to it.

Banana buttercream icing is made with banana extract to buttercream frosting. You can add a little yellow liquid food coloring as well for a pop of color.

Banana buttercream icing can be piped onto banana cake or vanilla cake.

Coconut Frosting

Coconut frosting has a woody-fruity flavor to it.

Coconut buttercream icing is made by adding cream of coconut and coconut emulsion to buttercream icing.

Coconut frosting goes well on top of vanilla cake.

Cream Cheese Lime Frosting

Cream cheese lime frosting has a refreshing citrus lime flavor, combined with tangy cream cheese.

Cream cheese lime frosting is made by adding fresh lime juice to a vanilla cream cheese base frosting.

You can add a couple of drops of green food coloring if desired.

Cream cheese lime frosting can be paired with vanilla cake.

Cinnamon Buttercream

Cinnamon buttercream frosting is a fluffy, buttery frosting, infused with delicious cinnamon and vanilla flavors.

Cinnamon buttercream is made by creaming together shortening, butter, and powdered sugar.

Heavy cream is used to thin out the icing.

Vanilla extract and cinnamon are added to the frosting at the end, so you can taste test and make sure the flavor is just right before icing your cake.

Mocha Icing

Mocha icing has a coffee-chocolate flavor to it. It’s rich and decadent.

Mocha buttercream icing is made by adding freshly brewed coffee or espresso, and cocoa powder to a vanilla buttercream icing.

Mocha icing can be piped on top of chocolate or vanilla cake.

Dulche De Leche Frosting

Dulche de leche frosting has a hint of caramel flavor.

Dulche de leche frosting is made by combining dulche de leche with butter.

Whipped cream is folded into the butter mixture, making a creamy frosting for cakes.

Irish Cream Frosting

Irish Cream frosting has a creamy vanilla flavor to it with a hint of whiskey.

Irish cream buttercream is made by adding Irish cream to a buttercream frosting.

Irish cream frosting goes well on top of vanilla cake.