Basic Buttercream

• Simple buttercream forms the basis for the most popular style of frosting a cake. Made of butter, sugar and milk, it can be flavored with almost anything imaginable, from standard vanilla extract to more exotic additives such as green tea or cardamom. Buttercream frosting is easy to spread on nearly any shape and size of cake, and takes food coloring extremely well, making it popular for theme cakes. Chocolate, peanut butter or cream cheese can be added, as well, to increase the flavor options. It can be applied in artful swirls, or spread smoothly and enhanced with piped accents.

Fabulous Fondant

• Fondant is another popular option for frosting a cake, and is often used for wedding cakes. Fondant has the consistency of soft clay, and is rolled into a thin, pliable sheet and draped and stretched over the cake to form a perfectly smooth surface. It can be made from scratch, or purchased ready-made at cake decorating and craft stores, and tinted with paste or gel food coloring. Its smooth surface creates a blank canvas for imaginative and artistic designs impossible with buttercream. Small amounts of fondant are often rolled and molded into intricate flowers or other shapes used as accents on top of buttercream or other frosting types. At first glance, fondant may seem difficult to work with, but it is actually a rather forgiving medium for cake artistry.

Bare and Beautiful

• On the other end of the spectrum from the impressive display of a fondant-covered wedding cake, a rustic, casual approach to frosting style can be achieved by leaving the surface of a multilayered cake unfrosted, and simply accenting the top of the cake with piped dollops of flavored whipped cream and attractive sliced fruit or edible flowers, such as nasturtiums. Make sure to wash flowers or fruit well before adding them to the cake, and keep it covered and refrigerated. With this technique, the filling between the layers is the real star, so ensure it is flavorful and attractive.

Magnificent Meringue

• Another option for a show-stopping cake is a frosting made from stiff meringue, sculpted into peaks and curls, then toasted to an attractive golden brown with a kitchen torch. Use a stand mixer to beat the meringue into stiff peaks that curl slightly at the ends, and apply the meringue liberally to the entire surface of the cake. Use your fingers to form the peaks, and use the torch to brown the edges of the peaks. Make sure to read and follow the instructions included with the torch, and do not allow children to operate a kitchen torch unsupervised. The result will be a dramatic appearance and a light, airy texture that will enchant your guests and enhance the flavor of the cake underneath.