When my oldest son turned one, I spent a full week making his very first birthday cake. I researched the proper recipe for weeks and went on a journey to seek out every ingredient within the purest, most natural kind. Grass-fed butter solely, please and thanks.
I agonized over the frosting. Would an American buttercream be too candy for his child palate? Could I pull off a Swiss meringue for a celebration of 40 folks? It seems, infants like cake. Any cake, made with any ingredient and with any type of frosting.
In truth, over time my children have begged for “normal” frosting on their birthday muffins. Imagine the horror… your mother needs to make you a German buttercream as an alternative of store-bought frosting! It should be so robust for them!
All jokes apart, I’ve tried to loosen the reins of my type-A methods with birthday celebrations. You need donuts as an alternative of cake? Perfect. You need Funfetti with grocery retailer frosting? Even higher!
I’m very happy to make boxed cake mixes and use store-bought frostings. That stated, it has to style and look good. And who would know what’s good, if not the consultants? I reached out to some of my favourite bakers to seek out out what store-bought frosting is finest and the findings stunned me.
In a wave of nostalgia, I realized the frosting of my childhood is their favourite: Duncan Hines Creamy Vanilla Frosting.
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The 3 Experts I Spoke To
- Laura Kasavan: Founder of baking weblog All Sweets
- Lauren Lane Beeman: Food blogger, recipe developer, and meals stylist identified for her fool-proof recipes and easy entertaining suggestions
- Sara Haas: Trained chef, registered dietitian nutritionist, licensed dietitian nutritionist, and meals author
The Best Store-Bought Frosting, According to Experts
While Kasavan is thought for her scratch-made recipes, she’s not afraid to confess that Duncan Hines Creamy Vanilla Frosting is her go-to in a pinch. “If I’m short on time and can’t make frosting from scratch, I reach for [this] frosting. I like it because it’s smooth and rich, with a natural vanilla flavor that doesn’t taste artificial. It’s not too sweet and the texture is super creamy and easy to spread. It’s one of those pantry staples that’s great to have on hand for a last-minute batch of cupcakes or just a craving for cake.”
Similarly, Beeman loves the dependability of the Duncan Hines Creamy Vanilla Frosting and that it’s not too candy, which is necessary in a world filled with cloyingly candy store-bought frostings.
She states that, in contrast to different manufacturers, this explicit frosting doesn’t have a bizarre aftertaste. In truth, it’s impartial sufficient that she provides flavors to upgrade itlike a block of cream cheese for tang and a few good vanilla extract.
Haas agrees with Beeman in regards to the unhealthy aftertaste some frostings have. She often makes frosting from scratch, however retains Duncan Hines Creamy Vanilla Frosting in her pantry.
She says, “When I don’t have time to make my frosting from scratch, I’ll grab a container of Duncan Hines Creamy Vanilla. Out of all of the store-bought frostings I’ve purchased, this one comes closest to homemade. Sometimes I’ll throw in a little extra vanilla extract to amp up the flavor.” After all, you all the time have to be ready for a cake emergency!
Simply Recipes / Cindy Rahe
