I prefer a cream cheese frosting. To get a well blended frosting, it's important to have the cream cheese and butter at room temp and mix well.

1 – 8 oz package of cream cheese, room temperature
½ cup butter (1 stick), room temperature
1 cup confectioners’ sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. With an electric mixer, mix the butter and cream cheese together, about 3 minutes on medium speed until very smooth. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl to ensure even mixing.

2. Add the vanilla extract and mix. Slowly add the powdered sugar. Keep adding until you get to desired sweetness and thickness.

A buttercream frosting like the one PP linked to is super easy. Softened butter, confectioners sugar, vanilla and milk or cream. My favorite recipe is below. The cream and the 4-minute beating at the end makes it SUPER fluffy. I made it recently for a bunch of people who only like store-bought/canned frosting and they were amazed at how light and airy it was. They came back for seconds and thirds.

MAKES 3 CUPS

The buttercream frosting can be made ahead and refrigerated; if refrigerated, however, it must stand at room temperature to soften before use. If using a hand-held mixer, increase mixing times significantly (at least 50 percent). This recipe can be doubled to make enough for a two-layer cake.

INGREDIENTS

2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 tablespoons heavy cream
1/8 tablespoons table salt
2 1/2 cups Confectioners' sugar (10 ounces)
20 tablespoons (2 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

INSTRUCTIONS

In standing mixer fitted with whisk attachment, beat butter at medium-high speed until smooth, about 20 seconds. Add confectioners' sugar and salt; beat at medium-low speed until most of the sugar is moistened, about 45 seconds. Scrape down bowl and beat at medium speed until mixture is fully combined, about 15 seconds; scrape bowl, add vanilla and heavy cream, and beat at medium speed until incorporated, about 10 seconds, then increase speed to medium-high and beat until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes, scraping down bowl once or twice.

I notice that my kids really like the Cherrybrook Chocolate frosting (I have seen it at Wegmans and Wholefoods). You just add butter and mix. I feel weird buying it because the ingredients are just powered sugar, coco powder, vanilla and salt, but it seems to taste way better than my own mixtures.

How thick a layer of frosting do you want?

For maximum coverage:

Melt 1 stick of butter (if you use unsalted, add a pinch of salt)
Slowly beat in 4 cups of powdered sugar
Add 1 tablespoon vanilla
Add milk or cream, 1-2 tsp at a time, until it's the consistency you want.

The one on the back of the confectioners sugar bag is fantastic. Fantastic. My DH didn't know frosting could be made so easily at home and he devours it. Takes about ten minutes to make (but I think it calls for room temperature butter).

1/2 cup crisco (solid)
1 stick butter at room temp
1 tsp vanilla
1 box powdered sugar
Milk as needed, by the tsp

Mix butter and crisco till creamy. Add vanilla. Start with sugar, add about 1/3 box, mix. Add a few tsp milk, mix. Alternate sugar and milk to desired consistency. For choc buttercream, just add a few tsp cocoa powder to desired darkness and taste!

Rainbow chip has a cult following - think it's been discontinued though

Anonymous wrote:it's pricey, but really good. There is a ready-made frosting in a pink bag at Whole Foods. The vanilla is to die for. My son talks about it, every time I frost cupcakes with it, for months.

Do you know the name of it? I'd love to try it.

http://savorysweetlife.com/2010/03/buttercream-frosting/

I've made this one about a million times and it always comes out well, no problems.

Is it for kids in school? Get the one in the can with rainbow sprinkles. They all taste nasty, but the kids will like the colors.

it's pricey, but really good. There is a ready-made frosting in a pink bag at Whole Foods. The vanilla is to die for. My son talks about it, every time I frost cupcakes with it, for months.

Can anyone recommend a decent store bought frosting? I have no trouble with making the cake from scratch, but for some reason am daunted by making my own frosting.

Alternately, if anyone has a foolproof recipe for white frosting that tastes good, I would love to give it a try. I only have a hand mixer, and I have 48 cupcakes to frost tomorrow.