How to Make Store-Bought Frosting Better With 1 Quick Hack

Good baking sometimes requires a few shortcuts. And sometimes those shortcuts come straight from the supermarket baking aisle. No shame in skipping a few steps – you’re busy! It’s already pretty simple to make boxed cake mix better, but canned frosting is a whole different story. Sure, there are a myriad of ways you can improve store-bought frosting, from swirling in some peanut butter to adding some fresh whipped cream, but one method is simply a cut above the rest. Plus, our favorite trick takes canned frosting from good to great in less than five minutes. 

How to Make Store-Bought Frosting Better

Our go-to quick hack not only greatly improves the taste of store-bought frosting, but also does wonders for its texture and appearance as well. In fact, with this worthy shortcut canned frosting can even pass as homemade. We won’t tell if you won’t! The best part about this hack is that it works on any flavor of frosting you like, and utilizes something that’s probably already in your kitchen. Here’s how to make store-bought frosting better: 

Whip your frosting

Empty a tub of store-bought, room-temperature frosting into a large bowl or the container of a stand mixer. Then, using the whisk attachment, start whipping the frosting, gradually increasing speed as the frosting starts fluffing up in size. Within three minutes, the frosting should double in size, and the extra pockets of air make for a much lighter eating experience without that stickiness store-bought frosting is known for. 

From here, you can use the frosting to frost layers of cake, or to decorate the exterior. No one (but you) will know your frosting came from a container! 

If you want to adjust the flavor, pause the whipping after a minute and use some add-ins.

Store-Bought Frosting Add-Ins 

Store-bought frosting is often quite sweet, but it can take on plenty of flavors and even colors if you want to switch it up. Add a few drops of vanilla extract for a boost of vanilla flavor in vanilla frostings, or go for a few drops of food coloring to add a nice hue to light-colored frostings. You can also toss in some sprinkles to light-colored frostings for your own funfetti.  

To add richness to the frosting, and make it a little less sweet, whip in some cubes of room-temperature butter or cream cheese, which add decadence and will make the frosting taste homemade. 

To add fruitiness, drop in a few teaspoons of jam or preserves, or pulse some dehydrated fruit (like strawberries) in a food processor before whipping it into the frosting to infuse it with fruit flavor. Citrus zest can also add a nice tang to store-bought frosting, and a squeeze of citrus juice can also mellow out the cloyingly sweet flavor with a tangy hit of some acid. 

Any flavor you want in your whipped frosting is possible, with just a few teaspoons of your preferred liquid. Cold brew frosting? Campari frosting? Leftover pie filling? It’s all possible! 

Store-Bought Frosting Tips

Whip the frosting only before you’re ready to use it. If you whip it and chill it, it will be hard to spread. And if you whip it and leave it at room temperature, it may deflate and your hard work (okay, quick work, but still) will be for nothing. 

If you want two flavors of frosting, start with half of your frosting container, whip it, transfer to a bowl or the cake or cupcakes being frosted, and then use the second half of the container to create a new flavor of whipped frosting.