The Absolute Best Store-Bought Cake Frosting Just Gets Everything Right

If you've ever spent the time to upgrade your homemade frosting game, then you know it can be a time-consuming effort. It's often made from butter, powdered sugar, and milk, and because it uses fresh ingredients, it only lasts around one to two weeks in the refrigerator. If you're in a time crunch or don't want to deal with the hassle, a container of store-bought frosting can speed up your baking routine — or serve as a backup in case your homemade frosting doesn't turn out right.

In Chowhound's ranking of store-bought frosting, a familiar baking brand made the top of the list for its variety and spreadability. We found that among the Pillsbury brand's several flavors, its vanilla and chocolate fudge frosting stayed true to form in the taste department. Another highlight was its price: Pillsbury also usually sells at a reasonable price point of under $2 per 16-ounce container, making the value worth the cost.

As a part of Pillsbury's "Creamy Supreme" line, the vanilla and chocolate frostings met expectations by having a smooth and easily workable texture that's perfect for decorating cookies and cakes. What's more impressive is their ability to stay soft even after being refrigerated, so they're ready at a moment's notice. Consistency is everything with frosting, and Pillsbury's recipe got it right.

One important thing to note about Pillsbury frosting is that, like most other store-bought frostings, it contains a fair amount of artificial ingredients. Because the Pillsbury frostings aren't made with ingredients like milk and butter, they have a much longer shelf life than homemade frosting. They can last for up to a year unopened, and about three weeks with proper refrigeration once opened.

The vanilla flavor doesn't list any gluten or dairy ingredients, and most surprisingly, doesn't include vanilla on its ingredient list at all. The same goes for the chocolate fudge flavor, except that it does contain actual cocoa. By some miracle of food engineering, these flavors still tasted better and more authentic than the competition. Neither of them were sickeningly sweet or carried an overwhelming "artificial" taste.

The Pillsbury vanilla and chocolate fudge frostings are solid choices, and you can improve your store-bought frosting with certain ingredients. Bourbon and tequila can give it more depth and help create an even smoother consistency, while fruit and food coloring can turn the vanilla flavor into any color of the rainbow. Pillsbury frosting is decadent and creamy, providing a rich mouthfeel and nice complement to any cake and brownie recipe at home.