Can You Purchase Frosting From A Bakery?

Buttercream frosting is rich, luxurious, and over-the-top sweet in the best way. The way it pairs so perfectly with fluffy cake evokes a sense of nostalgia — if you close your eyes, you can imagine that you're sitting at a birthday party from years past with every bite of the perfectly sweet, buttery topping. If you're like us and find that the icing you buy from the cake mix aisle in the grocery store isn't cutting it for you, we have a solution. Often, bakeries sell frosting you can put to good use at home — and all you have to do is ask.

Of course, you'll need to check with your local grocery store or independent bakery to know for sure. According to social media, many commercial bakeries — including Sam's Club, Kroger, Walmart, and Publix — will sell you a container of buttercream frosting, straight from the bakery. It may not be out with the ready-to-eat cakes and cupcakes, but you can ask a bakery employee to package some up for you. While independent bakeries each have their own policies on selling icing, you may be able to find one near you that sells it.

If you've accomplished your mission, you've got a tub (or two, or three — we don't judge) of frosting from your favorite bakery, and now, it's time to put it to good use. One of the most important expert tips for upgrading your homemade frosting game is also one of the simplest: Be sure your cake is completely, seriously, really 100% cool before you start adding frosting. We get it. When you're psyched to start decorating (and eating), it can take some serious restraint to start the process, but it's well worth your while. Icing your cake before it's completely cool can result in a melty mess that won't do your bakery buttercream justice.

Another tip that can help you create a cake that tastes (and looks) like what you'd get from the bakery: Don't ice your cake all at once. Add a thin layer of icing, also known as a crumb coat, to create a smooth surface. Refrigerate the cake for a bit to allow the initial layer of frosting to firm up, then take it out and add the final coat of icing for a smooth, professional look. If you'd rather not use a piping tip for your frosting, you can create a fancy, scalloped cake design with a spoon and a piping bag.

If you're struggling to find a bakery in your area that's down to sell you a straight-up tub of icing, it might be time to get your hands dirty and work on creating a similar recipe. If you want to create something that tastes like it came straight from a high-end bakery, you'll want to use the good stuff – high-quality vanilla extract is essential for making the best buttercream frosting.

You can choose a recipe and tweak it to your liking, or try a copycat recipe if there's a certain frosting you like. Wegmans actually shares its bakery's buttercream frosting recipe online so you can recreate it at home. Regardless of the recipe you choose, be sure to make plenty of it: Filling your mixing bowl above the paddle attachment is the ideal way to mix buttercream frosting for a silky texture with no air bubbles. When your bowl is nice and full, it's tougher for air to get mixed in, helping to create the thick, creamy texture you want. You can freeze buttercream icing for a few months, which is just one more reason to make a large batch.