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    Home ยป Recipes ยป 4th of July

    Cherry Frosting Recipe

    Published: Dec 6, 2015 ยท Updated: Nov 4, 2023 by Tammilee ยท This post may contain affiliate links

    I love all the cupcake recipes weโ€™ve been sharing on Cupcake Saturdays! I figured I would share a quick and easy cherry frosting recipe today.

    Cherry frosting over a white plate a icing dispenser and maraschino cherries, next to a bowl of icing

    Cherry Frosting Recipe

    Contents show
    Cherry Frosting Recipe
    Preparation and Storage
    Recipe Variations
    Tips for the Best Cherry Frosting
    What to Serve with Cherry Frosting
    Great Dessert Recipes
    Cherry Frosting Recipe
    Ingredients
    Instructions
    Kitchen Tools

    This frosting is the perfect way to jazz up a cupcake or sweet treat! Itโ€™s so easy to make and tastes delicious!

    For a quick and easy recipe for chocolate cherry cupcakes, whip up some chocolate cupcakes, top with this Cherry Frosting, and add a maraschino cherry.

    Ingredients

    Here is a quick overview of the simple ingredients needed to make an epic Cherry Frosting! The printable recipe card at the bottom of the post includes specific measurements and step-by-step instructions.

    • Unsalted Butter (Room-Temperature butter)
    • Powdered Sugar/confectioner's sugarย 
    • Maraschino Cherry Juiceย 

    Equipment Needed

    • Measuring Spoons and Cups
    • Large Mixing Bowl and Hand Mixer or Stand Electric Mixer
    • Spatula
    • Piping bag

    Preparation and Storage

    Make-Ahead + Storage: This Cherry Frosting is make-ahead-friendly! Refrigerate it in an airtight container and use it within five days.

    Freezing/How to Freeze: Store leftover frosting in an airtight, freezer-safe container and use within three months. Transfer frozen frosting to the refrigerator and let thaw overnight before using.

    You may need to stir it and let it sit at room temperature for a few minutes before using it to make it pliable enough for decorating but not so loose that it melts on the cakeโ€™s surface.

    Recipe Variations

    Substitutions:ย 

    Weโ€™ve seen other recipes that add a pinch of salt to balance the sweetness of this cherry buttercream frosting. If the frosting is too sweet for your taste, you can also achieve this balance using salted butter instead of unsalted butter.

    Any brand works, but Luxardo is an excellent brand that naturally yields quality maraschino cherry juice. It is the brand many bars carry for making cocktails.

    Vegetarian Option: This buttercream frosting recipe is vegetarian.

    Vegan Option: Swap the butter with a plant-based alternative to make this recipe vegan.

    Gluten-Free: Gluten-free eaters should use a jar of gluten-free maraschino cherries, as this ingredient may contain unsafe additives for a gluten-free diet.

    Alcohol-Free Option: We donโ€™t use alcohol in our Cherry Frosting recipe, but weโ€™ve seen others add alcohol to their buttercream frostings to make boozy frosting. If you want to try this method, we recommend replacing part of the maraschino cherry juice with your choice of alcohol and experimenting until you reach your desired taste and consistency.

    Smaller Serving Size + Larger Group/More Servings: The written recipe yields 4 to 5 cups of frosting. Scale it up or down to your desired yield.

    Sugar-Free: Use a sugar-free powdered sugar substitute and maraschino cherries with no added sugars to lower the sugar content of this recipe.

    cherry frosting in a white bowl next to a plate with maraschino cherries and an icing dispenser.

    Tips for the Best Cherry Frosting

    • Donโ€™t skip letting your butter reach room temperature. Cold butter does not mix easily; similarly, butter that is too warm makes runny frosting that can be difficult to salvage.
    • You can control the texture of the frosting by adding powdered sugar to thicken it or maraschino cherry juice to loosen it.
    • If you need the frosting to be a specific shade of pink or red, add red food coloring as needed, using the tip above to control the consistency.
    • A general tip for cake decorating: always cool your cake in the fridge before decorating, and never decorate a cake that still feels warm. Frosting will not adhere to a warm cake.
    • You can add any extract to the frosting to combine the cherry with another flavor, such as vanilla or almond. Add powdered sugar as needed if it gets too runny.

    What to Serve with Cherry Frosting

    Do you have a fresh batch of Cherry Frosting ready to be enjoyed? Here are some recipe ideas to ensure every last drop goes to good use.

    Mississippi Mud Cake

    Mountain Dew Cake

    Cookie Sandwiches

    Mummy Cake Pops

    Guinness Chocolate Cake Pops

    Chocolate Peppermint Cherry Dump Cake

    This cherry frosting is great on brownies, sugar cookies, chocolate or white cake, vanilla cupcakes, and so much more.

    Great Dessert Recipes

    Butter Pecan Cookies

    Caramel Macchiato Cookies

    Carrot Cake Oatmeal Cookies

    Tiramisu Martini

    Krumkake

    Do you love recipes? Check out our copycat recipes, dessert recipes, and our CrockPot Recipes.

    Follow Tammilee Tips on MSN, Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest for all our recipe posts.

    Cherry Frosting on a white plate with maraschino cherries

    Cherry Frosting Recipe

    How to make Cherry Frosting
    5 from 1 vote
    Print Rate
    Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes
    Author: Tammilee Tips

    Ingredients

    • 2 sticks Unsalted Butter room temp
    • 4-5 cups Confectioners Powdered Sugar
    • 5 Tablespoon Maraschino cherry juice

    Instructions

    • In large mixing bowl, beat butter on high speed until stiff and fluffy.
    • Add 3 cups of sugar, one at a time.
    • Scrape the sides to get all of the sugar.
    • Now add the cherry juice
    • In addition to the cherry juice add the last cup of sugar.
    • Beat until smooth

    Kitchen Tools

    • Hand Mixer
    Love this recipe?Follow @TammileeTIps on Pinterest
    Tried this recipe?Mention @TammileeTipsLife when you share a photo!

    Recipe originally shared on December 6, 2015. Updated October 2020.

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    About Tammilee

    Lifestyle blogger who travels the world and drinks too much Chai tea. Travel blogger, award winning photographer, sunset hunter, Birkenstock girl, bird nerd
    You can find Tammilee on Pinterest, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Robin Hunter

      March 05, 2023 at 3:31 pm

      I realize this is 2023 but I just started to bake (I am 72 and retired obviously) and I hope you get this note because I want to tell you (AND I SEE HUBBY IN PHOTO) that you are making me feel happy again. I can't wait to start making your recipes. Don't want to go into my history but my husband and I moved from New York because he had lung cancer, so we moved to mid- Florida. We are pretty much alone here, but I do Have one neighbor that I hope to make your recipes for. You have put a light in my life. I sincerely want to Thank you Robin

      Reply
    2. Clo Nevaeh

      January 04, 2016 at 10:35 pm

      This looks really good. We are always looking for new frosting ideas. I really lean towards making my own as the box mixes don't taste very well.

      Reply
    5 from 1 vote (1 rating without comment)

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