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frosting

frosting

49 1.0
A sweet spread people put on cakes to cover and decorate them
  • noun
  • /ˈfrɔːstɪŋ/
  • US
translation icon : glaseado
  • Lily used a spoon to scrape off the pink frosting that read "Welcome Home."
  • cake frosting

Is it a soggy cake now or did the frosting protect it?

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Examples

  • Whipped cream is the classic frosting and filling to use with a black forest cake.

    Blog text (2)
  • OK, Yellow cake with chocolate frosting does not make it chocolate cake.

  • It's got a little frosting on it.

  • We have white frosting and red frosting and a foam block.

  • Top with the remaining layer. Frost the side and top of the cake with the remaining frosting.

    Fiction book (2002)
  • And can you get a cupcake with pink frosting?

  • The only frosting I'm interested in today is on this donut.

  • I found that refrigerating the frosting beforehand helped with the consistency a bit, but not too long!

    Blog text (2)
  • Jazmin, I've never had a basic buttercream frosting separate, so I'm not sure what the problem is.

    Blog text (2)
  • To create a delicious birthday cake, make sure to apply a thick layer of frosting on top and around the sides.

Synonyms

ice
vsfrosting
117 1.0

A sweet soft topping spread over cakes to decorate them

is more consistently made with sugar combined with additional ingredients
icing
vsfrosting
46 1.0

A sweet thick spread used to coat and decorate cakes

is broader and often uses sugar plus other ingredients for flavor
buttercream
vsfrosting
9 2.4

A sweet creamy icing made from butter and sugar for decorating cakes and pastries

is a specific butter based variety rather than a general sweet coating

Antonyms

217 2.2

Not covered or protected, showing the plain surface

1 3.9

Plain and not having any extra things added to make it look nicer

How Thick

fondant
  • Specialized
5 4.7
buttercream
9 2.4
frosting
  • US
49 1.0
glaze
43 3.7

Surface Forms

frosting singular
frostings plural

Morphology

frosting = frost (semi-transparent) = frost + ing

The word is formed by the verb 'to frost' + '-ing'; the meaning 'cake icing' is a conventionalized culinary sense derived from the idea of covering, so the relation is metaphorical rather than fully literal for learners.

Etymology

Frosting comes from frost, the thin ice you see on grass, plus the ending -ing, so you can think of it as a 'cover'. That's why frosting is the sweet layer that 'covers' a cake, just like frost 'covers' the ground.