Flavors: Sugar Cookie Dough and Christmas Cookie, Caramel Mocha and Baileys-and-Cocoa

Quick recipe notes:

All the basic frosting you see on my cupcakes always starts with one of three basics – the two here are

–Cream Cheese Base–

8oz cream cheese

1/2 cup butter (unsalted)

1 cup powdered/confectioners sugar

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and

–Mallowcreme Base–

1 cup butter (unsalted)

1 1/3rd cup powdered/confectioners sugar

7 ounces marshmallow fluff

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I use the marshmallow because it’s a quick way to get light, airy, fluffy, stable frosting. Marshmallow is basically sugar, some kind of gelatin and air – I use a fluff that’s kosher and vegan friendly (and when baking for my kosher or vegan friends I switch the butter out for some other option), but any will do.

After that, it’s all dumping something else into the mixing bowl with the frosting. Jam (seedless). Cocoa. Vanilla. Vigorously smashed oreo cookies. A shot and a half of Baileys. Whatever makes you happy.

Today’s frostings: (seen on the picture here, clockwise from top left.)

Vanilla Cookie Dough: Mallowcreme frosting base, 1/4 cup brown sugar (sifted to prevent clumps), 1 tablespoon real vanilla extract.

Cookie Butter: Mallowcreme frosting base, 1/2 cup Speculoos Cookie Butter (from Trader Joe’s)

Super Fluffy Vanilla Mallowcreme: Mallowcreme frosting base, 1 tablespoon real vanilla extract. Chill for at least an hour in the fridge, then re-mix on high speed until super extra mega fluffy.

Bailey’s Cream Cheese: Cream cheese frosting base, 1.5 shots Bailey’s Cream Liqueur, 2 tablespoons vanilla caramel sauce. This requires chilling, because the extra liquid makes the frosting very soft. Chill this for at least an hour before using it.