Showing results for "frosting"

• present participle of frost.

frosting

American  

[fraw-sting, fros-ting] / ˈfrɔ stɪŋ, ˈfrɒs tɪŋ /

noun

• frostings
  plural

1. a sweet mixture, cooked or uncooked, for coating or filling cakes, cookies, and the like; icing.

2. a dull or lusterless finish, as on metal or glass.

3. a process of highlighting the hair by bleaching selected strands.

4. a material used for decorative work, as signs, displays, etc., made from coarse flakes of powdered glass.

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idioms

1. the frosting on the cake, something added to make a thing better or more desirable. Also icing on the cake.

frosting British  

/ ˈfrɒstɪŋ /

noun

1. a soft icing based on sugar and egg whites

2. Also called: icing.  a sugar preparation, variously flavoured and coloured, for coating and decorating cakes, biscuits, etc

3. a rough or matt finish on glass, silver, etc

4. slang the practice of stealing a car while the owner has left it idling to defrost the windows and heat the engine

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• nonfrosting
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• frostings
  plural

Etymology

Origin of frosting

First recorded in 1610–20; frost + -ing ¹

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

frosting frostings

Every chocolate cake needs several ingredients for the batter, along with simple syrup to keep the layers moist, as well as frosting and sometimes decorations.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 25, 2026

Everything else is just frosting on the cake.

From MarketWatch ● Jan. 30, 2026

She punctuates the quip by taking a big bite, leaving a glob of frosting on her face.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 11, 2026

It’s when we enjoy slices of birthday cake to our hearts’ content, savoring every single crumb and licking our plates clean of any frosting.

From Salon ● Jan. 10, 2026

Or the dry Stella D’oro cookies with their cement frosting, which he raves and raves about and manages to find even in the most remote locations.

From "A Heart in a Body in the World" by Deb Caletti

And we haven't even mentioned different frostings and toppings: You can totally go to town.

From Salon ● Aug. 22, 2020

Baking often necessitates frostings, caramels, and creams, which can be finicky if they’re not kept at a steady temperature.

From Slate ● May 5, 2020

The bold frostings on the fried cakes owe their colors to the fruits and purées that flavor them; no artificial dyes or preservatives are used here.

From Washington Post ● Mar. 27, 2018

The dough is preternaturally puffy but has almost no give, and the frostings are as subtle as giggles.

From New York Times ● Nov. 4, 2014

The six tiers of fabric are like different frostings of tulle and lace and silk.

From "The Belles" by Dhonielle Clayton

Related Words

• glaze