The Italian Liqueur You Should Be Adding To Store-Bought Frosting

If you're making homemade cake or cupcakes, then you may want to put all of your focus on the cake part — in other words, you'll be sticking to store bought frosting instead of making your own. Of course, it's not going to taste as good as homemade, but we have some tips to keep in mind to elevate store bought frosting. For example, if the frosting is too thick, then there are easy ways to fill it out, such as adding a certain Italian liqueur that will also give it extra flavor. The liqueur in question? Amaretto.

Amaretto, which means "little bitter" in Italian, is a sweet and nutty liqueur with an almond flavor. If you have a nut allergy, don't fret, because not all variations of amaretto are actually made with almonds — some bottles are made with apricot pits instead of almonds (while others are made with just almonds or both).

Start by picking out the store bought flavor that you'll be using — vanilla and chocolate are two classic flavors that will pair well with the nuttiness of amaretto, but you can also try it with any flavor that you think will work. Add just a tablespoon or two and mix it into the frosting. If it's still too thick, add another splash until you reach the desired consistency. If, during the thinning process, you accidentally make the frosting too thin, then you can use a bit of powdered sugar to thicken it back up.

If you like the nutty flavor of amaretto, then you'll probably enjoy amaretto-infused frosting on just about any type of cake or cupcake, but there are certainly some pairings that will be especially delicious. One of the most straightforward choices — as well as one of the most delicious — is Tasting Table's blueberry and almond Chantilly cake. Why not pair almond flavored frosting with an almond cake? For nut lovers out there, this pairing is sure to be a hit.

If you want the nutty taste to be a bit more subtle, you can leave the almond flavor to the amaretto frosting and pair it with a classic white cake or death by chocolate cake — perhaps using amaretto-infused vanilla frosting for the white cake and amaretto-infused chocolate frosting for the chocolate cake (or vice versa, if you're in the mood for a mix of flavors). Additionally, if you're looking for a way to make pound cake (which isn't always served with frosting) a bit sweeter, then an amaretto-infused vanilla frosting may just be the way to go.

You can also make red velvet cupcakes a bit more interesting and unique by adding a nutty component thanks to the amaretto. Or use the amaretto frosting to make pumpkin spice cupcakes a little nuttier — after all, nuts show up in pumpkin bread all the time, so it's a tried-and-true combination.