How To Decorate a Cake without Buttercream

A classic chocolate cake needs no buttercream if you ask me. Especially this recipe, filled with homemade cherry filling and dressed up with a glossy chocolate icing.

This simple but elegant chocolate layer cake combines light and fluffy whipped cream filling with perfectly sweet berries that act as effortless, but quite pretty, decoration on their own.

It doesn’t get much cuter, or sweeter, than individual flourless chocolate cakes. And these are so rich and chocolaty, you certainly won’t miss buttercream frosting. 

A light and bouncy separated sponge chocolate cake rolled around sweet and refreshing cherry chocolate chip ice cream. Is there a better summer dessert? All you need is a drizzle of chocolaty glaze to round out this buttercream-less roll cake.  

Orange zest in this dense flourless carrot cake makes for a bright flavor. Almond flour makes for a dense, moist dessert that only needs a three-ingredient mascarpone frosting to shine. 

This naturally gluten-free, deliciously intense chocolate cake needs no sugary frosting. A simple two-ingredient chocolate ganache is the perfect buttercream alternative to bring this cake to life. 

Sticking with the flourless trend, these individual mocha cakes have a warm and gooey coffee-flavored center. A cool vanilla bean creme Anglaise melts to make the perfect dessert pairing. 

People will go nuts for this cake! Not only does this recipe make a three-layer chocolate cake, each layer is drizzled with creamy dulce de leche and studded with crunchy pecans and creamy coconut flakes. You can buy dulce de leche, or easily make your own for a tasty go-to buttercream alternative. 

This cake is baked in an easy-to-transport pie plate and gets topped with fluffy chocolate mousse. Add a sprinkle of your favorite fresh berries or chocolate shavings make this a delightful birthday cake recipe. 

This springtime cake is bright, fresh, and lovely with tea. A simple drizzle with homemade lemon glaze is all you need to compliment the moist and tender bundt cake.  

Banana and peanut butter are the perfect match in this lovely tea cake. No one will expect a peanut butter glaze as a clever buttercream alternative. 

This chocolate sour cream bundt cake with a surprise sweet cream cheese swirl will delight your guests. Topped with a classic chocolate ganache glaze, this bundt cake is the total package. 

If you’re looking for the ultimate show-stopping chocolate cake (no buttercream, of course), look no further. This cake might be made in a bundt pan, but it packs all the decadence of a multi-layer cake. There’s a reason it made the cover of Betty Crocker’s Best All-Time Recipes. 

This is the perfect cake for a cool fall afternoon. Cinnamon Caramel Glaze and a two-ingredient Caramel Drizzle bring a classic coffee cake to a new level. Don’t forget the crumbly streusel filling!

Folding pumpkin purée into a homemade cream cheese frosting makes this an easy Fall favorite. These from-scratch cupcakes strike the perfect balance between subtle and in-your-face pumpkin flavors.

This German Chocolate Cake has only 5 ingredients, so there’s no reason not to spend an extra 15 minutes mixing up a nutty coconut almond frosting. Add a delicate drizzle of chocolate, and everyone will think you spent all day making dessert!

A sweet and savory cake is always a fun surprise. And I love how this cornmeal cake from Cookin Canuck takes a causal approach to icing. A simple, but tangy and fruit-sweetened strawberry rhubarb sauce is the perfect topping to bring pep and summery flavors to this tea cake. 

We couldn’t list all the alternatives to buttercream icing without mentioning cream cheese frosting! This recipe gets a tropical twist from coconut and tangy sour cream. It’s always a popular summertime dessert. 

If the picture doesn’t convince you to top your next cake with the dreamiest alternative to buttercream (Marshmallow), let me convince you. This Marshmallow Dream Cake certainly earned its name. Dense dark chocolate layer cake enveloped in a cloud of meringue––need I say more?

This bright green cake is spring on a plate. The frosting is made with creme de menthe for a serious mint flavor that’s a real crowd-pleaser. 

The key to getting this easy cake full of flavor and moist is to prick holes with a toothpick before drizzling the cake with zesty lime glaze. A quick sprinkle of lime and coconut over the top adds
crunch and brightness.

This cake is the best of both worlds: dense black forest cake layered with homemade cheesecake and decorated with cream cheese frosting and cherries. This is a truly special occasion dessert.