Mango Buttercream for Cake and Cupcakes

This mango buttercream frosting is smooth, pipeable, and packed with real mango flavor. Made with freeze-dried mango powder, this frosting delivers a bright, tropical taste while staying sturdy enough for cakes, cupcakes, and detailed piping. Whether you’re baking during mango season or craving a sunny dessert in the middle of winter, this easy buttercream comes together quickly with just a handful of ingredients you may already have on hand.

Jump to:

• 🥭 Why This Recipe Works
• What to Make with Mango Buttercream
• Quick Piping Video
• 📋 Ingredients for Mango Buttercream (Cake and Cupcakes)
• 📖 How to Make Mango Buttercream Frosting
• 💡 Tips for Cupcake Decorating with Freeze Dried Fruit
• Decorating Cake and Cupcakes with Mango Frosting
• ❓Buttercream FAQ
• Adding Extra Mango Flavor
• Frosting Storage
• Best Results: Baking in Grams
• More Dessert Recipes
• Mango Buttercream for Cake and Cupcakes

What to Make with Mango Buttercream

This mango buttercream is especially good on mango cupcakes, but it also pairs well with classic vanilla or fruit-forward desserts.

Try it on my small batch vanilla cupcakes, strawberry filled vanilla cupcakes, or blueberry filled cupcakes for a bright, summery twist.

Beyond frosting, my mango mousse cake is another great recipe to explore.

Quick Piping Video

📋 Ingredients for Mango Buttercream (Cake and Cupcakes)

Unlike Swiss meringue buttercream or German buttercream, this recipe does not rely on egg whites or egg yolks for texture and flavor.

The recipe card below shows all the ingredients you need for this frosting. It's a simple American buttercream, typically beaten with an electric mixer. As the name implies, it uses butter and cream but mixes them with powdered sugar and extract.

Here are highlights of a few key ingredients:

• Freeze dried mangos - If this is your first time using freeze dried fruit, you're in for a treat. Fresh mangoes are delicious but not always in season. Meanwhile, freeze dried mangos are available year-round. They add a concentrated mango flavor to the frosting. In general, freeze dried fruits are a helpful trick in making frosting. They provide fruity flavor without introducing moisture to frosting, which can water it down or give it a soupy texture. Freeze-dried mango also naturally tints the buttercream a pale yellow without food coloring, while keeping the texture smooth and pipeable.
• Unsalted room temperature butter - Butter is a fat, and fat equals flavor! Mixing butter and powdered sugar together helps to create a nice, fluffy frosting.
• Vanilla extract - Vanilla extract gives the frosting a sweet aroma and flavor. There are lots of options out there, but you don't need fancy and expensive vanilla extract for good flavor. The one at your local grocery store is great. I never taste much difference between pricier extracts and more affordable ones.
• Coconut extract - Although not required, coconut extract gives this frosting a great and tropical twist. It also pairs so nicely with mango. You may add a teaspoon or two and taste test to see how much coconut and mango flavor you want in this recipe.

📖 How to Make Mango Buttercream Frosting

Beat the ingredients: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or in a large bowl using a hand mixer, beat the unsalted butter, powdered sugar, vanilla extract, coconut extract, salt, freeze-dried mango, and heavy cream (or coconut milk, whole milk, or another variety) on low speed for about 30 seconds. Then, increase to medium-high speed and continue beating for 5 minutes.

Adjust the flavor: Taste the frosting and, if desired, add a drop or two of lemon or lime juice to balance the sweetness.

Smooth the frosting: For the smoothest texture, spend 2-3 minutes gently swiping your spatula around the bowl, pressing the frosting against the sides to reduce air bubbles. This will result in a thick yet silky consistency.

Set aside: Set the frosting aside until you're ready to use it for topping cupcakes or other baked goods.

💡 Tips for Cupcake Decorating with Freeze Dried Fruit

For best results, fully grind your freeze dried mangos before adding them to your frosting. A blender or food processor will work well.

Once ground, they should have the consistency of a fine powder so that chunks of the fruit don't get caught in the piping tip. You won't be able to decorate the cupcake or cake easily if that happens.

If it does happen, remove or squeeze the frosting out the other end of the bag, using the wide opening, and remove the problematic pieces of fruit.

Decorating Cake and Cupcakes with Mango Frosting

In making my recipe for mango cupcakes, if you have any mango puree remaining after filling the cupcakes, you can add a few tablespoons of that back into your frosting and mix it well before putting your frosting in a piping or pastry bag.

While the fresh mango puree will add some flavor, it's not necessary. The freeze dried mango gives this frosting a strong mango taste on its own.

Use a piping bag filled with frosting to swirl mango buttercream directly onto the top of the cupcake or other baked goods.

❓Buttercream FAQ

Adding Extra Mango Flavor

If there's a mango purée or mango curd you like and have it on hand, you may also add a few tablespoons of it to your frosting before putting it into your piping bag.

A little bit of moisture won't impact the texture much, but it can increase the flavor.

That said, freeze dried mango powder is a very easy ingredient to use. If you have that, you don't really need more mango flavor, but you're welcome to add it.

More Dessert Recipes

If you’re looking for more buttercream and frosting recipes, try my blueberry cream cheese frosting or raspberry cream cheese frosting.

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