This easy recipe for a pomegranate buttercream frosting is perfect for any cake. Some links in this post are affiliate links that earn me a commission if you purchase through them.
Every year, my kids get to choose whatever they want for cake and frosting for their birthdays. This year, my daughter chose pomegranate frosting.
Ok then.
Thankfully, I had recently spotted freeze dried pomegranates, and I used those for the majority of the flavor. Couple that with a little pomegranate juice – if you have it on hand – in place of a bit of milk, and you have a delicious and unique cake frosting.
Looking for more fun cake ideas? Check out some of my other favorites at the end of this article.
This makes enough to frost a two layer nine inch round cake. I chose to make a whipped chocolate ganache for the filling, which was the perfect complementary flavor.
Buttercream Frosting Tips
Make sure your butter is at room temperature
Cold butter doesn’t cream smoothly. You end up with lumps that just don’t quite go away to give you a perfectly smooth frosting.
And yes, smooth frosting is what you want! Be sure you start beating your butter by itself with no other ingredients, as this ensures a smoother consistency, as well.
Use your buttercream right away
Buttercream is soft and spreadable when you first make it. As it dries, it forms a crust – that’s not what you want to spread.
I wait to make my buttercream until my cake has thoroughly cooled so that I can use it right away. No surprise, if my cake is still warm, the buttercream will simply melt off the cake. No bueno!
Start with a thin layer using an offset spatula to cover the cake and ensure it’s fully encapsulated. This is the “crumb layer,” and once you have this in place (and chilled for 10 or so minutes), you can use the remaining frosting to finish your cake.
But you can save it for later if needed
If you need to frost your cake later, cover your buttercream tightly and keep it cool. Ensure you have plastic wrap or wax paper touching the frosting to avoid hardening.
When you’re ready to use it, make sure you beat it for a moment or two to loosen it up again. Just don’t overbeat it, or you’ll get air bubbles in your frosting.
Keep your plate pretty while you frost
My secret trick for professional looking cakes is to use parchment paper under the cake layers while I frost them. You only need strips about two inches wide.
Use four or five strips and place them in a loose circle on the platter where you’ll display your finished cake. Place the cake on top of the parchment, but you only want a little parchment under the cake – just enough to complete the circle with no gaps around the cake.
Frost your cake as normal. Once you finish, carefully remove the parchment paper strips. You magically have a clean plate and sharp edges on your cake!
How to Make Pomegranate Buttercream Frosting
Crush your freeze dried pomegranate. The easiest way for me is to put leave them in the bag they come in because it’s pretty tough, and simply whack at it with a rolling pin to crush them.
Some of the arils won’t pulverize, so pick out the big pieces. Or… when I searched for the pomegranate seeds I used, I discovered that they now also make freeze dried pomegranate powder. This is way easier, and I’ll go with this product in the future!
Ensure your butter is at room temperature. Place it in your mixing bowl, then start on low speed and work up to beat it for two to three minutes.
Add the powdered sugar and pomegranate powder, and mix slowly until it incorporates. If you go too fast, you’ll end up with powdered sugar flying throughout your kitchen.
Once the sugar is fully incorporated, turn up the speed and beat for another two minutes. Scrape the sides periodically.
Add your milk and pomegranate juice, if you choose to use any, along with the vanilla. Mix on medium speed for a minute or so, until it reaches the consistency you desire.
If you find your pomegranate buttercream frosting is still too thick, add a splash more milk and stir again. You want it to hold its shape without being so thick you can’t spread it easily.
Frost your cooled cake immediately. Use an offset spatula to spread the frosting from the top of the center of the cake outward and then down the sides. This spatula will also make those beautiful smooth sides you want, and you can also create fun wavy designs in the top.
Have you ever had pomegranate buttercream frosting?
More great cake ideas:
- S’mores cake
- Kit Kat cake
- Classic yellow cake
- Mango curd filling
- Perfect white cake
- Strawberry cake
- No bake strawberry lemonade icebox cake
- Lava cakes
- Wicked chocolate bundt cake
- Italian lemon olive oil cake
- Churro tres leches poke cake
- Perfect pound cake
Pomegranate Buttercream Frosting
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons freeze dried pomegranate powder
- 1 cup unsalted butter
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Instructions
- Crush freeze dried pomegranate, and pick out the big pieces (or use freeze dried pomegranate powder).3 tablespoons freeze dried pomegranate powder
- Place room temperature butter in mixing bowl, then start on low speed and work up to beat for two to three minutes.1 cup unsalted butter
- Add powdered sugar and pomegranate powder, and mix slowly until it incorporates, then beat for another two minutes. Scrape the sides periodically.4 cups powdered sugar
- Add milk and vanilla. Mix on medium speed another minute.2 tablespoons milk, 1 teaspoon vanilla
- Frost your cooled cake immediately.
Notes
- You can swap out half the milk for pomegranate juice for a slightly stronger taste if you choose.
- If you find your pomegranate buttercream frosting is still too thick, add a splash more milk and stir again. You want it to hold its shape without being so thick you can't spread it easily.
- Use an offset spatula to spread the frosting from the top of the center of the cake towards the edges and then down the sides.
- For more tips and tricks, be sure to read the full article above.
Nutrition
This site uses an online source to provide nutrition estimates as a courtesy. If you need exact values, please calculate yourself.
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My daughter requested a white chocolate cake with pomegranate buttercream. So here I am, usually I make a marshmallow Swiss meringue buttercream with my WC cakes. This was new! I didn’t use milk, I used Pom juice because I wanted a tangy sweet frosting. It is phenomenal!
Pomegranate juice would be a great way to make it even more tangy. I’m so glad you enjoyed this.