How to make an Icing?

My daughter will turn 1 this coming February 14. I am planning to just buy a mini cupcake in the bakery and I'll just do the icing on the cake. I would like to give it a personal touch. Can you share a recipe of icing that is not so sweet yet delicious. I have not found a good recipe for icing. Hope you can share one. Thanks a lot in advance.

here's my icing recipe....

1 bag powdered sugar
3/4 c. shortening
2/3 c. COLD water
1/2 t. salt
almond flavoring

beat with an electric mixer until smooth.

you can also use a pudding as a frosting - a friedn of mine does that for her little ones and they love it - and she frosts cakes with cool whip which she adds food coloring to for different occasions

Mama Mangia, do you have recipe for pudding? I don't know how to do it. I am just a beginner in baking. What food coloring is best to use for icing? I only have few days left before her birthday.

pinkperson - you can make it very very easy - purchase a no-cook pudding and pie mix from the market - you add 2 c. milk and mix! I would add 1 1/2 - 1 3/4 c. milk so that it would be thicker. After mixing place in the fridge for 3 to 5 minutes to thicken up a bit and the frost away!

you can buy vanilla, chocolate, pistachio, french vanilla, dark chocolate - just about any kind you want! Jello and Royal are great brands! just make sure it's INSTANT so you don't have to cook it!

Here is a classic:

Betty Crocker's 1956 Variety (very rich) Buttercream Frosting

Blend together thoroughly, 1/3 cup softened butter and 3 cups powdered sugar.
Add 3 tbl cream and 1 and 1/2 tsp vanilla (use a traditional hand mixer for this stuff and scrape the bowl religiously. It will get lighter and lighter as you mix air into it.)

Hey Thanks pinkperson for starting this thread and thanks all others for posting your icing recipes.
I just started baking and have baked only twice till date.
Each time, I used a store bought icing but now I can make one at home