I adore cream cheese frosting. It is creamy and rich without being overpowering because it has that lovely tang from the cream cheese. It takes all of three minutes to make, which may or may not be a huge selling point when I’ve promised to make a cake and realize too late that I don’t have very much time to get everything done. And it’s a great complement to so many flavors.
I love it when I make my banana bars. It’s perfect on the apple cake I’m making for Thanksgiving dinner later today.
And that carrot cake I made for my birthday earlier this week? What else could possibly top that? Literally or figuratively.
There are only a few secrets to a good cream cheese frosting recipe. The first is to make sure you set out your ingredients when you start to make your cake so that they are thoroughly softened by the time you’re making your frosting. You can’t “heat up” the cream cheese or the butter to make this frosting work, and if you don’t have them softened, you end up with lumps of cream cheese and lumps of butter which just ruins your frosting entirely.
The second secret to making your cream cheese frosting is to let your cake cool thoroughly before frosting it. Granted, this is something you should do for every cake you make, but it certainly holds true here, too. If your cake is warm or hot, it will melt the butter in the frosting and lose all texture. It never quite tastes the same, and you can end up with soggy cake.
Lastly, add your powdered sugar and mix on low speed to incorporate it in batches then turn it up high to whip it. If you start off with your mixer already going, you’ll have a not so fun to clean up snowstorm in your kitchen. And if you don’t whip it, your frosting is too dense and is harder to spread on your cake without pulling up crumbs.
Ready? Just a few ingredients, and you’re good to go. Assuming you don’t use a spoon to “taste test” all the frosting before putting it on your cake.
Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe
Ingredients:
5 T butter, softened
8 oz cream cheese or Neufchatel, softened
1/2 t salt
1 t vanilla bean paste
2 1/2 c powdered sugar
Directions:
In a bowl, add your butter and cream cheese. Beat until thoroughly combined and airy. Scrape down as necessary.
Add the salt and vanilla bean paste and mix until combined, again scraping down your bowl to ensure all ingredients are mixed evenly.
Turn your mixer off and add half your powdered sugar. Stir on low until it is mostly combined, then whip for 30 seconds. Turn your mixer off again and add the remaining powdered sugar, following the same steps.
Once your frosting is thoroughly mixed, use it immediately or cover tightly to the surface with plastic wrap and refrigerate until you are ready to use it. You will need to let it warm up and remix it before using if you have stored it.
Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients
- 5 tablespoons unsalted butter softened
- 8 ounces cream cheese or Neufchatel softened
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
- 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
Instructions
- In a bowl, add your butter and cream cheese. Beat until thoroughly combined and airy. Scrape down as necessary.5 tablespoons unsalted butter, 8 ounces cream cheese or Neufchatel
- Add the salt and vanilla bean paste and mix until combined, again scraping down your bowl to ensure all ingredients are mixed evenly.1/2 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
- Turn your mixer off and add half your powdered sugar. Stir on low until it is mostly combined, then whip for 30 seconds. Turn your mixer off again and add the remaining powdered sugar, following the same steps.2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
- Once your frosting is thoroughly mixed, use it immediately or cover tightly to the surface with plastic wrap and refrigerate until you are ready to use it. You will need to let it warm up and remix it before using if you have stored it.
Notes
- For a smooth and creamy frosting, be sure to soften the cream cheese and butter to room temperature. This will allow them to blend easily and create a light and fluffy texture.
- 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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