Cream cheese frosting is a favorite at our house. It’s requested almost every birthday. I guess it doesn’t shock me though, because we all love cheese!
Some people are turned off by the idea of cream cheese in frosting. Who would want to eat sweet cheese? Well let me tell you, sweet cheese is where it’s at.
This particular frosting is a mixture of butter, cream cheese, powdered sugar, and flavorings. The most common use of cream cheese in frosting that I see is on carrot cakes and red velvet. But there are so many other uses if you tweak the flavor profile slightly. Dressing it up or down, allows this frosting to shine in many applications.
Bring on the flavor!
Here’s some ways to dress it up! Add:
- Vanilla Extract/ Vanilla Bean Paste
- Espresso
- Cocoa
- Cinnamon
- Cardamom
- Ginger
- Chai Spice
- Maple
The list of possibilities is pretty endless. You do want to add miniscule amounts of flavoring to this type of frosting though. This frosting is higher in fat, and takes on flavor very readily. Also keep in mind, if you add too much liquid, your frosting will not be pipeable, so try to use dry flavorings to the best of your ability. You want a nice sturdy frosting, not a glaze or something soupy.
Ways to Use
You’ll notice that a lot of ways to dress up this frosting are “warm flavors” that’s because the creaminess of the cream cheese cuts the warmth in the spices and brings out the sweetness. It also makes this frosting the ideal candidate to pair with “warm flavored” or strong/spicy flavored bakes.
Some examples of which are:
- Carrot cake
- Chai Spice Cake
- Gingerbread Cake
- Maple Spice Cake
- Cinnamon Cake
- Apple Cake
- Pumpkin Cake
However, cream cheese frosting can also be paired with sweet bakes too. The tang of the cream cheese helps cut sweetness, just like it cuts spice. You will definitely taste the cream cheese. Try pairing it with:
- Red velvet
- Vanilla
- Banana
- Lemon
Use this frosting in any application that you would want a little extra tang. As you can see, it’s very versatile.
What will you use it on? The cake recipe used in these photos is Sugar Spun Run’s White Cake Recipe
Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients
- 8 oz Unsalted Butter, Room Temperature 2 Standard American Sticks
- 8 oz Brick of Cream Cheese, Room Temperature Do not use cream cheese in a tub
- 3 Cups Powdered Sugar Sifted
- 1 Tsp Vanilla Extract
Instructions
- Place the butter and the cream cheese in a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer.
- Beat until well combined.
- Add the vanilla extract.
- Beat until well combined again.
- Measure out 3 cups of powdered sugar.
- Sift the sugar into the bowl.
- Once again, beat until fully combined.
- Frost cake(s) and serve immediately, or chill until ready to serve.
