Whether it's chocolate cake or vanilla cupcakes, the yummy factor of a dessert is the frosting. Somehow, an unfrosted cake always looks a little naked. But frosting makes even a burnt cake edible. And a delicious and creamy type of frosting is cream cheese. Now cheese and cake, sounds a bit iffy. But when one can have cheesecake, why can't there be cream cheese? And for otherwise boring desserts like carrot cake and pumpkin bread, cream cheese frosting brings the "Mm mm" noises out of you. Cream cheese is highly versatile in taste but simple to make. In this article, we learn how to make standard cream cheese frosting and 3 different varieties.
Easy Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe
Ingredients
- 224g cream cheese, softened
- 200g white sugar
- 5ml vanilla extract
- 0.8g salt
- 355ml heavy whipping cream
Directions: Beat whipping cream in a bowl, until stiff peaks form. In a separate bowl, mix cream cheese, sugar, salt and vanilla. Beat until smooth, then fold in whipped cream.
Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients
- 1 (8 ounce) packet cream cheese
- 8 tablespoons butter
- 3½ cups sifted confectioner's sugar
- ¾ cup fresh ripe strawberries, mashed in a processor
- ½ cup unsweetened coconut, grated
- ½ cup chopped pecans
Directions: In a bowl, mix cream cheese and butter. If you are using an electric mixer, mix at low speed for 30 secs. Add sugar and strawberries. Mix well, until sugar is dissolved completely into the frosting. Mix for another minute till frosting lightens and is well combined. Add coconut and pecans.
Cream Cheese Frosting for Cinnamon Rolls
Ingredients
- 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
- ¼ cup butter, softened
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 tablespoons milk
- 2 cups powdered sugar
Directions: Beat cream cheese and butter until smooth. Add vanilla and milk, then mix well. Finally add sugar and beat till frosting turns smooth. Frost cinnamon rolls, when rolls are still warm.
Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients
- 8 ounces cream cheese
- ¼ cup unsalted butter
- 4 cups sifted powdered sugar
- ½ cup cocoa powder
Directions: Mix the cream cheese and butter until smooth and creamy. Add powdered sugar, one cup at a time, mixing with each addition. Add cocoa powder and mix well.
Brown Sugar Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients
- 1 (8 ounce) packet cream cheese, softened
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
- 1 tablespoon honey
Directions: In a bowl, mix cream cheese, butter, brown sugar, vanilla and almond extract, with an electric mixer. Stop mixer, when mixture starts stiffening and then add honey. Beat until mixture becomes light and fluffy. Do not over mix, or it will collapse. Spread frosting on cake and store in refrigerator, for it to harden.
Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients
- 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
- ¼ cup butter
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons lemon zest
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 5 cups confectioner's sugar
Directions: In a large bowl, beat butter, lemon juice, cream cheese, lemon zest and vanilla together, until mixture is smooth and fluffy. Add 2½ cups of sugar, beat, then add remaining sugar. Beat until creamy and thick.
Cream Cheese Frosting Tips
- For weight watchers, use reduced fat cream cheese like Philadelphia ⅓ fat cream cheese. Also called fat-free, light or Neufchatel cream cheese.
- For best results, keep the cream cheese and butter at room temperature prior to usage.
- Use bourbon or maple syrup instead of vanilla extract for a different taste.
- To get that tangy cream cheese taste, reduce the amount of butter.
- Carrot cake frosting needs nuts mixed in.
- For a thinner consistency, add milk or cream.
- When frosting a coconut cake, add some grated or flaked coconut.
- How to make cream cheese frosting thicker? Add more sugar and cream cheese. Reduce butter.
Cream cheese frosting is the ideal frosting for red velvet and carrot cakes. The sweet, cheesy flavor perfectly complements the zesty carroty flavor. And it is the ideal way to stretch out a can of frosting. When used with cupcakes and biscuits, it gives a professional, store-bought look to your desserts. You can even make cookie sandwiches, by spreading cream cheese and stacking the cookies on top of each other. Try the above recipes, and have your friends and family licking their fingers, and asking for more!
