Cream Cheese Frosting pairs exceptionally well with a host of cakes, including the carrot cake, and red velvet cake. If you are making this frosting for your Christmas Tree cake, you will need to double this recipe.
With a consistency and color similar to buttercream, it’s also an ideal frosting for piping.
For optimal flavor and texture, don’t use reduced fat cream cheese or Neufchatel cheese in this recipe.
Cream Cheese Frosting
Tools: Electric mixer, paddle attachment
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Yield: 2 cups
8-ounce package cream cheese, softened
1⁄2 cup unsalted butter, softened
3-3⁄4 cup confectioner’s sugar, sifted
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
In a large bowl, cream the butter and cream cheese on medium speed until combined and fluffy.
Set the mixer on low speed, and add the confectioner’s sugar to the creamed mixture in batches. After all the sugar is incorporated, increase to medium speed to thoroughly mix the ingredients.
Add the vanilla, and continue beating until combined.
If the frosting doesn’t completely combine in your mixer, scrape down sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula and continue beating.
For a peppermint cream cheese frosting, substitute 1⁄2 teaspoon peppermint flavoring for the vanilla. For a lemon cream cheese frosting, substitute 1⁄2 teaspoon lemon flavoring for the vanilla.