The sugar dissolves in the cream for a silky, grit-free frosting.
Whipped cream aerates the cream cheese, making it fluffy and light.
A relatively small proportion of sugar keeps the frosting thick, firm, and none too sweet.
I've heard it said that one can never have too many friends, and I've found the same to be true of cream cheese frosting. There are versions for every occasion—sometimes I want an icing with plenty of butter for structure (like thecream cheese buttercreamfrom my cookbook,BraveTart: Iconic American Desserts); in other cases, I'm more inclined to reach for a fluffy frosting like this one that I can whip up in no time flat.
Why You Should Ditch Powdered Sugar
The traditional method is to simply beat cream cheese and powdered sugar together until smooth, but this tends to produce a frosting that's runny and thin, as cream cheese itself doesn't aerate well. It can be made thick and light by increasing the powdered sugar, but at the cost of its flavor and texture, as the excess sugar makes it unbearably sweet and a little gritty, too.
So, when I want a no-fuss frosting in a hurry, I take an entirely different approach, ditching the powdered sugar for a combination of granulated sugar and cream.
Add Heavy Cream for Fluffier Frosting
The cream dissolves the sugar into a totally grit-free foundation, then whips up thick and light, whether you use a hand mixer or astand mixer. In turn, the sugar protects against over-whipping, allowing me to chuck in cold cream cheese a few tablespoons at a time—no waiting around for it to soften. The cream cuts through the density of the cream cheese, aerating it so it's firm and light.
Knowing When Your Frosting Is Ready
Along the way, this frosting tends to appear slightly curdled, but it's not! The "curds" are simply tiny bits of cream cheese that have yet to be hom*ogenized, and they'll disappear soon enough, so keep whipping until the frosting forms a thick and creamy mass. The occasional fleck of cream cheese may slip through, but these bits will disappear on their own in time.
Because it's whipped, this frosting doesn't feel heavy or dense even when served straight from the fridge; its cool, creamy consistency will melt in your mouth just like a spoonful ofcheesecake. My approach uses roughly 70% less sugar than a recipe based on powdered sugar, meaning that this frosting behaves more like cream cheese, giving it wonderful stability.
As a test, I piped the frosting on a few cupcakes and left them sitting out on the corner of my kitchen range, where they were exposed to the heat of my oven and stovetop running full blast all day. (Those recipes forpanna cottaandcherry ice creamdon't test themselves.) Though the ambient temperature continued to rise, the frosted cupcakes looked as perky as ever, so I decided to continue the test by leaving them out overnight.
I fully expected them to ooze into a puddle by morning, yet I found them none the worse for wear. If anything, losing its cool had made the frosting feel even richer and creamier on my tongue.
This isn't to say I recommend leaving frosted cupcakes out all day in the sun—only that this whipped cream–based frosting is sturdier than you'd expect. That means it's great for picnics, potlucks, and any other laid-back, casual occasions when cakes deserve an amazing frosting without any fuss.
August 2017
Recipe Details
Fast and Easy Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe
Active8 mins
Total10 mins
Serves16 servings
Makes2 cups
Ingredients
3 1/2 ounces sugar (about 1/2 cup; 100g); see note
5 ounces heavy cream (shy 2/3 cup; 140g)
1 teaspoon (5g)vanilla extract
1/8teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt; for table salt, use about half as much by volume
With kitchen temperatures above 74°F (23°C), start by refrigerating the mixing bowl and sugar until they have cooled to 70°F (21°C). At elevated temperatures, these ingredients and equipment can act as a heat source to the cream, preventing full aeration.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, or using a hand mixer, combine sugar, cream, vanilla, and salt. Mix at medium-low speed until sugar is dissolved, about 2 minutes. Increase speed to high and continue beating until cream is about as thick as Greek yogurt, about 2 minutes longer. Begin adding cream cheese 2 tablespoons at a time; this should take about 30 seconds all together. Once it is incorporated, shut off the mixer. The frosting will look a bit curdled, like cottage cheese; this is the result of incomplete mixing rather than over-whipping, so don’t be alarmed.
Thoroughly scrape bowl and whisk, then continue whipping on high until frosting is smooth and light, with only a few small flecks of cream cheese (they will disappear into the frosting over time). This may take 2 to 3 minutes with a stand mixer, or more if using a hand mixer. After whipping, the frosting should be about 60°F (16°C). Use immediately or refrigerate until needed.
Special Equipment
Hand mixer or stand mixer, flexible spatula
Notes
If room temperature climbs above 74°F (23°C) in your kitchen, refrigerate the mixing bowl and beater, along with the sugar, until it's cooled to about 70°F (21°C) before whipping the cream; otherwise, the warm bowl and sugar may inhibit aeration.
It seems that due to variations in the formula, not all brands of cream cheese perform equally well in this recipe. For best results, use Philadelphia cream cheese.
Cream cheese: Of course, you'll need cream cheese! Butter: You'll also need a stick of softened butter. Vanilla: Vanilla extract enhances the flavor. Confectioners' sugar: Confectioners' sugar easily dissolves into the cream cheese frosting.
For a (16-ounce) tub of frosting, anywhere from ½ cup to 1 cup of crunchy additions will do the trick. Toasted nuts, coconut flakes, chocolate chips or chunks, halvah, and toffee will all add a fun new dimension of flavor. Stir in chopped up canned pineapple or fresh berries for an extra fruity kick.
If the finished cream cheese frosting is overly soft, place it in the fridge for 5- 10 minutes to set the cream cheese a little. If you still find it too loose, you can add more softened butter, a tablespoon at a time, until it becomes a little easier to work with.
If you are trying to avoid any sweetness to your frosting you could try some cream of tartar or some cornstarch mixed with a little milk. You can also whip heavy cream to stiff peaks and fold into the softened cream cheese. People use gelatin to thicken and set whipped cream frostings.
Frosting is the thickest of the bunch, thanks to (usually) employing something creamy in the makeup—such as butter, whipping cream, or cream cheese. Icing generally uses cream or egg whites as a thickener, but tends to be more liquid when applied and hardens as it dries.
When properly mixed, buttercream has a tendency to be more firm and have a smoother finish. On the other hand, cream cheese frosting can be a little greasy, prone to lumps, and have an unusual texture. However, both cake coatings are good options, depending on the recipe used and what you like.
Identifying the Causes: What Makes Cream Cheese Frosting Sour: Factors like inferior quality cream cheese, using ingredients past their prime, and an imbalance in acidity can lead to a sour frosting. Opting for premium cream cheese and fine-tuning the acidic components can be effective in avoiding that sour flavor.
Creamy ingredients like Nutella, cream cheese, marshmallow creme, peanut butter or another nut butter will give the store-bought frosting tons of flavor with some additional smoothness. Mix in 1 cup of cream cheese or 1/2 cup of marshmallow creme or nut butter per can of frosting for a creamy delight.
Mix 1 tablespoon (25 grams) of cornstarch into the frosting. If it is still too runny, add a little more. Continue to add cornstarch until you are happy with the texture. Avoid adding more than 1/2 cup (62.5 grams) of cornstarch per 8 oz (226 grams) of cream cheese.
Check for expiry date - Sometimes cream cheese closer to expiry date may contain more water content which causes the frosting to go runny. Consistency of ingredients was not right - Remember you do not want to work with too soft or melted cream cheese or butter.
This could be because the butter was too soft or you added too much milk if it is buttercream frosting or it could be that you have overbeaten it if you're making cream cheese frosting. Also, a hot kitchen can make frostings go runny, so be mindful of the temperature.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration advises refrigerating any food made with cream cheese after 2 hours (that includes time spent making the food). The same typically goes for frostings made with other perishable foods such as.
If you want to thicken your royal icing without adding additional sugar, you can add a minimal amount of corn starch (less than a teaspoon) to help your icing thicken up.
Too thick: If you over-whip the frosting, it will appear chunky and curdled. While my fix isn't perfect, it will certainly help—by hand, stir in more liquid heavy cream 1 Tablespoon at a time until the frosting smooths out again.
Dry/thick ingredients like cocoa powder, freeze dried fruit (powder,) and peanut butter will help thicken frosting, while vanilla and brown butter should be added sparingly to make sure it's the right texture. Storage Tips: Once you achieve the perfect consistency, store your frosting in an airtight container.
The main difference between cream cheese frosting and cream cheese icing can be found in the consistency. Frosting is thick and fluffy and is typically used to coat inner and outer layers of a dessert.Icing is much thinner and often glossier, and is often used as a glaze.
Cream cheese, of course! Skip the whipped or low-fat stuff and seek out block-style, full-fat cream cheese. It gives this frosting the best rich texture and tangy flavor. Let it come to room temperature or soften it slightly in the microwave before making the frosting.
Icing recipes typically combine powdered sugar and liquid (like water, milk or juice) whereas buttercream frosting is made by creaming together butter, sugar and a little bit of milk to make the frosting fluffy, smooth and perfectly spreadable.
Introduction: My name is Mrs. Angelic Larkin, I am a cute, charming, funny, determined, inexpensive, joyous, cheerful person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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