Cream Cheese Frosting

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This is my go-to frosting for almost any cake-it has just the right amount of sweetness, pipes beautifully, and pairs well with so many flavors.

My standard recipe makes enough bright white frosting to crumb-coat and decorate a six inch, three layer cake. You can easily tint the frosting with gel food coloring as desired.

Cream cheese frosting 1

What you need:

Butter – Unsalted, room temperature butter. I use European style butter because it has a high fat content, important for this recipe. To get a really white frosting-the butter is whipped for at least 5 minutes in a stand mixer. This incorporated a lot of air and lightens the butter for a silky frosting!.

Cream Cheese – Room temperature. I always use Philadelphia Cream Cheese. This gives a nice tang to the frosting and helps balance out the sweetness.

Powdered Sugar – Be sure to sift the powdered sugar so it is as light as possible before mixing into the butter/cream cheese mixture.

Vanilla extract – A splash of vanilla is the perfect hint of flavor here.

Milk – A small amount of milk is used to thin out the icing, as necessary, for the perfect consistency.

How to make the frosting:

Before you begin, make sure the butter and cream cheese are at room temperature.

Pro Tip:

The butter is ready when you can press your finger into it and easily leave an indentation. I usually set the butter out the three or four hours before I begin. If the butter feels oily, it may be too soft. In that case, pop it back in the refrigerator for five minutes before checking. I pull the cream cheese out about 30 minutes before I start to make the frosting.

Cream cheese frosting 2

In a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, whip the room temperature butter on medium-high for five minutes. You will see a dramatic change-it will go from yellow to bright white and fluffy.

Cream cheese frosting 3

Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add in the cream cheese. Mix for another two minutes to completely combine. Sift the powdered sugar and add into the mixer in two batches, scraping the sides of the bowl in between.

Cream cheese frosting 4

Let the mixer run for about 4 minutes and the frosting will be thick and velvety. Add the vanilla extract, 1 tablespoon of milk and mix to combine. Check the consistency with a spatula. If you prefer to use a spatula to decorate the cake, you may want to add the reserved 1 tablespoon of milk for a more spreadable consistency. For best results, use immediately.

Cream cheese frosting 6

Pro Tip:

If you need to refrigerate the icing, place in an air-tight container. Bring to room temperature, then whip in the stand mixer to get the frosting back to the perfect consistency.