From My Kitchen: Vanilla Cream Cheese Frosting

When I was getting ready to make the boys' pumpkin cakes for their birthday, I started searching for a frosting recipe that had a little heft to it so it could withstand the heat.

I found this frosting with cream cheese in it over at Glorious Treats, and it was just the ticket. It turned out pretty well as a vanilla frosting, but it's amazing as a chocolate or raspberry frosting.

The next time I make it as vanilla, I will cut the cream cheese back to 4 ounces and triple the vanilla extract. It was a little too cream cheese flavored for my taste. Still delicious, but not exactly vanilla frosting.

Here's the recipe:

Vanilla Cream Cheese Frosting

1/2 C butter, set at room temp about 10 minutes, but make sure it's still cool

8 oz. cream cheese, directly from fridge (see my note above about amount)

1 tsp. vanilla extract (I would double or triple for more vanilla flavor)

4 C. powdered sugar

1 to 4 TBSP heavy cream, heavy whipping cream or milk (cream adds a great richness)

Place butter in a large mixing bowl and blend slightly. Add cream cheese and blend until combined, about 30 seconds.

Add vanilla extract and powdered sugar, a little at a time, blending on low speed until combined. Increase to medium speed and beat until frosting begins to get fluffy.

Slowly add the heavy cream, a little bit at a time until desired consistency is met. (Don't add too much if you want the frosting to stay in place when piped on cupcakes.)

Beat until fluffy, about one minute.

Use at once or keep refrigerated. (This frosting will keep well in the refrigerator for several days, but you may need to re-beat it for the best texture.)

Options:

For a stronger cream cheese flavor use an additional 4 oz. (½ block) of cream cheese. This is good for any cake/cupcake recipe that is traditionally topped with cream cheese frosting, like carrot cake, or red velvet cake.

For chocolate frosting: (my favorite!) add ½ cup unsweetened cocoa. Add the cocoa powder before adding the powdered sugar, so it gets fully incorporated into the butter and cream cheese.

Strawberry, blackberry, etc... Add 2-4 tablespoons of preserves. Depending on how chunky or seedy the preserves are, you may want to blend it in the food processor, and/or strain it through a fine strainer before adding it to the frosting. Add the preserves to the frosting mixture before adding the heavy cream. Depending on the amount of preserves you add you may need very little or no cream, especially if you want the frosting thick enough to pipe. A final option would be to add a drop of food coloring to add to the color of the preserves (for example, pink coloring for the strawberry flavor).

Use to frost your favorite cake or cupcakes.

Enjoy!

© Trippin' Mama 2011