Homemade Cream Cheese Icing and Frosting
This is a good base recipe for cream cheese icing. Feel free to add powdered sugar if desired. I am especially fond of using this as a filling for croissants.
Cream Cheese Icing
Ingredients
- 4 oz cream cheese
- 2 tbsp butter (softened)
- ¼ cups powdered/confectionery sugar
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- ⅛ tsp salt (or less)
- A dash of cinnamon (optional)
Instructions
- Allow butter and cream cheese to come to room temperature, or soften in a microwave-safe bowl (cream cheese about 20 seconds, butter about 30)
- Whip butter and cream cheese together until smooth
- Mix in vanilla, salt, and any spices you'd like to add
- Add sugar, one cup at a time
Pulling further away from powdered sugar, this cream cheese icing recipe uses a granular sugar for most of its sweetness. Goes well on cinnamon rolls.
Cream Cheese Icing with Cinnamon and Brown Sugar
Ingredients
- 2 oz cream cheese
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 2 tbsp powdered sugar
- 1 tbsp brown sugar
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- just a touch of salt (optional)
Instructions
- Heat cream cheese in a microwave-safe bowl for about 30 seconds
- Whip cheese, adding in sugars, then cinnamon, then vanilla, until smooth
- Heat in microwave for about 20-40 seconds and whip again, to smooth some of the granular sugar
Higher ratios of butter and powdered sugar will make the standard icing recipe move towards a decadent frosting. This goes well on carrot cake and spice cupcakes.
Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients
- 8 oz cream cheese (room temperature)
- 8 tbsp butter (softened)
- 2 cups powdered/confectionery sugar
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- ¼ tsp salt
- A dash of cinnamon (optional)
Instructions
- Allow butter and cream cheese to come to room temperature, or soften in a microwave-safe bowl (cream cheese about 20 seconds, butter about 30)
- Whip butter and cream cheese together until smooth
- Mix in vanilla, salt, and any spices you’d like to add
- Add sugar, incrementally
- For a stiffer icing, increase powdered sugar
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Icing and Frosting Notes
Icing and frosting (the words) do originate as references to
Icing is used here in the loosest sense. Icing is a touch much for me, generally. In my confectionery musings, I tend to be looking for a light glazing effect rather than a true icing experience. Once every few years I like to remind myself of the cavity-in-each-bite sweetness of a store-bought buttercream. This year, I’ll be exploring the intricacies of different frosting types – American, French, Italian, and German buttercream, glazes and ganache.
Homemade icing is an interesting experience. It involves a bit of experimentation and coordination, and the flavor is dictated by personal preferences. Adding or removing components will greatly alter the composition, flavor, and application of the icing. Taste testing is highly recommenced.
Cream Cheese and Powdered Sugar
Cream cheese excels as an icing base because the flavor is strong enough to overcome the taste of powdered sugar, which is the go-to ingredient in most quick frostings. It also lends a good amount of flavor depth to the icing, and pushes it towards savory and away from sickeningly sweet.
Increasing the amount of powdered sugar is highly recommended for those seeking a more indulgent experience. It will add sweetness and stiffness. To avoid the ‘powdered sugar” taste overwhelming the icing, you may need to heat the glaze up slightly, similar to how one melts chocolate. This helps reduce the gustatory impact of the starches in powdered sugar by activating them and allowing it to integrate. Allow the mixture to cool or force the issue with a quick stint in the freezer before attempting to ice or pipe your mixture.
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