Silky Cream Cheese Frosting

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This dreamy, creamy, smooth, Silky Cream Cheese Frosting is classically teamed with Carrot Cake, Carrot Cake Slice or Carrot Cupcakes, but is actually very versatile. It can be used on a variety of different cakes such as Pumpkin Spiced Latte Cupcakes with Coffee and Vanilla Mascarpone Frosting or Light Lemon Fruitcake with Almonds and Vanilla Mascarpone Icing. It would also work with a Hummingbird Cake or cupcakes, Banana Cake or Red Velvet Cake.

This topping is less sweet with a higher proportion of cream cheese than many traditional cream cheese frostings and as such, you can spread it but not pipe it. If you want a recipe you can pipe onto cakes, please see this recipe for Cream Cheese Frosting. (See photograph below.)

How to make Silky Cream Cheese Frosting

Collect all your ingredients together:

• unsalted butter (make sure it is at room temperature)
• icing sugar
• cream cheese, or mascarpone cheese, at room temperature
• fine salt

Now make the Silky Cream Cheese Frosting:

To make in a food processor:

1. Put the room temperature butter, icing sugar and salt into the bowl of your food processor and beat until mixed.
2. Add the cream cheese or mascarpone and blitz again until mixed in. Do not over-beat at this stage. Your frosting is now ready to use.

To make using an electric whisk:

1. Put the butter and salt into the bowl of your electric whisk and beat until light and fluffy.
2. Gradually add the icing sugar, whisking well in between each addition. (NB You may wish to first fold the icing sugar in with a spoon before whisking – this will help to stop the icing sugar clouding up and making a mess of your kitchen!)
3. Add the cream cheese or mascarpone and beat again until mixed in. Do not over-beat at this stage. Your frosting is now ready to use.

NB Make sure your cakes have completely cooled before icing.

Room temperature butter:

It is really important that the butter is at room temperature and soft enough to beat easily. If you have forgotten to take the butter out of the fridge and want to speed up the process, see here for information on softening butter. 

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How do I store this topping:

This Silky Cream Cheese Topping needs to be stored in the fridge. When spread on a cake, it is normally better for the cake to be served at room temperature before eating. This length of time this takes will depend entirely on how hot the outside temperature is.

Can this topping be frozen?

Yes it can be frozen! This topping freezes very well, in a sealed container, for up to 3 months. It can be frozen separately or already spread onto your cakes.

Made this recipe?

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