Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe | BBC Good Food

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Cream cheese frosting

Cream cheese frosting

Good Food team

Save recipeWill cover a 18cm cake (approx 8 people) EasyPrep: 15 minsA star rating of 4.3 out of 5.42 ratingsRateloading...

Whip up this easy cream cheese frosting for icing classic bakes like carrot cake, cinnamon buns, chocolate cake or cupcakes

Egg-freeGluten-freeNut-freeVegetarianPrintAdSkip to ingredientsAlternativesComplete the dish

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Ingredients

Nutrition

100g/4oz butter softened
1 tbsp orange juice (optional)
100g/4oz icing sugar sieved
200g/7oz full fat cream cheese

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Nutrition: Per serving

kcal206
fat16g
saturates10g
carbs13g
sugars13g
fibre0g
protein1g
salt0.4g

Method

step 1
Beat the softened butter to a soft and even consistency. Add the orange juice, if using, then the icing sugar. Cream until you have a smooth, soft buttercream consistency.
step 2
Add the cream cheese and work it in – don’t beat it in, just slowly mix with a wooden spoon. Depending on how soft the mixture is, you may want to put it in the fridge for 10 mins at this point. If it’s runny, it will firm up again. It should be spreadable and not run off the cake.

What is cream cheese frosting made of?

This recipe for a classic cream cheese frosting combines butter, icing sugar and full-fat cream cheese. It’s important to use full-fat cream cheese as the lower-fat options won’t whip as thickly. You can also use a little orange juice for a hint of citrus.

How to thicken cream cheese frosting

If the consistency is too thin or runny you can put the frosting mixture in the fridge for up to 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.If it’s still too thin, take out some of the runny mixture and beat in some more cream cheese. Alternatively, if you whisk it with an electric whisk or in a stand mixer with a whisk attachment on high it will thicken after 3-4 minutes.

How to store and freeze cream cheese frosting

Store the leftover cream cheese frosting in the fridge in an airtight container for up to four days. Take it out of the fridge for an hour beforehand to soften, making sure you stir it before using.
Freeze in a container for up to two months. To defrost, either leave it in the fridge overnight or at room temperature for around four hours.

Tips for making cream cheese frosting

To achieve perfectly light and fluffy cream cheese icing, let the butter and cream cheese warm to room temperature before whisking together.
To avoid a cloud of icing sugar in the air, beat it in little by little into the softened butter (and orange juice, if using).
When adding in the cream cheese, it’s best to slowly mix it in to avoid any lumps.
Don’t panic if your cream cheese frosting is too runny, use an electric whisk to whip it up for a few more minutes until it starts to thicken.

Cream cheese frosting twists

Give this cream cheese mixture an extra flavour boost by adding the following ingredients:

Cocoa powder: 2 tbsp cocoa for a chocolate cream cheese frosting
Espresso coffee: 1 tsp coffee granules dissolved in ½ tbsp hot water
Desiccated coconut shavings: 20g
Almond extract 1 tsp
2 lemons, zested
Ground cinnamon: 2 tsp for a spiced flavour
Add in an extra 1 tbsp vanilla bean paste to intensify the vanilla flavour
Make it boozy by adding a dash of amaretto or other liqueur

What recipes can cream cheese frosting be used in?

Some of our favourite recipes with cream cheese frosting include:

Easy carrot cakeCarrot cake cupcakesRed velvet cakeBanana traybake with cream cheese frostingPumpkin spice cupcakes

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Tag » How To Thicken Cream Cheese Frosting

Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe | BBC Good Food

Lemon & poppyseed cupcakes

Lighter spiced carrot cake

Ultimate chocolate cake

Ingredients

Nutrition

Method

step 1

step 2

What is cream cheese frosting made of?

How to thicken cream cheese frosting

How to store and freeze cream cheese frosting

Tips for making cream cheese frosting

Cream cheese frosting twists

What recipes can cream cheese frosting be used in?

Comments, questions and tips

Rate this recipe

Choose the type of message you'd like to post

Overall rating

Eating well made easy

Explore our recipe app

Eating well made easy

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