Wedding - Crusting Cream Cheese Frosting

Just made a 3-tiered wedding cake with the cake flavors: red velvet, chocolate and pumpkin spice. The bride of course chose cream cheese frosting but wanted a fondant look without fondant. Called for a nice crusting cream cheese icing. So after trial and error, here’s what I came up with. She wanted a cream colored icing, so I did add a dab of brown coloring to the mixture.

Wedding – Crusting Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients

  • 1 + 1/3 cup veg shortening
  • 16 oz cream cheese softened at room temp (2 8oz blocks)
  • 3 tsp clear vanilla extract
  • 3 tsp clear butter extract
  • 2 tsp clear almond extract or creme bouquet
  • (or you can use 1 tsp of both – yum)
  • 3 tbs meringue powder
  • 1/3 tsp fine popcorn salt (or reg salt)
  • 3 – 3.5 lbs powdered sugar

  • 1/4c plain powdered creamer dissolved in 1/4 c very hot water

  • (you may use flavored creamers, if you want to infuse a flavoring) You may not need to use all of the liquid.

Instructions

  1. Cream shortening, softened cr. cheese and extracts, then mix in meringue powder and salt then add 3 tbs creamer mixture.
  2. Once everything is smooth, slowly add 3 lbs of your powdered sugar with your mixer set on a low setting. Mix on setting six or med-high for 6 minutes or so.
  3. If you need a thicker icing add more p. sugar. If you ‘d like it thinner add more of your liquid. You probably know what consistency you are comfortable with.
  4. For crumb coating, take a few cups out and add more of the liquid to thin it out for your first coat. Let dry before applying your top layer of frosting.
  5. Once iced you can smooth the cake with a hot but dry spatula.(Dip in a very hot water and dry it before use). Let crust for about 20 minutes. I have been able to use the Melvira method with this icing utilizing both the roller and viva towels.
  6. You can see how this smoothed for me in my pictures it is the fall wedding cake with black ribbon and fall roses.
  7. This recipe will make a very white icing perfect for wedding cakes. If you want a more ivory cream cheese icing, substitute 1/2 cup butter for 1/2 cup shortening. Then the recipe will call for approx 3/4 c shortening, 1/2 c butter and 16oz of cream cheese.

Comments (58)

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I just made this today, but I did not care for it. For my personal taste I feel like it had way to many flavoring in it. I will give it a try again with maybe just the vanilla.

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Hi ladies, When I posted this recipe it was specifically for wedding cakes which I always have almond in the frosting. I'm glad to hear that you have found ways to adjust the flavors to suit you.

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Since this has real cream cheese, how long can you safely leave it out? Can you frost a day or two before the cake will be served and the icing not spoil?

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I have the same question as jfaulkner. How long do you leave out the cake before the icing spoils? I have a carrot cake due this weekend that I would like to use a crusting cream cheese frosting on. I need to ice/ decorate on Friday and am wondering if I would need to refrigerate overnight for a Sat. night party?

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I frosted the wedding cake 1 day before the wedding and it held up fine. I understand that the powdered sugar helps to stabalize it. We refrigerated the few remains.

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Sounds wonderful! I have a winter wonderland castle to do and I am using this recipe to work with! I am pumped thank you so much for sharing!

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Can you add a great amount of color to the recipe? My client wants a dark brown cream cheese frosting on her cake this weekend. I wasn't sure if the cream cheese frosting could be colored the same as a buttercream can.

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Yes it can be colored just like reg frosting and when I recently did Cr. Ch. frosting I added cocoa to make it beige, I just added a little but you could add a bit more and then some coloring to make it dark and that would make it taste like it looked.

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How much cocoa would I need to add to make this a chocolate frosting? I will also need to add black coloring to make a black frosting.

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You can color and flavor this icing just like any regular buttercream recipe. Remember to color your black a day ahead as the color will intensify. A dark gray color will become black in a day.

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I made this recipe on a red velvet cake and it turned out great! However I had extra icing and I refridgerated it and used it on another cake and then refridgerated that cake, but by the 2nd day the icing was sliding off of that one. The first cake was eaten the same day I made it, I don't know if I maybe didn't put enough powdered sugar or was I not supposed to refridgerate it? I love the flavor and that it crusts! Hoping to figure out what I did wrong.

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can this frosting be used under fondant. I have a red velvet cake to do this weekend and I need to get started on it on Friday and I also am concerned with it not being refrigerated.

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I just used a variation of this recipe for a three tiered wedding cake. It tastes great. It's a little different than a traditional cream cheese icing, I thought, but very yummy and wonderful. I only used vanilla extract rather than the flavored extracts and I used the substitutes to get a white icing rather than a cream colored icing. Really worked great except that I failed to use clear vanilla extract so mine did have a slight tint to it but was fine. I didn't find that mine really crusted like I expected it to so it was a little difficult to get a very smooth finish. Perhaps I didn't do something correctly or should have used more powdered sugar? Also the recipe is enough to crumb coat and ice a 3 tiered cake but I had to make a second batch to decorate the cake with. Just an fyi for anyone planning to decorate with the icing as well. Thanks so much! This recipe was a life saver and a keeper!

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Made this today, yummy! I used 5 teaspoons vanilla and only 1 tsp. butter flavor. Made this with the cake box carrot cake on this site, so delicious! Thanks for posting :) We will see how it holds up without refrigerating the cake over night...nervous.

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I love the flavor of this recipe. I had the same issue as Heather did. I made the frosting a day in advanced. Turned out very thick and smooth and excited to decorate with it. After being in the refrigerator, it did turn more runny and was difficult to decorate with. Will try it again and decorate the same day. Followed the recipe as is and loved the flavors!

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How does this hold up in heat? Bride has a late August ceremony in Charlotte NC. I will have to transport the cake about 40 minutes. The 3 tiers y'all keep referencing; am I to assume that is a 10, 8, and 6 round? I have a 12, 10, 8, 6, and 4 square to do. Any guesses on the number of batches to be made?

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Sorry I haven't been checking in. But I make this frosting in AZ.....over 100 here all the time and it holds up well. I think at least 3 batches.

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Used this for a wedding cake this week-end...but only used 12 oz of cream cheese...it was perfect!!!!!! Will use this again and again...the cream cheese flavor was not a turn-off to the guests at the reception...sometimes the cream cheese is way too prevalent, but the reduction to 12 oz. was terrific...the bride and groom took the top tier to their table and ate it totally! Thanks so much for a great recipe.

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This was my 1st ever frosted made and it came out great! It crusted and tasted wonderful! I could taste the cream cheese, but it did not over power.

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Sounds like a GREAT recipe to try, I will definitely use this, but just to make sure, after I make the recipe, I will ice my cake and the cake is safe to leave out for a day/night? I usually make my cakes in a 3 day window, bake, let cool overnight, decorate the next day, and deliver the 3rd day. Always looking for a recipe I can leave out on the counter and not fret about - refrigerator is not big enough sometimes to hold the different size cakes. Thanks!

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I also do the 3 day window as angelabarton does and have a cake for next Sat. I will need to decorate Friday and deliver at noon Sat. for a baby shower at 4 that afternoon. I would greatly appreciate it if someone will tell me if this will be ok. Thanks very much.

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I had trouble with this the first time I used it to decorate with. I tried it a second time, making sure I followed the directions to a T. I still had issues with it. I thinned it out for the crumb coat, which dried nicely, so I was excited, but when I went to frost the cake, it was soft and would slowly bunch at the bottom of the sides.

I ended up scraping it off and added a lot more powdered sugar. I added about a cup more of powdered sugar for only 2 cups of frosting. I finally got it to stay, but took way more powdered sugar to make it stay.

I still love the flavor and it is a great tasting frosting. So am bummed that I keep having issues with it.

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a cream cheese icing can be left out. as long as you're in a controlled room temp where it won't melt. i work in a restaurant that leaves it out for 3-4 days as we cut the cakes for serving. as far as the icing sliding off of cakes not sure, but if our cakes are really moist it will fall off around the edges. and if seems to do this worse if the cake is partially frozen when i ice them.

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This recipe is PERFECTION! Very smooth and a great consistency. I added the vanilla and butter flavorings and am very pleased with how it turned out : )

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I use a recipe similar to this, but instead of cream cheese, you can use all vegetable shortening tomake something like a "buttercream". The meringue powder is what causes the icing to crust, as it is similar to egg whites in a royal icing, only this won't completely harden. Another easy way to smooth it is to let it crust over, then lay a piece of wax or parchment paper on it and smooth by lightly rubbing with your hands or a fondant smoother :)

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Could you tell me what type of vegetable shortening you use (Crisco?) Would this recipe work if I used butter instead? Thanks for your help!

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I would say stick with shortening. The cream cheese is already a softener, if you add butter as well it will not crust. Since they changed the recipe of crisco, I often buy the store brand of shortening. Its old school, just what you need. Good luck!

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Trying this next month for a wedding cake :-) So excited to find it. Thanks for posting it and for keeping up with answering questions on the thread after so long! You are awesome aztomcat!

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Aztomcat, I am having to frost a cake with cream cheese today for a a party tomorrow. I just wanted to make sure you meant a whole cut of shortening? I have never put that much shortening in my frosting before, somewhat hesitant about that, but you have such rave reviews on the recipe! Thanks in advance!

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Hello, Is it ok for me to fill and crumb coat a cake with cream cheese/whippin cream frosting the day before the event and leave it out? Thanks

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I am soo excited to find this...I have someone who wants an "electric blue" cream cheese icing...so I will be making this and hopefully it will work! Thanks!

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I assume this cake be frozen, correct ? Anyone know for how long ? Anything special I should know about freezing it ? I have some left over cream cheese and instead of wasting it I thought I would whip up a couple batches of this icing since it seems to be in high demand. I have used this recipe before but for a cake that was delivered immediately so there was not need to store and left overs.. it was delicious !

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I have frozen the leftovers and used them for cupcakes. But when I do a full sized cake, i make a new batch. Let me know how it goes with smoothing after defrosting.

Good luck.

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jkolima..... I would use this to crumb coat a cake the day before and I have. Whipping cream icing, i would be less sure of. If it is the powdered dream whip recipe, it would be okay, but refrigerated whipping cream icing should stay cold.

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hi, i am really excited to try this recipe. i am just wondering if this frosting is not gritty coz of the powdered sugar? thanks.

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I needed a crusting cream cheese icing for a red velvet cake for a wedding shower. I couldn't have been more pleased with the flavor of this icing and the consistency. I did cut back on the flavors - only used 1 1/2 tsp of vanilla and 1 1/2 tsp of butter flavor. The flavor is wonderful. Thanks for posting this recipe!

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Thank you so much aztomcat, it's wonderful, and as you said, can always use different variations of flavoring etc. Greatefull for the recipe.


Orit