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Cream Cheese frosting

post #1 of 27
5/5/10 at 2:48pm
Thread Starter 
Hello,

So I made cream cheese frosting and most of the recipes I found online were: 8oz cream cheese, 2 tsp vanilla extract, 3 cups icing sugar.

BUT when I mixed it the consistency was so thin... it was something like a creamy peanut butter... so it won't hold when I try to pipe nice icing on the cup cake????

What am I doing wrong... I tried adding more icing sugar but now it is over taking the cheese flavor. How can I get it to thicken?

Sara
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post #2 of 27
5/5/10 at 8:52pm
You seem to be missing the fat. I just looked up some recipes and they are more like 8 oz cream cheese, 1 c fat, 2# powdered sugar. The big variation I have found is in the fat. They vary from 1:2, 1:1 or 2:1 butter to shortening depending on the flavor you want and how heat tolerant.
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post #3 of 27
5/6/10 at 5:33am
Thread Starter 
sorry im lost now.... so what do i put as a fat...

can you post a recipe for me please
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post #4 of 27
5/6/10 at 5:41am
Here is a crusting cream cheese recipe. It makes a pretty big batch, so scale it down if needed.

http://cakecentral.com/recipes/6817/wedding-crusting-cream-cheese-frosting
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post #5 of 27
5/6/10 at 5:58am
Yes, mine has butter & cream cheese in it, so it does hold up for piping - very similar to the one posted by melmar. icon_smile.gif
If you get melted chocolate all over your hands, you're eating it too slowly. ~Unknown
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If you get melted chocolate all over your hands, you're eating it too slowly. ~Unknown
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post #6 of 27
5/6/10 at 6:14am
Sorry to confuse you. Cream cheese recipes have either all butter, all shortening or a combination of both as the fat. All butter tastes better but all shortening has better tolerance for sitting out on a table at a reception or event and is better for standing up to piping. And if you use a combination of both then the different proportions of fat to butter combine the benefits. I was pointing that out because which recipe you choose depends on what your needs are. For example for a friends wedding cake in northern MN in May I went with one with more butter than shortening (a 2:1 ratio). It tasted great but the bit of shortening had it stand up well. That recipe might not work as well in TX in the summer because it would be too prone to get soft in the heat. I hope that clears it up.
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post #7 of 27
5/6/10 at 8:27pm
Thread Starter 
thanks so much everyone!

so this recipe looks great! Thanks!

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.


so my question is... i would really like it to be stiff and hold up for an outdoor wedding... so does that mean i should instead of doing... 1 1/3c vegetable shortening do it half shortening and half butter? and still add the butter extract??

is butter extract really needed? where would i get it... bulk barn?
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post #8 of 27
5/6/10 at 8:47pm
I haven't tried that specific recipe. The all shortening should hold up better for an outdoor wedding than if you use some butter in it. The butter flavoring is to add the butter flavor since it is an all shortening recipe. You can get it at most Walmarts in the craft section where they have cake decorating supplies or at Michaels. Personally I wouldn't use the almond or creme bouquet in it because I would want the cream cheese flavor to stand out, I think the additional flavor of almond and creme bouquet would muddle things up. I would make the frosting in a half batch size just to see how you like the taste and working with it before you get to the real thing. And remember you don't want it so stiff that you can't work with it, you still want it soft enough that you can frost and pipe with it. But that is easily adjustable by the liquid, add more or less as you see how firm it is while you are mixing.
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post #9 of 27
5/7/10 at 9:05am
Thread Starter 
thanks so much, i may try it this weekend if i can get to the store.

so i think i will infact leave out the almond extract and the creme boquet bc i do love the taste of cream cheese and i do want it to stand out. and i am definately going to make it in half a batch to see how much it gives me.

1 last question... in terms of the flavor is the butter extract really necessary? will it highten the cream cheese flavor or will it cover it up? if i leave it out am i asking for disaster?

sara
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post #10 of 27
5/7/10 at 2:15pm
I would use the butter flavor since you are using all shortening. I don't think it would cover it up, it will complement it. It is only a couple dollars for the Wilton 2 oz jar. It is clear so doesn't change the color of the frosting. Plus it is often called for in other icing recipes. I don't know if leaving it out would be a disaster though, but if it was me I would put it in. In almond and especially creme bouquets defense, I love them both, especially creme bouquet in plain buttercream.
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post #11 of 27
5/7/10 at 9:11pm
Thread Starter 
ok thanks. i only ask because i went to the grocery store today and they didn't have it... and michaels and bulk barn are both a bit out of the way considering i wanted to make it for sunday. i suppose maybe i could do half veg shortening and half butter then? i guess it just won't be as stiff?

also you were saying that almond extract and creme bouquet are good to flavor buttercream... i've used almond but never the other one... that one is also made by wilton? what type of flavor does it have?

i've almost always just done a vanilla buttercream.
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post #12 of 27
5/8/10 at 7:50am
The "stiffness" of icing is more based on the amount of liquid you add. Using a combination of butter and shortening will make it less tolerant to the heat, more likely to be melty or soft from the heat, than if you use all shortening. So consider when and where the cake will be served, how long sitting out, etc. But you can do half and half butter and shortening, or you could do twice the shortening to butter. When I was checking out cream cheese frostings for the wedding cake I was getting frustrated cause I wanted the BEST frosting and was struggling with why there were so many different variations of recipes. I did 3 for a taste test and the one with more butter than shortening tasted best. So mostly butter for better flavor with a little shortening to make it easier to work with and more stable than butter alone. But that recipe wouldn't be best for a TX wedding in August. Thus the multiple of recipes, based on needs and preferences. So you can adjust all you want but it will have consequences. You certainly can make it without the butter flavoring, it will change the taste. You can use a combination of fats but it will change the heat tolerance.
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post #13 of 27
5/8/10 at 7:54am
I think I was running out of room....Creme Bouquet is a fantastic flavoring. I don't think Wiltons makes it though several other companies do. It adds a lovely flavor. Kind of vanilla, almond with a little citrus. Really hard to describe. YUMMY! If you see some at a cake place, pick up a bottle. It makes things taste special like you used a secret recipe. And it is great for cream cheese mints.
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post #14 of 27
5/8/10 at 2:26pm
Thread Starter 
Thank you so very much for all this info! it makes alot of sense... i definately won't have time to make it for mother's day but i am for sure going to try it. and i think i will do something like 1/2 butter and 1/2 veg shortening.

for now the cup cakes are for home tasting and then the wedding is in september indoors at a hall so it should be ok.

and i will definately look into creme boquet... i go to a cake supplier and next time i'm there i will check for it.
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post #15 of 27
5/8/10 at 4:36pm
Here is the recipe that won our taste test.
1 c butter, softened
1/2 c shortening
16 oz cream cheese, softened
2 tsp vanilla
1 tsp butter flavor
3 1/2 - 4 # powdered sugar (see how it looks, don't just dump it all in)
1/2 tsp popcorn salt (this is not the flavored kind, popcorn salt is finer grained than regular and mixes in better)
Cream butter, shortening, cr cheese, extracts and salt. Gradually add p. sug. Beat on low til nice and fluffy. This is a crusting recipe and can be smoothed with the viva paper towel. This recipe makes stiff consistency. Whenever I have made it I need to add more liquid and have used milk or liquid coffee creamer, depending on what I have on hand. This makes about 6 cups but I have often cut it in half. It fills and frosts a 9 inch two layer cake with a couple cups left over. It worked find for piping also.
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