Cream cheese icing too runny - can I save it?

[LynetteScavo]

I used full fat, added some butter, lemon juice - maybe too much?- and some icing sugar.

So, it's too runny. What can I do to thicken it?

More icing sugar

Chuck in more icing sugar

I'd add more icing sugar- bit by bit (going on the theory it works for glacé and buttercream icing)

Definitely more icing sugar.

Really, it's already very sweet. Not more butter.

Will try later this evening (it's in the fridge for now) and report back.

more icing sugar and into the fridge with it.

Was this Philly or another brand? I will only ever buy philly cos all other cream cheeses are inferior! ...and do this runny single cream thing when you try to use them for icing.

if it is Philly then the fridge and icing sugar should save it, if it is not then don't bother.

oh or make a small quantity of butter cream and add the runny mess to that. ....look up cream cheese frosting recipes to give you an idea of quantities.

It's Aldi - tried the fridge already, and that didn't help.

Sainbury's own has worked in the past, I think.

Will stick to Philly in the future, just to be sure.

Just keep adding more icing sugar until it is right.

Er, I'll go against the tide here and say don't add more sugar - the molecular structure of the sugar melts when it comes into contact with the water in the cream cheese so you just end up with runnier and runnier icing, especially if you use a lower fat cream cheese with a higher water content. (And God knows I spent years trying to do just that until someone pointed this out to me.)

the only way I've made cream cheese icing successfully is to make normal buttercream, beaten very light, and then barely stirred in a pack of full-fat Philly, stopping before it has time to break down. I think professional bakers probably use some kind of stabilising agent?

Completely agree with wildfig, her technique is the only one that works for me.
Made the mistake of using Tesco cream cheese today though, and ended up with cream cheese sauce
Wildfig got me thinking... what could I use as a stabiliser? Answer: cornflour. I sprinkled on a couple of teaspoons, gave it a really good whisk, and it worked

Cornflour? I tend to add a spoonful if things are going gloopy.

This exact thing happened to me yesterday too -and it was with Philadelphia. I'll try making it with butter team first then folding in the cream cheese, good idea.

I put my cake back I the tin, poured over the icing and shoved the whole thing into the fridge. 24 hours later it looks like we might have pudding today!

The Hummingbird bakery book that I have says it will go runny if overbeaten. Could this be the problem? It doesn't have a solution though.

Yes definitely over beating!

I've just used Philadelphia and mine has gone funny. Don't think it matters about the brand

The trick is to drain the pilly before you use it. My cream cheese icing always ended up runny. I read a tip somewhere that you tip off the watery stuff that always seems to be in tub when you open it.. worked a treat!

Do not add more sugar it will ruin it tho if runny it's already ruined 😢 making a buttercream then gently mix in the FULL fat (as it's less watery) cream cheese..☺️

I squeezed my cheese out in a clean muslin to make sure I got all the liquid out. Messy but very successful

I have to beat mine by hand as the kitchen aid makes it too runny.

Strain liquid from cream cheese through a cheesecloth or muslin.

zombie thread

See when I make cheesecake, Philly is the only one that repeatedly doesn't set -
Odd!

The OP's cake has long been eaten

I found this thread having encountered the same issue yesterday! In the end, I saved mine by adding a little more icing sugar and swapping the beater attachment to the whipping one on the kitchenaid; that fixed it! Next time, I'm trying the buttercream method! 😀

Nigella adds double cream to one of her cream cheese icing recipes and then whips it. It ends up a lot thicker.