Cream cheese frosting disaster

[FryOneFatManic]

I tried a new tray bake recipe yesterday. The sponge was fine, taste really nice and moist.

The icing/frosting however....

Recipe called for 300g cream cheese and 100g icing sugar, plus some lime zest for flavour. It stated to beat the sugar into the cheese, which I did, but I've been left with a sloppy, runny icing that isn't really stiff enough to do anything more than drizzle over the sponge, when it's clear from the picture that it's a thick layer, similar to carrot cake.

I'm thinking that beating wasn't the right thing to do, so would appreciate any advice on this, as the flavours are nice and I'd like to try this again.

Thanks.

How long did you beat it for? Did you add plenty of lime zest as that might thicken it?
You can overbeat cream cheese iphone corrected that to over eat which is also a potential problem and it will split.
When I make cream cheese icing, I use soft butter, cream cheese, icing sugar and vanilla extract. Without the butter it doesn't seem to thicken well.
HTH

I'd have thought that it was more sugar to the cream cheese. You need approx 150g cream cheese to 300g icing sugar. You may also need to cool it in the fridge after mixing to let it re-set.

I found this recipe - but I haven't tested it - yet! I'm doing a charity coffee morning next month and will try it out on either a lemon poppyseed or a carrot cake.

Thanks for replying.

I didn't beat it for long, just enough to make sure the icing sugar was incorporated, and the recipe was as simple as I gave before. So perhaps the quantities for the icing are wrong.

It tasted nice, so if I can get the icing right and retain these flavours, it'll be a recipe to keep.

You have to use full fat Philadelphia IMO or it doesn't work. But some times it seems just to fuck up for no reason at all.

I'm going to see if I can re-create the flavours in another type of icing.

The recipe was described as a "mojito traybake" The sponge being lime flavoured, and the icing being lime and mint flavoured (no alcohol, though).

It's gone down fairly well, despite icing issues

The same thing happened to me recently, when my DP bought supermarket own brand cream cheese (when I had clearly specified Philly, tsk!). It has never happened when I've used full fat Philadelphia.

Mojito traybake sounds lovely!! I may have to find out how to make mojito cupcakes. Not sure I have any rum though, so like yours, will be alcohol free.

If you're uneasy about the cream cheese frosting then you could probably just use buttercream. Would be a bit sweeter but should work ok :)

Full fat Philly isn't much pricier when used for cake, and yes, I had used the own brand, so maybe they're watering it

I don't normally have any white rum in, my preference is the dark rough stuff for drinking (with coke).