cream cheese frosting

[Brienneoftarthismyhero]

can anyone share their foolproof cream cheese frosting recipe? A lot of the recipes I’ve tried are American and their cream cheese is slightly different to ours (comes in blocks and it’s not as watery)
I am baking red velvet cake for daughter’s birthday and want a frosting that’s not going to be runny . The last few attempts haven’t been great.
thank you 🙏

have you tried philadelphia

The key is not to use low fat or lighter versions. They liquefy when you add icing sugar.

I usually drain the cheese in some kitchen towel to remove moisture as well.

I do have a recipe and will post it when I can find it.

I always use full fat cream cheese. Last time was Aldi’s own as Philadelphia didn’t work great. It was probably my fault 🤦‍♀️

Sugar and Crumbs do a cream cheese flavoured icing sugar which is a reliable alternative. Also LorAnn Oil or Foodie Flavours cream cheese flavour and make buttercream in the usual way.

Frosting is the American term. If you look up cream cheese icing recipes you'll probably find British recipes that work better with our ingredients.

I've been grappling with this for years - have never found a cream cheese solid enough here to make US recipes work. My DM used to buy proper cream cheese from a deli tub back in the early 80s but I've never seen it since, other than in the Brick Lane Beigel Bake.

I usually make plain buttercream, whip it really light, then add cream cheese at the last minute, as a flavouring more than anything else.

That said, controversially... some US recipes for Red Velvet Cake use Ermine Frosting, not cream cheese. So delicious!

The recipe I use is 115g butter, 300g sieved icing sugar, 200g cream cheese, 1 tsp vanilla

The key to not getting sloppy cream cheese frosting IME is to cream the butter and sugar together before adding the cream cheese. It's the sugar coming into contact with the water in the cream cheese and dissolving that makes it go runny, so by coating it in the fat from the butter, you reduce the chance of sloppiness.

I bring everything up to room temperature before starting and then cream the butter and sugar together really well (in a mixer makes it easier). If it doesn't come together and stays crumbly then add a little bit more butter until it does. Then drain off any water from the cream cheese and add it to the buttercream and cream again then combine the vanilla. I then put it in the fridge to chill and use the whisk attachment to whip air into it to make it fluffy.

I don't want to say this method is foolproof but I have never had a disaster yet 🤞

ETA that I've done this with Aldi, Lidl and Sainsbury's cream cheese with no problems. Never actually tried it with Philadelphia!

I have never managed to make cream cheese icing that properly incorporated the butter, there are always lumps. Some good tips here for that! One thing I have done for cheesecake in recent years is make the cream cheese from yoghurt and strain it to labneh. You might want to give that a go as you could get it more strained and thicker.

Also there are very few cream cheeses left now that dont have guar gum in them, I used to use Aldi for this and now I notice that theirs has this in it. The last place I had success was Tesco, just milk, nothing else

@Reallybadidea I came on to say that too - if you beat the butter and sugar together first it doesn't go runny when you add the cream cheese (i use aldi)

Jane's patisserie has the recipe I use

I've used this one. Make sure the butter is soft. Sometimes I will chop it up and microwave for 20 seconds to make sure it's soft but not melted.
Drain off excess liquid from the cream cheese.

I use 300g icing sugar to 50g softened butter and 250g cream cheese then add vanilla (I have paste) or other flavour/colour of choice. If you want chocolate sub half the cream cheese and 100g icing sugar for melted chocolate

https://longleyfarm.com/products/full-fat-yorkshire-cream-cheese I use this specifically for frosting and cheesecakes

Great tips @Reallybadidea
Thank you.

https://www.janespatisserie.com/2015/11/03/red-velvet-cake-with-cream-cheese-frosting/

I've made this without the red food colouring so basically a chocolate cake with cream cheese frosting. I used 3 tins instead of 2 and this was the result. I had to make a bit extra frosting for the extra layer

Isn't it too salty?

I second @dementedpixie - the Jane's Patisserie one works great, I just used it last week for a birthday cake.

Equal quantities of room-temp butter and icing sugar creamed together (like buttercream) and then add double the quantity of cold full-fat cream cheese. For example, I used 250g butter, 250g icing sugar, and 500g cream cheese.

Have used both Aldi/Lidl FF versions, and Philadelphia (if it's on special offer!) and both worked great. I usually hedge my bets and use a mix of both.

Drain any excess liquid off the cream cheese with a kitchen towel. Cream the butter and sugar well, but mix carefully once the cream cheese is added.

Thanks so much everyone!! Lots of good tips here and I will try the Jane’s patisserie one @dementedpixie I have some red paste that I used for red velvet last year and it worked really well

And I love your piping work 🎂 @dementedpixie

Follow this

It's the only way it works without access to the American style block cream cheese

Ive never seen this anywhere but would buy that, it has no other ingredients apart from milk

Philadelphia has guar gum in it

I don't live far from where it is made. I might have a drive out to find a local farm shop.

actuallyy just soft cheese

Just wanted to thank everyone again for your recommendations. I used the Jane patisserie icing recipe using aldi’s full fat cream cheese and it was by far the best icing I have ever made. I used my all time favourite red velvet cake recipe as it uses coffee and is so moist and utterly delicious . Posting a link in case anyone wants to try it - just don’t use her icing recipe haha
https://divascancook.com/the-best-red-velvet-cake-recipe-easy-homemade-moist-with-southern-flair/

Looks really good @Brienneoftarthismyhero. Lovely piping 😋