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Decadent Desserts, The Kitchen Diary

A Couple of Cream Cheese Frostings

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I use cream cheese in everything I possibly can—salads, bakes, frostings, pie fillings, sides, dips … you name it. I can even eat it plain, right out the tub while watching my everyday episode of Breaking Bad. And so, I’m thrilled to share with you two of my favourite, tried and tested cream cheese frosting recipes to decorate your cakes and cupcakes, and also to simply pig out on 🙂

 

“Money can’t buy you happiness, but it can certainly buy you a cupcake with cream cheese frosting – Me 🙂 ”
The Fact: Neufchatel cheese, the inspiration for conventional block cream cheese, originated in France in the 1500s. In 1872, William Chester, a New York dairyman, accidentally discovered a cheese making method that produced a creamy mild cheese while trying to duplicate the French Neufchatel recipe. He sold it as ‘cream cheese’ to the Empire Cheese Company, who in turn marketed it under the ‘Philadelphia’ brand.
The Inspiration: Who doesn’t like cream cheese? It’s the perfect in between for those who don’t quite get the cheese frenzy and think cream’s too fatty and tasteless to be loved as much. As for me … I love the soft, almost-smotherable, velvety-smooth texture and the lightly salted flavor of the cheese. But then I also love cream and cheese, independently, just as much.
I use cream cheese in everything I possibly can—salads, bakes, frostings, pie fillings, sides, dips … you name it. I can even eat it plain, right out the tub while watching my everyday episode of Breaking Bad 🙂 The cream cheese in my home goes into cake and cupcake frostings more often than not. And so, I’m thrilled to share with you two of my favourite, tried and tested cream cheese frosting recipes to decorate your cakes and cupcakes, and also to simply pig out on 🙂 

Plain Cream Cheese Frosting

This frosting has a more distinctive tang than the Cream Cheese Buttercream Frosting recipe I share below, simply because it uses pure cream cheese and whipped cream. It’s wickedly delicious, less sweet and works better with cakes in general, where you want the cake to carry the main flavor and the frosting to complement it; for example, red velvet cake or carrot cake. This frosting is also relatively stable and forms firmer and steadier peaks and swirls than the second frosting recipe on the blog, below. Since this frosting uses whipped cream, it’s less stable outdoors and in the heat for long hours.

Carrot cake with plain cream cheese frosting

The Ingredients

Frosts one 9” cake or approximately 15 cupcakes

  • 227 gms cream cheese (softened at room temperature)
  • ½ tsp pure vanilla extract
  • 70 – 80 gms icing/confectioners’ sugar (sifted to avoid lumps)
  • 160 ml heavy whipping cream (cold; 32% – 40% butterfat)

The Method

  1. In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese on medium speed until it’s creamy and smooth.
    Cream cheese being beaten
  2. Add the vanilla and confectioners’ sugar and on slow speed, beat in the sugar until it’s smooth and fully incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl using a spatula.
    Cream cheese with icing or confectioners' sugar

    Cream cheese with icing or confectioners' sugar

  3. Add the cold whipping cream and whisk on high speed, until the frosting is thick and stiff peaks are formed. It should take no more than a few minutes. If it’s not yet stiff, add more sugar, tablespoon at a time. Remember that the temperature and brand of whipping cream is very important. The cream has to be absolutely cold, preferably being beaten in a chilled bowl. It should also be a brand you’ve tried and tested before. If it’s one that doesn’t form peaks easily, beat it separately and fold it into the cream cheese and sugar mixture.
    Cream cheese frosting

Notes:

  • It’s the icing sugar and the whipping cream that gives this frosting its stiffness and structure. By adding more or less of the sugar, you can adjust the stiffness of the frosting depending on what you what to do with it. If you want to pipe well-defined roses, swirls, peaks, and other structured decorations, you need a firmer frosting, which means more sugar and stiffer whipped cream. For irregular and not very structured swirls and flecks, a softer frosting with lesser sugar works perfectly.
  • If your cakes/cupcakes are going to be standing outdoors or in the heat for a while, avoid this frosting because it won’t hold too long in heat.
  • Ensure that your cakes/cupcakes are completely cooled before you frost them or once more, the frosting will melt.

 

Cream Cheese Buttercream Frosting

Use this frosting when you want the frosting itself to be your highlight—sweet, yummy and addictive, like in most cupcakes. This one has a wicked taste and texture. It also pipes softer peaks and swirls and is easier to handle compared to the frosting above, simply because of its higher butter content, because of which it won’t last too long in the heat; however it can stand for hours at room temperature or in a relatively cool place because the frosting tends to crust lightly when exposed to air.

Cupcake with cream cheese buttercream frosting

The Ingredients

Frosts one 9” cake or approximately 15 – 20 cupcakes

  • 113 gms butter (softened at room temperature)
  • 113 gms cream cheese (softened at room temperature)
  • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
  • 240 – 270 gms icing/confectioners’ sugar (sifted to avoid lumps)
  • Optional: 1 – 2 tbsp whipping cream (cold; 32% – 40% butterfat)

The Method

  1. In a large bowl, beat the butter on medium speed until it’s creamy and smooth.
    Whisking the butter until soft
  2. Add the cream cheese and vanilla and continue to beat until the entire mixture is smooth and you can no longer differentiate between the butter and the cream cheese.
    Cream cheese being beaten
  3. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and gradually increase the speed to high. Beat on high for a little less than a minute. Then, on low speed (stir speed), beat in the confectioners’ sugar until well combined.Cream cheese with icing or confectioners' sugar

    Butter, cream cheese and confectioners' sugar scraped down

  4. Once you’re sure of the sweetness and stiffness, beat the frosting on high speed for about 2 minutes. At this point, the frosting should no longer feel grainy. It should be fully incorporated. If you need the frosting to be stiffer than what it is, add more icing sugar by the tablespoon. Alternatively, you can also add 1 – 2 tablespoons of whipping cream.
    Cream cheese buttercream frosting

Notes:

  • It’s the icing sugar that gives the frosting its stiffness and structure. By adding more or less of it, you can adjust the stiffness of the frosting depending on what you want to do with it. If you want to pipe well-defined roses, swirls, peaks, and other structured decorations, you need a firmer frosting, which means more sugar. For irregular and not very structured swirls and flecks, a softer frosting with lesser sugar works perfectly.
  • If your cakes/cupcakes are going to be standing in the heat for a while, avoid frosting altogether because it won’t hold too long. However, if your cakes/cupcakes will be standing in a relatively cool place, they will last for hours because this frosting tends to crust lightly when exposed to air.
  • Ensure that your cakes/cupcakes are completely cooled before you frost them or once more, the frosting will melt.

 

Cookies, Cakes n Cavities, Decadent Desserts, Lockdown Recipes, Non-vegetarian Nonchalance, Tea-time Titbits

Carrot Cake

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My all-time favourite cake!  It’s best eaten warm in any weather. It’s rich, moist, full or flavour, and is the prettiest cake I’ve ever seen!

 

“If carrots got you drunk, rabbits would be pretty messed up.” – Mitch Hedberg
The Fact: During World War II, due to food scarcity (except that of carrots and potatoes), the Government resorted to an oversupply of carrots and suggested, through propaganda, that the Royal Air Force’s exceptional night-flying success was due to eating high carotene-content carrots. The ruse sharply increased carrot consumption and took the pressure off other food supplies.
The Inspiration: Our family has always been very enthusiastic about baking cakes for birthdays rather than ordering ready-made ones from the famous Baker’s Basket or Copper Chocs. It all began with mum, who, since we were born, baked us our favourite pink or green cakes (the green, creepy in hindsight) without a whisk or cake beater. I still remember my brother, sister, and I gathered around her in our kitchen as she mixed the cake batter with her bare hands and transformed a then, boring whitish batter into a fascinating pink or green. And ever since, the tradition has continued, though now, with slightly upgraded equipment and with the responsibility having shifted from mum to me.
As I sat thinking about what cake to bake for my 24th birthday, rather bored by the myriad chocolate versions, and certainly considering healthier options, I stumbled across the Carrot Cake recipe on one of my favourite baking websites, Joy of Baking. And ever since, this comforting, moist, pretty (the orange flecks are simply adorable), spice cake has been my all time favourite and will never go out of fashion in my home!

The Ingredients

This cake serves approx. 15–20 people.
 

Dry ingredients

  • 250gms/2 cups flour (for a healthier cake, use wheat flour, but note that the batter will turn out denser and a little dry)
  • 250gms granulated sugar (if you’re using really sweet carrots, reduce the sugar by about 100 grams and then, gradually increase by tasting)
  • 100gms roughly chopped and lightly toasted walnuts (for a more nutty cake, throw in some more; you could toast them on a pan/in a microwave/ in the oven)
  • 2 tsp freshly ground cinnamon powder (throw in an extra teaspoon for a stronger flavour; I do for the taste and aroma)
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1.5 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp salt

Wet ingredients

  • 350gms/2.5 cups not-too-finely grated carrots (carrots should be sweet; also remember to measure the carrots after grating – so start with half a kg of carrots)
  • 4 large or 5 small eggs
  • 240ml unflavoured oil (such as vegetable or canola oil)
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract (preferably pure, if not, don’t worry about it)
  • Optional:  3 – 4 tbsp/half a cup pineapple syrup (although optional, the syrup adds a glorious taste – remember to lower your sugar quantity if you add more syrup – vary the quantity until you can lightly taste the pineapple flavour)

The Method

  • Preheat the oven to 180C or 350F.
  • Prepare your cake tin (standard 9 x 2 inch) by spraying it with grease or lightly greasing it with butter.
  • Whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon powder.
  • In a separate bowl whisk the eggs for about a minute until frothy.
    Eggs whisked until frothy
  • Add the sugar to the eggs and whisk until the mixture is slightly stiff and almost whitish (and has lost most of the yellow tinge). Note that the sugar should have more or less dissolved by now.
  • Gently pour in the oil in a steady stream and beat until incorporated (do not over beat the mixture; it might incorporate too much air).
  • Add the vanilla extract and whisk in.
    Eggs, sugar, oil and vanilla whisked together
  • Now, whisk in the flour mixture, just until incorporated (again, do not over beat).
    Adding the flour, cinnamon powder and baking powder to the wet ingredients

    Carrot cake batter in progress

  • Gently, fold in the grated carrots and the walnuts (fold in by making an ‘8’ motion with your spatula; do not beat this in).
    Adding grated carrots to the carrot cake batter

    Adding walnuts to the carrot cake batter

  • Add pineapple syrup. (Taste the batter and adjust sweetness by adding sugar or pineapple syrup. You should be able to taste the pineapple flavour. Of course, don’t overdo it or the cake will be too sweet.)
    Carrot cake batter
  • Pour mixture into the prepared cake tin(s) and put it into the oven.
  • Bake for about 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean. (This might take longer for larger quantities or if your batter is very dense. In such situations, keep the cake in for another 10-15 minutes and check again.)
  • Remove cake from the oven and cool on a wire rack

You’re done 🙂 This cake is best served warm. Cut a slice to look at your beautiful, orange-speckled cake! Bon appetit!

This cake can be kept for a few days without refrigeration. In warmer climates, refrigerate within 2 – 3 days.

If you’d like to frost this cake since it does make pretty pictures, try my cream cheese frosting recipe. You can layer the cake and cover the layered stack for prettier presentation.

Halved carrot cake

Frosting in the middle

Frosting in the middle

Here’s what I did, only for the picture…

Frosted carrot cake

Or then, this …

Carrot cake with cream cheese frosting