When I made this Giant Cupcake Cake a few months ago - the request was for Red Velvet Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting. Well... the only great recipe that I know of for Red Velvet Cake and Cream Cheese Frosting belongs to my Aunt Carol... except her frosting is not made for decorating.
Don't get me wrong...it's super-duper delicious... but not stiff and it doesn't "crust" (which I prefer for decorating), so I set out to find a great Cream Cheese Buttercream recipe (which I thought I posted before, but can't seem to find now)!?!. This recipe is what I ended up with and it is delicious and great for decorating! My sis-in-law Amy prefers it over any other icing I make, and well...I can't blame her...it's great!
This morning, my friend Chonda (a fellow cake decorator) asked for my recipe, so I decided to post it here {again, apparently...see below} and share it with all of you!!
Crusting Cream Cheese Buttercream
1 cup butter (=2 sticks), at room temperature1/2 cup Crisco* shortening (just under 4 oz. on a kitchen scale)
6 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature3 lbs powdered sugar
1 Tablespoon of vanilla extract2-3 Tablespoons of Milk (add to get consistency to pipe or spread)
First cream the butter and Crisco in a mixing bowl. Mix on low speed for a couple of minutes until smooth and creamy. Gradually add the powdered sugar until it's all combined. It will be very stiff! Then begin adding milk until you reach the desired consistency for decorating (2-3 tablespoons works well for me!)
*I am generally satisfied using generic ingredients, but I've found that Crisco shortening has a much better texture and seems to make smoother, yummier icing than when I make it with generic...just my opinion, if anyone is interested =)
Okay, so...just as I'm finishing this up, I discover that I have, in fact, posted this recipe before. Oh well..this time it get's a post all to itself, as it should...it's fantastic!!
New to Adventures In Savings? Subscribe to Adventures in Savings by email for a daily update of all the deals or follow me on Facebook or Twitter to get all the latest updates faster!
Thank you!!! I can't wait to try it out! P
ReplyDeleteThanks for posting this! I've been taking the Wilton classes and I love cream cheese icing but I get frustrated because it is so thin. Now I can decorate with one of my favorite icings!
ReplyDeleteYou're welcome! I hope you both enjoy it!!
ReplyDeleteThanks, I too am taking the Wilton classes and this sounds yummy! Can you give tips on coloring the icing? The Wilton colors take so much to turn dark. And I tried to color brown for a horse and then added the piping gel for writing, and the mixture actually started to separate. Any tips?
ReplyDeleteFor dark colors (red, brown, black), it *does* take alot of gel coloring to get them dark. However, those colors often darker after they sit for awhile, so sometimes I make them a day ahead and let them rest over night to see if they're dark enough. If not, I add more. I recently purchased some Ateco gel coloring. I really like it alot and it seems to get darker faster, but it still takes more than I wish I had to use.
ReplyDeleteOne tip I've found for brown (assuming you don't mind chocolate) is to make chocolate buttercream (with cocoa powder), then darken it more with brown gel coloring if needed. However, if you want vanilla buttercream colored brown, then you just have to keep adding the gel.
This is the Ateco I got: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00004S1C6?ie=UTF8&tag=adveninsavin-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00004S1C6
Sounds delicious!!! Could I use this like a tradtional buttercream to go under fondant?
ReplyDeleteYes Trina, it's perfect to use underneath fondant! Thanks for stopping by!
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for sharing your recipes and pictures! I've been looking for a good cream cheese recipe that I can use for decorating! I need to make enough to ice a 9x13 cake and make 10 roses, a few rosebuds, vines and borders. Your recipe would be way too much for this. Have you tried cutting this recipe in half? Thanks again!
ReplyDeleteI'm sure it would be just fine cut in half! Frosting is one of the few things in the world of baking that is very forgiving!
ReplyDeleteGlad you visited and I know you'll enjoy the recipe! Be sure to like my Facebook page: www.facebook.com/RoseBakes!
I finally had a reason to make your crusting cream cheese icing recipe. YUM! It made enough to ice 2 10 inch layers, a border and a dozen cupcakes! It worked great for the shell border and for the 1M swirl for the cupcakes! This icing was sweet, but not as sweet as other cream cheese icings which I think are too sweet. I wish I had had the time to make some roses to see if this icing would hold up or not. I made my first fondant figures-my "dad" sitting in his chair while "watching" (sleeping really) tv. My 18 yr old don came home while I was making them and asked if he could make an end table and cup to go with mine! It was so much fun making them especially with my son! I was excited that he was interested in something that I enjoy doing! That rarely happens with teenagers!
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad it you liked it Angelia! It's my favorite frosting! It sounds like you had some great quality time with your son too!
ReplyDelete