CREAM CHEESE ICING WITH VARIATIONS

Yield: 6 lbs icing

INGREDIENTS:

• 3 lb cream cheese, room temperature
• 1 lb butter, unsalted, room temperature
• 1 TBS vanilla extract
• Pinch salt
• 2 lb powdered sugar
  

METHOD:

1. Beat cream cheese with paddle in mixer but do not over beat and add too much air.
2. Add butter, vanilla, and salt
3. Blend until creamy.
4. Sift sugar and add while mixing slowly to blend.
5. Correct flavors if desired.
6. If icing is very soft from mixing, refrigerate for 30 minutes to 1 hour until firm enough to use. Also freezing the layers of the cake will make it easier to spread any icing.

OPTIONS:

• For “Strawberry Cream” icing, add ½ to 1 cup of ready-to-use strawberry topping and mix in. Using too much will create a very soft icing and will not hold on the side of the cake.
• Other flavors can be created such as almond by using almond extract or lemon by adding lemon flavor.
• Different fruit ideas such as: pineapple, raspberry, blueberry, or your choice.
• Be careful about using fresh fruits though because of the moisture content in the fresh fruit versus using toppings or fillings.
• Low fat cream cheese or Neufchâtel can be used for a lower fat version.
  Extreme decadence can be achieved by folding in our “Dolce Praline” sauce and then decorate the cake with “Pralined Pecans”
• For “Butter Brickle” icing, fold in a handful of crumbled “Grandpa Harold’s Pecan Brittle.”