Cream Cheese Frosting

This frosting can be used for either cupcakes or stack cakes.  It is very good and easy to make. The icing goes very well on the red velvet cupcakes I shared with you yesterday.  You can decorate the icing with chopped pecans or colored sprinkles.

Normally I would have had two blocks of cream cheese but the store was out of the blocks that I wanted so had to get the container.  It works just as good so if you can't find the blocks the tubs will work too.

Start with 2 sticks of butter that are softened.

Add 2 8 oz blocks of cream cheese that is also softened.

Blend well.  Scrap the sides down and make sure the butter and cream cheese are well mixed.

Add 4 cups confectioners' sugar.  I added a little at a time because you do not want powdered sugar all over your kitchen. I used my scraper and blended it a little before I turned the mixer on.

It is very nicely mixed.

Add 1 teaspoon vanilla.  I had to use almond flavoring because I did not have clear vanilla.  You could use regular vanilla but I think it makes the icing a little dingy.  The clear will keep the nice white color.  I now have clear vanilla but it was hard to find. The almond tasted fine so it is okay to use it.

Everything all mixed well.

I read somewhere that if you put your spatula in the icing straight up and it leans slightly then it is thick enough.  If it stands straight up it is too thick and you need to thin a little with milk or water.  Just a little.

I wanted to decorate my cupcakes fancy because it is gameday after all.  Use a 1M tip.  It is a large tip.

Put it inside a pastry bag.  I had smaller bags.  Cut the tip off and put all the way to the bottom.  If you do not have pastry bags you can use a zip lock bag the same way and snip off the end.

It is all ready now to fill the bag.

I find it is easier to fill a bag if I let it stand up in a glass.  Turn the top down around the glass and it will be easier to fill.

The bag is filled.  Push the icing down to get the air bubbles out.  Twist the top closed.

Hold it and twist to get it ready to use.

I was home by myself so it was hard to take pictures of the actual frosting of the cupcakes.  Hold the bag straight up, press, and circle around and around, finishing in the middle.

Here is a finished cupcake.

You can see on some of these the circles around the cupcakes.  As soon as they are frosted they need to go in the fridge.

Now they are decorated and ready for the game.  Tomorrow I will show you how to make the chocolates to go on top.

Here are a few more.

Cream cheese frosting recipe

1 8 oz blocks cream cheese softened
2 sticks butter softened
1 teaspoon vanilla  It is better if it is clear
4 cups confectioners' sugar