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I’m not going to try to avoid the question on this one, I’ll just start with the honest truth:  I’ve made ONE traditional cake from scratch.  Once.  That’s it.  It was some time ago, and I don’t remember it being that amazing.  Boxed mixes, my friends, is about as far as it gets when it comes to me making cakes.  However when it comes to frosting… I have bought fewer than 5 cans of that junk in my lifetime.  I just can’t do it… I mean, have you read the nutrition label?  Most are chock-full of trans fat, the horrible-nasty-absolutely-no-good-for-you kind of fat.  Steer clear!

But what alternatives do you have to canned frosting?  Making your own isn’t incredibly difficult, and tastes much better too.  If you like the flavor of cream cheese, then this Cream Cheese Frosting recipe is the way to go.

Cream Cheese Frosting

Once you’ve made your own, you’ll never go back.

I had some Red Velvet Cake Mix just begging to be used.  And I had all of the ingredients to make this frosting… and I happen to love both.  Double win!

Fancy!

The ingredients are simple:  cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract.

What You Need

Make sure that your cream cheese and butter are nice and soft.  Leave them out on the counter for awhile to warm to room temperature.  You want smooth, creamy frosting, not lumpy frosting!

Cream Cheese & Butter

Beat those two together until they are well-mixed.

Beat It

Then beat in the vanilla and powdered sugar.  Mix it as long as you wish; there’s no danger of over-mixing.  Do be warned that the longer you mix, the more air is incorporated into the frosting, thus the volume will increase.

With Sugar & Vanilla

Now you’re talking.  This frosting is absolutely delicious on Red Velvet Cake, carrot cake, or any cake for that matter.  It’s different from the canned kind, however, in that it MUST be refrigerated.  You can’t keep this frosting at room temperature, as the cream cheese will spoil.

Smooth

Isn’t it just gorgeous?

If you plan to do any fancy decorations with the frosting (though my decorations do not even come close to fancy!!), refrigerate it a little bit to firm it up, or add a bit more powdered sugar.  If you want the frosting to be thinner, I suggest adding a tablespoon of milk at a time until you reach the desired consistency.

Red Velvet

This recipe really is pretty versatile, as you could also change the extract flavor to suit your taste, or add food coloring to jazz it up.  Have fun!

Cream Cheese Frosting

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Ingredients
  

  • 1 8 oz package cream cheese softened
  • 1/2 cup butter softened
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 3 cups powdered sugar

Instructions
 

  • Beat together cream cheese and butter. Add vanilla extract. Beat in powdered sugar. Continue beating for a few minutes, until light and creamy. Store frosting and frosted items in the refrigerator.