Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe (classic flavor, pipeable)

Ingredients

• 450 g cream cheese blocks (2 blocks (straight from the fridge))
• 300 g unsalted butter (2 ⅔ sticks (softened at room temperature))
• ½ tsp fine sea salt
• 450 g confectioner's sugar (4 cups (spooned and leveled))
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 tsp fresh lemon juice
• 2 tbsp instant vanilla pudding powder (optional (but recommended))
• 2 tbsp cream cheese powder (or milk powder (optional))

Steps

1. 1

   Cut the cold cream cheese into smaller pieces, or cubes, and place them back in the fridge until needed.

2. 2

   In your mixing bowl, place the softened butter and salt.

3. 3

   Whisk the butter with a whisk attachment until the butter is whipped, fluffy, and light in color. This can take about 10 - 15 minutes, depending on the starting temperature and ambient temperature. Make sure to scrape down the bowl every few minutes (sides and bottom), to ensure that the butter is whipped well and has no lumps.

4. 4

   Once the butter is whipped well and is uniformly creamy and fluffy, add the vanilla, lemon juice, vanilla pudding powder, and cream cheese powder (if using).

5. 5

   Whisk for a further few minutes to mix in all the ingredients well.

6. 6

   Sift the confectioner's sugar while the butter is whipping.

7. 7

   Add the confectioner's sugar in 3 - 4 additions, while mixing on low speed to prevent the sugar from flying out of the bowl.

8. 8

   Once all the sugar is added and mostly mixed in, stop the mixer, scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl, and whip the butter and sugar mixture for about 2 - 5 minutes. The buttercream should be light and fluffy and have no lumps.

9. 9

   After the buttercream base has been made, remove the buttercream into a separate bowl using a spatula.

10. 10

    Now add the cold cream cheese into the mixing bowl. Whisk with a whisk attachment for a few seconds at a time, scraping down the bowl in between. The cream cheese should start to mix and break down. Whisk for a total time of about 1 minute. The cream cheese will start to look whipped, but should still be thick and cold.

11. 11

    Scrape down the bowl with a silicone spatula so that the cream cheese can be pushed to the side of the bowl. Add the buttercream base to the other side of the bowl.

12. 12

    Mix the two with a whisk attachment on low speed. Scrape down the bowl to make sure everything is mixing well.

13. 13

    Whisk on low speed for about 1 - 2 minutes until the cream cheese has completely mixed in with the buttercream base. Increase the speed to high for a few seconds and then the frosting is ready to be used.

14. 14

    Use immediately for best results.