On National Cream Cheese Frosting Day, Here’s All You Need to Know About Everyone’s Favorite Frosting

Cream cheese frosting is easy to make, and its complex flavor notes make it a fun addition to any dessert. Find just a few possibilities to inspire you to get baking.

Cream cheese frosting is one of those perfect hits that everyone loves. Because it has a delicate balance of flavors. The smoothness of the butter, the slight tang of the cream cheese and the sweetness of the sugar playing off each other on the tongue, the fresh cake base below. It all lends itself to create the perfect experience. The cream cheese frosting is especially popular with cake flavors like red velvet and carrot cake, and other confections like cinnamon rolls, holding its own in front of these strong flavors.

When looking into the frosting’s history, one will find themselves face to face with William Lawrence, a New York dairyman in the 1870s. He was trying to create Neufchâtel, a French cheese. But his iteration had less fat and more moisture than required, so what came about was the beloved cream cheese. He went with it. While earlier his invention was a luxury, affordable only to a few, Lawrence started wrapping it in foil, called it Philadelphia Cream Cheese, and started selling it on the market. It was an instant hit and is a proud global brand today. From here, the inventor of the cream cheese frosting in particular remains hidden in mystery. But soon enough, cream cheese frosting started gaining popularity, since its main ingredient was easily available now, and the frosting took off from there.

So today, on cream cheese frosting day, make a batch yourself, and devour it with a dessert of your choice.

A simple cream cheese frosting recipe:

Ingredients

• 226 gm full-fat cream cheese, softened to room temperature
• ½ cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
• 3 cups confectioners’ sugar
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• ⅛ tsp salt
  
  

Notes about the ingredients:

• It’s important to use full fat cream cheese to get the consistency of the frosting right. Also ensure that the cream cheese has time to soften naturally by letting the brick sit out at room temperature before you start. If it's too hard, the final frosting won't be as soft and creamy. Also, be sure to use a brick instead of the cream cheese spread. There’s a huge difference in how the frosting will come out, since the spread will make the frosting more runny.
• Make sure the butter is unsalted to maintain the right flavor balance. Also, ensure you give it enough time to sit out at room temperature and soften naturally. If you try to use melted butter, the frosting consistency will change. It might become more runny.
• Sift the sugar before using to ensure there’s no clumps in the final frosting.

Directions:

• In a bowl, beat the cream cheese and butter together, with a handheld or stand mixer, on high speed, until smooth and creamy.
• Add the confectioners’ sugar, the vanilla, and salt. Beat the ingredients on low speed for 30 seconds, and then switch to high speed and beat for 2 minutes.
• If you want a thicker frosting, add more sugar.
• Cool for 15 minutes in the fridge. If the frosting seems to be too runny, cool it for longer so it can set.
• Remove from fridge and pipe onto your cake or other confection.

There are also several variations to this beloved frosting, which are just as easy to make. Simply add the ingredients below and you have a flavored cream cheese frosting.

• Chocolate: add ½ cup of cocoa powder to the above recipe
• Maple syrup or honey: add 4 tbsp of maple syrup or honey, plus 1 tsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
• Coconut: add ½ tsp coconut flavoring and ½ cup toasted, desiccated coconut
• Orange: add 1 tst orange zest plus 2 tbsp freshly squeezed orange juice without the pulp
• Coffee: add 1 tbsp freshly brewed coffee or dissolve espresso granules in 2 tsp vanilla extract
• Cinnamon: add 1 tsp cinnamon powder
• Cinnamon ginger: add 2 tsp finely grated fresh ginger plus 1 tsp cinnamon powder

There are just a few examples of flavors. Following these templates, any flavor you can think of can be added to the frosting. So go to the kitchen, and get experimenting.

Today, cream cheese frosting is a beloved option for home bakers and experienced bakers alike, all over the globe. The flavor note its tang adds is irreplaceable, and the amount of varieties one can create with it makes it a truly exciting option to bake with.