Cream cheese icing / chocolate cream cheese icing

There are some recipes that I try to avoid being asked about, not because I don't want to share, but because I can't say exactly what goes into them!
My cream cheese icing is one of those.

There are a whole lot of recipes out there for cream cheese icing(CCI), mine is slightly different - but try any one of them; I just like cream cheese icing that is stiff enough to pipe well, and not so sweet that you lose the taste of the cream cheese.

Have you ever had CCI go all runny on you: Just when you are adding the icing sugar, which is when you'd think it would start to stiffen up?! So frustrating!
I like to decorate cakes and cupcakes, not just pour icing over them : )

So, I finally paid some attention to what I was doing the last time I made some CCI, so that I could share the recipe with you...

This is what I use:


Cream Cheese Icing: 
Recipe by Tea, Cake & Create
(Enough for 12-15 cupcakes, double if more is required)

250g tub cream cheese - the denser kind, like Lancewood or Woolworths low fat cream cheese, or Philidelphia. Use it chilled, from the fridge.
100g butter, at room temp.
3/4 - 1 cup sifted icing sugar (yes, that's all!)
Vanilla extract or lemon zest, depending on the flavor you want.

Beat the icing sugar and butter together first. It's not a lot of butter, so the mix will be clumpy. Then add the cream cheese, and beat until combined. Add flavors.
Keep refrigerated.

It is really yummy - my favorite (non-chocolate) icing...propably because it isn't very greasy or sweet, I can kid myself it's just good-for-you dairy ;)

Giant Cupcake with Cream Cheese Icing

Speaking of chocolate icing...

Chocolate Cream Cheese Icing

Sift 1/2 cup of good quality cocoa powder into the above (you may need to add a tablespoon of milk if it gets too stiff), and you will have the most delicious mousse-like chocolate icing.

I added some left over dark chocolate ganache to a batch of this icing the other day; it was so good that, without hesitation, I licked the bowl and spoon clean - a treat I usually reserve my children! (and quickly wiped all traces of chocolate off my face before they could ask me what I was eating!!)

Let me know if this recipe works for you : )

xxM