Description
Smooth, tangy cream cheese frosting from Ina Garten elevates any dessert with its luxurious texture and balanced sweetness. Home bakers can quickly whip up this classic topping that brings restaurant-quality elegance to cakes, cupcakes, and pastries you’ll love.
Ingredients
Scale
Dairy Ingredients:
- 1 pound (454 grams) cream cheese, room temperature
- ¾ pound (340 grams) unsalted butter, room temperature
Flavoring Ingredients:
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon pure almond extract
Sweetener:
- 1 ½ pounds (680 grams) confectioners’ sugar, sifted
Instructions
- In a spacious electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, thoroughly blend softened cream cheese, unsalted butter, pure almond extract, and vanilla extract until the mixture achieves a smooth, homogeneous consistency.
- Gradually incorporate sifted confectioners’ sugar into the creamy base, mixing on low speed until the frosting develops a uniform texture and all sugar is fully integrated.
- Pause occasionally to scrape down the sides of the mixing bowl, ensuring no unmixed ingredients remain clinging to the edges.
- Continue mixing until the frosting reaches a light, fluffy consistency with no visible sugar granules, typically requiring 3-4 minutes of continuous blending.
- Once the desired texture is achieved, the frosting is ready for spreading, piping, or storing in an airtight container for future use.
Notes
- Soften cream cheese and butter at room temperature for at least 30 minutes to guarantee a velvety smooth blend.
- Use powdered sugar straight from a fine-mesh sieve to eliminate any stubborn clumps that might disrupt your frosting’s silky surface.
- Adjust frosting thickness by adding milk one teaspoon at a time, stirring carefully to maintain the perfect spreadable consistency.
- Blend ingredients gently and briefly to preserve the frosting’s rich, creamy structure without compromising its delicate texture.
- Store leftover frosting in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to five days, allowing it to come to room temperature before rewhipping.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Desserts, Snacks
- Method: Blending
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 12
- Calories: 182
- Sugar: 22 g
- Sodium: 78 mg
- Fat: 14 g
- Saturated Fat: 9 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 5 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 23 g
- Fiber: 0 g
- Protein: 1 g
- Cholesterol: 44 mg