Cream Cheese Frosting

• Prep20 min
• Cook0 min
• Total50 min
• Serves24

Ingredients

Powdered sugar

• 600 g granulated sugar (3 cups)
• 16 g cornstarch (2 tbsp)

Frosting

• 225 g unsalted butter (1 cup, 2 sticks), softened
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 pinch salt
• 450 g full-fat block cream cheese, cold, in pieces (two 8 oz blocks)

To decorate

• Ground cinnamon, for dusting

Instructions

1. Take the butter out of the fridge 1 hour ahead so it is soft, but leave the cream cheese in the fridge until step 5. Soft butter mixes smooth with no lumps, and cold cream cheese keeps the frosting thick.
2. Make the powdered sugar: place 300 g granulated sugar and 1 tbsp cornstarch in the clean, completely dry mixing bowl and mill 15 sec/speed 10. Wait 1 minute for the dust to settle, transfer to a bowl and repeat with the rest of the sugar and cornstarch. If you use 600 g (5 cups) store-bought powdered sugar, skip this step.
3. Place the butter in the mixing bowl and mix 30 sec/speed 4, until creamy. Scrape down the sides with the spatula.
4. Add the powdered sugar, vanilla and salt and mix 1 min/speed 4 with the measuring cup in place, scraping down halfway, until smooth with no dry sugar left. This butter base gives the frosting its body before the cheese goes in.
5. Add the cold cream cheese in pieces and mix 20 sec/speed 4. Scrape down the sides and mix 10 sec/speed 4 more, only until smooth with no lumps of cheese; if you still see a few, mix 5 sec/speed 4 once more. Stop there: more mixing warms and thins the cream cheese, and the frosting turns runny.
6. For tall piped swirls, refrigerate the frosting 20 to 30 minutes, until it holds a firm peak. For spreading on a cake, use it right away.
7. Frost completely cool cupcakes or cake layers (warm cake melts it), piping with a large round or open star tip, and dust with a little cinnamon.

Tips

• For a firmer frosting to pipe, use block cream cheese, never whipped or tub cream cheese, which holds more water. For extra hold, use 340 g (1 1/2 blocks) cream cheese with the same butter and sugar, and chill it before piping. Adding more sugar does not firm it up for long: sugar dissolves in the water of the cheese and can even make it softer.
• Guava cream cheese frosting: before step 2, place 120 g guava paste in cubes and 30 g water in the mixing bowl and cook 4 min/80°C (175°F)/speed 3, until smooth. Transfer to a bowl, let it cool completely, then wash and dry the bowl. Mill only 500 g sugar, since guava paste is very sweet, and add the guava with the cream cheese. Save 2 tbsp of the guava to drizzle on top.
• Cream cheese is perishable: keep cakes and cupcakes with this frosting covered in the fridge, up to 4 days. At a party, do not leave them out more than 2 hours, or 1 hour outdoors on a hot Florida day above 32°C (90°F). Take them out 20 minutes before serving for the creamiest texture.
• Flavor and color: mill the zest strips of 1 orange or lemon with the first batch of sugar for a citrus frosting, or 15 g (3/4 cup) freeze-dried strawberries for a pink strawberry one. Add 1 tsp ground cinnamon with the sugar for spice cakes. Gel colors go in at the end: mix 5 sec/speed 4, just enough to blend them, so you do not overmix the cheese.