Basic cream cheese frosting

INGREDIENTS

250g full-fat cream cheese, slightly softened

250g unsalted butter, softened

625g icing sugar, sifted

METHOD

Place the cream cheese in a bowl and beat until smooth and creamy.

Place the butter and a third of the sugar into a separate bowl and cream until very pale and fluffy. Add another third of the sugar and repeat. Add the remaining sugar and beat again, scraping the sides of the bowl to ensure no lumps remain.

Add the cream cheese, a little at a time, and mix at a low speed until combined. Chill until firm enough to pipe.

TIP

When adding a liquid to taste, add only a little bit at a time to make sure that the frosting doesn’t become too runny.

VARIATIONS

Vanilla: Add half the seeds of a vanilla pod or 1½ teaspoons vanilla extract.

Caramel: Gently mix in 150 g soft caramel or dulce de leche.

Salted caramel: Gently mix in 150 g soft caramel or dulce de leche, and 1 teaspoon of fine sea salt.

Maple: Add 4 tablespoons dark maple syrup.

Cinnamon: Add 1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon.

Banana: Gently mix in 60 g banana purée.

Lemon: Add the finely grated zest of 2 unwaxed lemons.

Cherry: Add 4 tablespoons kirsch syrup drained from a jar of Griottine cherries and a small amount of pink food colouring.

Champagne: Add Marc de Champagne to taste and a little pink food colouring.

Orange and Cointreau: Add the finely grated zest of 2 oranges and flavour to taste with Cointreau.

Calvados and cinnamon: Add 1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon and Calvados (or French brandy) to taste.

Chocolate: Using 200 g full-fat cream cheese, 200 g unsalted butter and 500 g sifted icing sugar, make up the basic cream cheese frosting. Gently mix in 280 g chocolate ganache.

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