Why You Should Try Faux Cream Cheese Frosting
Cream cheese frosting is rich, decadent and probably one of the most popular frosting flavors out there. As much as I love the stuff, and I really do, it can also be really problematic. So here’s a recipe for faux cream cheese frosting made with a cream cheese flavoring. And if you’ve got your doubts, I’m going to tell you why you should try this stuff.
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An Ode to Cream Cheese Frosting
A recipe for the classic stuff is irreplaceable. It’s got that bit of tang, it’s rich, it’s creamy, and it pairs so well with red or green velvet cake, carrot cake, and a lemon blueberry cake. Let’s make this clear, I’m not trying to replace normal cream cheese frosting, but there’s a time and a place.
Since I’ve started baking a ton over the past few years, I’ve come across quite a few situations where a faux cream cheese frosting was a much better choice. Let’s chat about that.
Problems with Traditional Cream Cheese Frosting
- It spoils easily. You can only leave it out of the fridge for 2- 4 hours safely.
- Because of the previous point, many state food laws prevent home bakeries (like mine!) from selling it.
- Too soft to pipe. Even the thickest cream cheese frosting is a poor choice for decorative piping or fine details.
- Heck, let’s add too soft to stack a tall cake or use under fondant. (There are some bakers who can pull this off, but it’s a risk.)
- Easy to over mix. If you over mix cream cheese, it will separate and it’s basically ruined. This goes for cheesecake too, btw.
Good gravy! Once I wrote down these “cons”, I kinda wondered why we even bother with it, right? Luckily, if any of the above issues concerns you, we’ve got this faux cream cheese frosting flavored with LorAnn flavoring oils!
UPDATE: This is the exact flavoring I used in this recipe, but it is no longer available on Amazon. Check your local cake supply store as well! You can find this cream cheese emulsion (also by LorAnn) on Amazon though. I haven’t used it, but seeing as it’s the same brand, it should work great. You may have to adjust the amounts though.
Why You Should Make Faux Cream Cheese Frosting
- Basically, the opposite of everything in the first list, but I get that you need more reasons than that…
- Tastes great! Even my husband, who is picky with frosting and baked goods in general, thought so.
- (Ben didn’t like it at all. But he doesn’t like cream cheese at all, so I think that’s proof that this stuff tastes legit.)
- Convenient to make. This is just your basic American buttercream and that’s a frosting that is pretty tricky to completely botch.
- Food safe option. You can leave your faux cream cheese frosting on the counter for several days without spoiling. (Though I always suggest the fridge or freezer for longer storage.)
- You can color and pipe beautiful designs with this stuff!
- It’s pure white! Unlike the traditional stuff, this faux cream cheese frosting can be made pure white and won’t have an off white tinge.
- You don’t have to have a block or two of cream cheese on hand! That means you can whip this recipe up whenever you want.
Texture Difference
This frosting has the texture of traditional American buttercream and is not quite as silky as the traditional variety. If you want a silkier texture, I would use this flavor oil in a meringue based buttercream like Italian meringue, Swiss meringue, or even Easy Buttercream. Personally, I love how quick and easy American buttercream is, plus it’s super sturdy for piping. You’ve got to do what you’ll enjoy most!
Related Reading: How to Design a Cake with Cake Templates
How to Use Faux Cream Cheese Frosting
Well, just like any other frosting! I used my first batch to make my mini Fall cake. It was perfect for filling and stacking, as well as piping the cascade of beautifully colored buttercream down the front.
Now I’m using it for my strawberry cupcakes and my vegan five spice macarons (recipes coming soon!). Yep, you heard me vegan. Use plant butter and vegan milk to create a vegan cream cheese frosting without the hassle.
Enjoy!
Okay, give it to me straight. Are you excited to try faux cream cheese frosting? While it’s not the same as traditional cream cheese frosting, it’s perfect for so many occasions. Be sure to share this recipe with a friend who might be interested in a more stable, easy to make cream cheese flavored buttercream.
Faux Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients
- 1 lb unsalted butter room temperature
- 2 lbs powdered sugar sifted
- 1 tsp cream cheese flavor oil
- 3- 5 Tbsps water, milk, or cream
- Pinch of salt
Instructions
- Beat the butter on medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 8- 10 minutes. Scrape the bowl down as needed.
- Add a third of the powdered sugar to the bowl. Beat on low until combined, then on medium until creamy, about 1- 2 minutes. Scrape the bowl down.
- Add another third of the sugar and the cream cheese flavor oil to the bowl. Beat on low until combined, then on medium until creamy, about 1- 2 minutes. Scrape the bowl down.
- Add the remaining sugar and a pinch of salt to the bowl. Beat on low until combined, then on medium until creamy, about 1- 2 minutes. Scrape the bowl down.
- Add your liquid (water, milk, or cream) a tablespoon at a time, beating on low between additions, until the frosting reaches the right consistency. If adding gel color, add it now.
Notes
- This is enough buttercream to frost:
- 24 cupcakes
- 3 layer 6 inch cake
- 2 layer 8 inch cake
- Water will allow the frosting to be at room temperature for longer than milk or cream.
My Favorite Products for this Recipe
Colleen
Hi there! I’m Colleen, a novice baker with a passion for learning and improving my bakes… and blunders. On Bakes and Blunders, you can find all sorts of tasty recipes that range in difficulty, but most importantly, I’ll try to explain the reason behind important steps. If you know why a recipe works, you can tweak and adapt it to suit your unique tastes, and you’ll be able to reliably produce some very delicious treats. If you love baking and want to expand and grow your skills, or if you are a casual baker and just need some pointers, my blog is right up your alley! Join me on my baking journey and we’ll learn how to make more impressive recipes together.
30 Comments
Jennifer Evans
I used a cream cheese emulsion and I will use it on carrot cupcakes {sans pineapple and nuts}.
Colleen
Yum!!
Stephanie
Hi! Could you sub out the butter for shortening? How much would I use?
Colleen
Since I don’t care for shortening, I’ve never tried subbing it in for the butter. However, in theory, I believe it should be an equal swap.
Maria B Rugolo
Delicious recipe. Paired with red velvet cupcakes. I only had the LorAnn cream cheese emulsion and it worked beautifully. I can only imagine how good this recipe is using the LorAnn cream cheese icing flavor. It was perfect timing to find this recipe as the cupcakes I made for a Church event had no ability to be refrigerated. Rave reviews ny all!
Colleen
I’m so happy you enjoyed the recipe!! Thanks for letting me know 😀
Amber
Hi! Would lorann’s cream cheese emulsion work the same as the flavor oil?
Colleen
It should work just fine. I suggest adding it a little bit at a time and taste as you go. You may need slightly more or less than the flavor oil.
Gina I.
I just found this recipe so I can start having some cream cheese swirls in my different breads I make! I didn’t realize it would make so much though…. can I freeze it? TIA!
Colleen
I freeze my buttercream all the time 😀 I like to use quart or gallon freezer bags, then add a piece of tape to write the flavor, date, and amount. Frosting can keep in the freezer for months. You should be good with up to 3 months, but I’ve had others last longer. Just thaw and taste your frosting before using. As long as it tastes good, it’s good to go!
Wilda
Hi, you mentioned cream. Which kind of cream you refer to?
Colleen
Generally I use heavy cream, but light cream would be fine too. Heck, even milk would work.
Kristin
Would adding lemon juice (1Tbsp) and lemon zest (1 Tbsp) to make a lemon cream cheese frosting alter this recipe too much?
Colleen
That sounds delicious! I would add the lemon just a bit at a time until you find the right balance of lemon and cream cheese flavors. If you give that a try, I’d love to hear how it turned out and what amounts you ended up using.
Rachel Boothe
Is it possible to make this into a chocolate faux cream cheese frosting? If so, how would I do that?
Colleen
Absolutely! I haven’t tried it, but basically you can either add a bit of melted chocolate to this recipe or add the cream cheese flavor to your favorite chocolate buttercream. Here’s one of my chocolate frosting recipes – https://www.bakesandblunders.com/german-chocolate-cake-from-scratch/.
Rachel Boothe
Thank you so much! This faux cream cheese frosting tastes like the real stuff. It is delicious!
Colleen
Yay! So glad you like it 😀 It’s super yummy and now I really want to try a chocolate version.
Donna Clark
How is this a shelf stable product? The use of heavy cream is not allowed in the cottage industry. So this is not a viable option.
Colleen
Absolutely check your state’s cottage laws before selling any homemade products. Using water is generally a safer option if the frosting will be out of the fridge for a long period of time.
Jennifer Trigg
The cream cheese oil and emulsion both list milk in the ingredients. So if you are trying to make this for a vegan or allergy option it is not. Just want to fyi, as I’m on the hunt for DF alternative because of food allergies. This had promise, I was sad to see the ingredients had milk. I don’t love the plant based cream cheese so I’ll keep looking.
Colleen
Thank you for that info. I had no idea they contained milk! If you do find an extract or emulsion without it, I’d love to know.
Mary
Hi! How long can this icing stay out of refrigerator? I’m so excited to try this recipe!!
Colleen
Since this buttercream is just American buttercream with cream cheese flavoring, it can sit out of the fridge for up to 2 days 😀
monika
Which brand of flavor oil do you use? Can you link it?
Colleen
Hi Monika! There are several links in my post, but I use the LorAnn oil. Here’s another link in case you need it – https://amzn.to/3prfHR6.
Heather
You don’t mention in the recipe which step you add the cream cheese flavoring. Before or after you have beaten all the sugar?
Also, why does the health department let you put cream in the frosting, but not cream cheese? I am curious to know the answer because I have been thinking about looking into the cottage licensing requirements as well. Thank you!
Colleen
Hi Heather! You’ll see I added the flavoring in step 3. But you can really add it at any point. I would look into your state’s specific cottage food laws. My current state doesn’t require any licensing, it just bans certain food items. Unfortunately, it’s not always very clear. For me, I can pretty much stick to most foods that are safe at room temp for at least a day. Cream cheese frosting is generally considered unsafe after 8 hours max at room temp. In traditional buttercream, the amount of sugar keeps the frosting safe for (generally) 2- 3 days, even with a tiny bit of cream added. And if you’re ever in doubt, you can always use water instead 😀
Kristin
Your above links for the cream cheese flavoring is not working. Can you please link again? Thanks !
Colleen
Thanks for letting me know! It looks like it is no longer available on Amazon, which is pretty strange. This is the one I used – https://www.lorannoils.com/cream-cheese-icing-flavor-1-oz-0890-0500. You also may be able to find it in cake supply stores.