Do you know there is a difference between icing and frosting? I didn’t until I starting writing this post! As I typed, I found myself repeatedly interchanging icing and frosting as I usually do in conversation. So, I had to look it up!

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Apparently I have been using the term icing wrong all this time. According to The Williams-Sonoma Cookbook, icing is a glaze, likely made with just powdered sugar and milk plus flavorings. However, frosting is a “thick, fluffy mixture, used to coat the outside of a cake”. Oh well, you live and you learn! Excuse me if you catch me using icing incorrectly! And, no matter what you call it, it is DELICIOUS!

Cake Love… with Cream Cheese Buttercream Frosting

So, I have previously established that I love cake! And of course every great cake needs the perfect frosting! I actually think I have started to prefer this cream cheese buttercream even to chocolate frosting! Don’t tell my chocolate-loving husband!!!

Part of this has been because, for a LONG time, actually many years, I was never happy with my chocolate ~~icing~~ frosting. After trying many different variations of chocolate frosting, nothing quite had the deep, dark chocolate taste that I was looking for in a frosting (except maybe ganache, but that’s another post!).

But now, I have finally found a chocolate frosting that I love (check out my Rich & Delicious Chocolate Buttercream Frosting Recipe here), but I still think it might be a close second to this recipe.

The Perfect Addition to the Best Cake

When you have a wonderfully moist, delicious cake, you need the perfect frosting to compliment it! I found a recipe for frosting several years ago and I have tweaked the recipe until I finally got it just how I like it! =) I love the combination of sweet and salty, so I always use salted butter (cover your ears Martha Stewart) and I even add another dash or two of salt on top of that! This frosting is really great with the small amount of cream cheese that it has, but it is a subtle flavor, unlike regular cream cheese frosting.

Buttercream Frosting Tips

I like my frosting to be sweet, of course, but not too sweet, so I don’t always add the full amount of powdered sugar. If you don’t add the full amount of sugar, it will make the frosting much softer, which isn’t really a problem if you are just spreading it over your cake! For a stiffer frosting for piping, or if you like your frosting to be really sweet, you can use extra powdered sugar! You can always taste it as you go along (and who am I kidding, of course you are going to taste it!) to decide if you want to keep adding sugar. If you are planning to pipe this on cupcakes, I would triple the recipe!!! Yum! 😉

cupcakes with delicious buttercream frosting

Print Recipe

Perfect Buttercream Frosting

This delicious buttercream frosting is the perfect addition to a perfectly moist and delicious cake.

Prep Time5

Total Time15

Course: Dessert

Keyword: buttercream frosting

Equipment

mixer

Ingredients

1/2 cup salted butter softened
3 ounces cream cheese softened
1 pound powdered sugar approximately 4 cups
1 dash salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
1-2 tbsp cream or milk if needed

Instructions

With a hand or stand mixer, cream your butter and cream cheese until soft.
With the mixer going, start to slowly add the powdered sugar.
Continue to mix until well incorporated with the butter before adding more sugar. If you are using a stand mixer, be sure to scrape the side of your bowl down often. Adding too much sugar at one time will cause your frosting to start getting crumbly.
If your frosting starts to get difficult to mix, add 1 tbsp of cream and continue to mix, continue to add cream a tablespoon at a time until everything is well incorporated.
When your frosting is smooth and satiny, add the vanilla and dash of salt, optional.

Notes

This frosting will store in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. Bring your frosting to room temperature on your counter with a lid over your bowl so no condensation will form on top of your frosting.

Adding too much sugar at one time will cause your frosting to start getting crumbly (see picture above).

If your frosting starts to get difficult to mix, DON’T PANIC! Add 1 tbsp of cream and continue to mix, continue to add cream a tablespoon at a time until everything is well incorporated. When your frosting is smooth and satiny, add the vanilla and dash of salt, optional.You can see how smooth the frosting becomes!

Frosting Storage

This frosting will store in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. Coming out of the fridge, it will be like fudge. Just bring your frosting to room temperature on your counter with a lid over your bowl so no condensation will form on top of your frosting. I often leave mine out on my counter overnight. When you are ready, beat the frosting with an electric mixer to make it fluffy again. Smooth over with an offset spatula or pipe on to any cake of your choice and ENJOY!

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So what is your favorite type of frosting? What about your favorite frosting and cake combination? Please take a minute to share with me in the comments below.