Rich and buttery, creamy and flavorful, with just the right amount of tang from the cream cheese and bright notes from a special flavoring extract, our Best Ever Decorator’s Cream Cheese Buttercream is simply sublime. It is the ideal “crusting” buttercream to create cakes with a bakery-style smooth fondant look but with the Classic Cream Cheese Buttercream taste everyone loves! Perfect for cake decorators—especially for making wedding cakes.
A Special Buttercream by Request:
Best Ever Decorator’s Cream Cheese Buttercream
The buttercream series continues today…with a recipe by popular demand!
As I mentioned in my last post, I promised yet another buttercream recipe. Due to the wild popularity of our Best Ever Cream Cheese Buttercream recipe, several readers have reached out and requested a “crusting” cream cheese buttercream recipe. So, today I am pleased to share with you here on the blog my recipe for Best Ever Decorator’s Cream Cheese Buttercream.
My friends, this buttercream recipe is sweet, a dream to work with and has an unbeatable flavor profile—especially when adding a touch of Fiori di Sicilia extract (literally, “the flowers of Sicily”), available at King Arthur Flour, with its kiss of citrus and vanilla. I highly recommend this extract as I absolutely adore it. The flavors make your baked goods taste just like they came from an upscale bakery! In fact, those who like the flavor of Crème Bouquet (popular with cake decorators for making buttercream frostings) will enjoy the exceptional bright taste. The best part? This extract is pure and all-natural.
Per King Arthur Flour:
“You know that wonderful marriage of flavors you taste when you combine vanilla ice cream and orange sherbet in the same bowl? That’s what Fiori di Sicilia tastes like. We find that using it in just about anything mild and sweet–anything where competing flavors, like chocolate, don’t interfere–adds a wonderfully mysterious taste. Your friends will be guessing just what you’ve done to your sugar cookies or yellow cake or sweet bread to make them taste SO good!”
This delightful crusting buttercream, Decorator’s Cream Cheese Buttercream, also has a slight alabaster sheen once crusted over and smoothed on iced cakes. It is simply sublime, foolproof and perfect to use for both serious and novice cake decorators alike.
At this time, with spring and wedding season upon us soon, and because Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Buttercream is an Easter and spring holiday favorite, I thought it prudent to share this special buttercream recipe with my readers today. If you like sweet bakery-style buttercream frostings, in particular Cream Cheese Buttercream, you are in for a real treat!
What Is a “Crusting” Buttercream?
For those who are not familiar, when a buttercream is made with a high ratio of sugar, the sugar and liquids in the buttercream solidify on the outer surface as it dries. The result is a light outer “sugar crust” that has hardened. This condition is ideal for cake decorating as the firm surface can be smoothed (before getting too hard) using the “Viva Method” making the buttercream resemble smooth fondant. This method employs the use of Viva® brand paper towels due to the flat yet pliable, non-quilted and fine textured surface that is so effective in smoothing crusting buttercreams. In addition, a fondant smoothing tool is used such as the Easy Glide Fondant Smoother by Wilton®. Pretty cool, right?
Why Use a Crusting Buttercream?
The main purpose of buttercreams that form a light “sugar crust” is that they provide a firm surface on which to pipe elaborate cake decorations or to adhere adornments such as gum paste decorations. These buttercreams provide an ideal blank canvas, if you will—or a suitable substrate or “base” known as a “crumb coat” to be covered in fondant. In these cases, the crusting buttercream acts as a sort of a primer.
Another purpose is protection. By using a crusting buttercream, delicate piped decorations become firm as they dry or “set” which makes them sturdier when transporting cakes. In addition, cakes decorated with crusting buttercream are protected and able to withstand the elements—thus, making it a baker’s best friend when weather conditions are extreme such as high humidity and/or high temperatures.
How To Use Crusting Buttercream
Fill and frost cake as usual then allow the cake to stand out at room temperature until a light “sugar crust” forms on the surface of the buttercream, for at least 15 to 20 minutes and up to 30 minutes or so.
To smooth the buttercream, use the “Viva Method” by using a fondant smoother and plain, non-patterned Viva® brand paper toweling. Simply place a sheet of paper towel on top of the buttercream that has formed a crust and gently rub the fondant smoother over the paper towel to smooth the buttercream underneath.
If you do not have a fondant smoother, you can use your hand. If the buttercream sticks to the paper towel, allow the cake to stand longer to form a crust. Do not let the buttercream stand for too long as it will harden to the point of being more difficult to form a smooth surface and wrinkles may result.
What makes our recipe for Best Ever Decorator’s Cream Cheese Buttercream wicked good?
Since many crusting buttercream recipes are made with solid vegetable shortening or part vegetable shorting and butter, a satisfying rich flavor can be lacking due to the high amount of sugar. Our recipe for Best Ever Decorator’s Cream Cheese Buttercream calls for butter for flavor, palm shortening for a nice white pristine appearance as well as a smooth buttery texture versus oily (as with regular vegetable shortening) and cream cheese for richness and depth of flavor with a slight tang. It is sweetened just right for a sweet crusting buttercream and, by using part salted and unsalted butter, the salty-sweet flavor sensation is in perfect balance. Finally, the addition of Fiori di Sicilia extract provides for an exceptional flavor profile with delightful citrus and vanilla notes.
Our Best Ever Decorator’s Cream Cheese Buttercream is the ideal buttercream to frost carrot, banana, chocolate, spice, yellow and white cakes, ideal for bridal showers and weddings, as well as red velvet cakes. It also pipes beautifully to create lovely special occasion cakes. What’s not to love?
Bon appétit!
Below are Pinterest-friendly sized images to pin at Pinterest!
HOW TO MAKE
Best Ever Decorator’s Cream Cheese Buttercream
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: About 5 cups
Description
Rich and buttery, creamy and flavorful, with just the right amount of tang from the cream cheese and bright notes from a special flavoring extract, our Best Ever Decorator’s Cream Cheese Buttercream is simply sublime. It is the ideal “crusting” buttercream to create cakes with a bakery-style smooth fondant look but with the classic cream cheese buttercream taste everyone loves!
Ingredients
- ¾ cup (1½ sticks/170 grams) butter, softened, can use part salted & unsalted
- 6 tablespoons (72 grams) organic palm shortening, such as Spectrum®
- 1 (8-ounce/226-gram) package chilled cream cheese, such as Philadelphia®
- 2¼ teaspoons (11.25 ml) pure vanilla extract, such as Nielsen-Massey®
- ¼ teaspoon (1.25 ml) pure almond extract, such as Nielsen-Massey®, optional
- ⅛ teaspoon (.625 ml) Fiori di Sicilia extract, by King Arthur Flour®, optional
- 1 (2-pound/907-gram) package 100% pure cane confectioners’ sugar, such as C&H® or Domino®, sifted
Special Equipment & Supplies
- Heavy Duty 5-Qt. Stand Mixer, such as KitchenAid®, necessary
Directions
- Using an electric stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, beat butter and shortening on medium speed until creamy. Add cream cheese and extract(s); beat until fully incorporated. Gradually increase mixer speed to high and continue beating until light and fluffy, scraping down the sides of bowl as necessary with rubber spatula.
- Gradually add confectioners’ sugar, beating on low to medium-low speed, until well combined. Beat on high speed until well combined and smooth while scraping down sides of bowl as necessary, about 4 minutes. Buttercream will be very stiff and thick. Before frosting cake layers, rebeat buttercream to ensure smoothness.
- To Frost Cakes with Crusting Buttercream: Fill and frost cake as usual then allow the cake to stand out at room temperature until a light sugar crust forms on the surface of the buttercream, about 15 to 20 minutes. To smooth the buttercream, use the “Viva Method” by using a fondant smoothing tool (such as by Wilton®) and plain, non-patterned Viva® brand paper toweling. Simply place a sheet of paper towel on top of buttercream that has formed a crust and gently rub fondant smoothing tool over the paper towel to smooth the buttercream underneath. If you do not have a fondant smoothing tool, you can use your hand. If the buttercream sticks to the paper towel, allow the cake to stand longer to form a crust. Do not let the buttercream stand for too long as it will harden to the point of being more difficult to form a smooth surface.
- Yield: Makes about 5 cups; enough to fill and frost a 9-inch two layer cake, or 8-inch three layer cake, or 20 to 26 cupcakes—depending on amount used to simply ice cupcakes with a knife or icing spatula (in the traditional manner) or pipe elaborate swirls, or decorate with other piping details.
Recipe Notes
Tips:
If not using immediately, keep bowl covered tightly to keep buttercream from drying before frosting cake or cupcakes.
The buttercream can be refrigerated for up to 1 week in an airtight container. Storing longer than this is not recommended due to the dairy content. Before using, bring to near room temperature before beating smooth again.
Be sure to set enough time aside to allow the buttercream to set or crust over before piping designs or adding decorations, at least 15 minutes and up to 30 minutes.
Do not wait too long to smooth the buttercream. It is best to use the smoothing “finishing step” soon after the buttercream has dried or crusted over while still pliable (soft) underneath the crusted surface. If you wait too long (several hours or overnight), the smoothing technique may cause the frosting to look wrinkled.
When creating a rose or rosette cake covered in piped rosettes, it is important to allow the crumb coat to crust, about 30 minutes, first. This will create a solid “foundation” for the piped rosettes to adhere to. This important tip came from my reader, Ashley. She reported that her rosette cake, made with this crusting decorator’s cream cheese buttercream, held up well and did not slide off the cake – even after being left at room temperature for several hours. This tip is helpful for offsite event catering professionals and cake decorators alike.
Cook Time above simply means Active Time for preparing buttercream.
Variation:
For Double Batch, You Will Need:
1½ cups (3 sticks/340 grams) butter, slightly softened, can use part salted & unsalted
12 tablespoons (144 grams) organic palm shortening, such as Spectrum®
2 (8-ounce/226-gram) packages chilled cream cheese, such as Philadelphia®
2 (2-pound/907-gram) packages 100% pure cane confectioners’ sugar, such as C&H® or Domino®, sifted
1½ tablespoons (22.5 ml) pure vanilla extract, such as Nielsen-Massey®
½ teaspoon (2.5 ml) pure almond extract, such as Nielsen-Massey®, optional
¼ teaspoon (1.25 ml) Fiori di Sicilia extract, by King Arthur Flour®, optional
Original Recipe Source: WickedGoodKitchen.com
Copyright © Wicked Good Kitchen. All content and images are copyright protected. Please do not use my images without prior permission. If you want to republish this recipe, please re-write the recipe in your own words. Alternatively, link back to this post for the recipe.
Quick question… To make Best Ever Decorator’s Cream Cheese Buttercream do you use softened butter and chilled cream cheese or softened butter and softened creamcheese. It says chilled but all the other recipes i see say softened creamcheese? Thanks in advance
Hi there, April! My pleasure. Thank you for writing with your question about my recipe for Best Ever Decorator’s Cream Cheese Buttercream. To answer your question, yes. To confirm, I specifically call for either slightly softened or softened butter and chilled cream cheese in all of my cream cheese buttercream frosting recipes. This is done to prevent the cream cheese from being too soft and watery which will cause the Cream Cheese Buttercream to become too soft and unworkable. Instead of using temperature to soften the cream cheese, I prefer to use chilled cream cheese straight from the fridge and allow the stand mixer to do all the work in beating it, mechanically, to make it smooth and creamy. Just be sure to not use butter that is too soft. Slightly softened to softened works best. Thanks again for stopping by, April. 🙂 I hope that I have answered your question thoroughly and completely. Good luck with your buttercream and happy baking!
Awesome
★★★★★
Thank you, Brenda! Enjoy!
Hi Stacy
I love your best ever cream cheese frosting and want to try this crusting one for decorating sugar cookies. I noticed that the best ever cream cheese only has 4 to 4.5 cups of powder sugar and makes a nice thick cream cheese that at times can be hard to spread, however this recipe calls for a whole bag of powder sugar. why much more powder sugar and won’t this make it really hard to spread. Thanks so much,
love your site
★★★★★
Hi there, Christine! Thank you kindly for the compliment and for taking the time to write (twice, sorry I’ve been away from the blog creating new spring and wedding content and could not answer sooner!) and ask an important question about my recipe for Best Ever Decorator’s Cream Cheese Buttercream. This buttercream frosting recipe is a delightful crusting buttercream and, because of this, it requires more sugar than my recipe for Best Ever Cream Cheese Buttercream. Don’t forget that all sugar is hygroscopic and therefore will not thicken a buttercream or frosting as we tend to think flour, another dry ingredient that has thickening properties, would – at least in our mind’s eye. Because confectioners’ or powdered sugar is fluffy and dry, we tend to think it will thicken a buttercream too much. Rest assured that this recipe uses just enough confectioners’ sugar to create a creamy, delicious buttercream that crusts over perfectly. I hope this information answers your question and that you will try this recipe soon. 🙂 Thanks again for stopping by, Christine. Happy baking and buttercream making!
Do I have to store the cake in the refrigerator once I frost it, or is the sugar content high enough in this particular recipe?
So can I freeze my decorated cakes? If I can..will it condensate as it thaws?
Hi there, Tracey! Thank you for writing with such important questions. Please accept my sincere apologies for not answer your questions sooner. I have been busy behind the blog working on it with my coding experts and in the kitchen preparing for fall and holiday recipes. To answer your question, you may certainly freeze decorated cakes successfully. However, the cake will need to be under a cake dome as it thaws as it will prevent the condensation (beads of moisture) from forming directly on the cake – that is, the buttercream frosting. The condensation will form directly on the glass, crystal or acrylic dome instead after standing out at room temperature. Thanks again for dropping by, Tracey. I hope that my answer has been helpful to you. 🙂 Meanwhile, happy baking and cake decorating!
ACK! I just wrote a comment here about your BEST BUTTERCREAM. Not the BEST CREAM CHEESE BUTTERCREAM. Shoot! I can’t see it yet, below, in order to delete or reply to it noting that I wrote on the wrong page. I’m so sorry!
Hi again, Renee! No worries. Funny, I didn’t read this comment before replying to your first comment concerning my recipe for Best Ever Decorator’s Cream Cheese Buttercream. LOL! However, my thorough answers still apply when preparing my recipe for Best Ever American Buttercream as well as for ANY buttercream frosting recipe for that matter. Coconut oil in a blend with palm oil is NOT a good, sound, workable substitute for 100% organic palm shortening such as Spectrum® Organic All Vegetable Shortening. Once again, I hope that my answers have been helpful to you. Good luck! And, as always, happy baking and buttercream making!
Hi! I made this buttercream last night, and had a few questions… 1) I used Nutiva shortening, which it seems has some coconut in addition to palm oils. Do you think this is why my frosting turned out VERY soft- as in, nearly melting? It is so unstable that I feel reluctant to even frost a cake with it because I’m afraid the frosting won’t stay on the cake. 2) Even if you think the touch of Coconut oil was the culprit in making this frosting so “melty,” is this frosting intended to be used for piping? I created some roses and daisies after pulling a piping bag out of the fridge this morning and letting it rest at room temp for about 15 minutes. Even at that colder temp, I didn’t trust it to hold it shape for decorating purposes. I’d very much appreciate any advice you can share! Thank you in advance! (I haven’t been able to find Spectrum shortening yet but am continuing to keep my eye out!
Hi there, Renee!
Thank you for writing with such important questions when it comes to substituting ingredients for my recipe for Best Ever Decorator’s Cream Cheese Buttercream.
1) Yes, Nutiva® Organic Coconut and Red Palm Oil Blend Shortening is NOT a good substitute for 100% organic palm shortening. The coconut oil that is part of the blend is not stable in warm temperatures in the application for making buttercream frostings. Think of how coconut oil melts very easily on warm days and becomes liquid or partially liquid upon standing in its own jar. Also, think of how if you touch it with your finger it melts upon contact. It’s even softer than butter in these conditions which makes it not a good ingredient substitute for making buttercream frostings. Then, think about how stable vegetable shortenings are, such as 100% palm shortening, in their containers – even on warm days. This recipe was developed to use 100% organic palm oil shortening in lieu of using conventional vegetable shortening or high ratio shortening (used by professional bakeries) as both are hydrogenated – not to mention they are of very low nutritional value and may contain unhealthy additives. If you attempted to add more confectioners’ sugar thinking it is a “dry ingredient” to “stiffen up” your buttercream, that will simply NOT work either as sugar (in all its forms) is hygroscopic. (Think about how placing sugar alone in a saucepan then heating it will turn it liquid – even confectioners’ or powdered sugar.) By substituting the fats to lesser stable fats and then adding more confectioners’ sugar to the recipe, as well as working in a warm summer kitchen, buttercream frostings turn into a melty, runny, soupy, unworkable mess – even after chilling because the chemistry of the base recipe has not changed, meaning hygroscopy is still at play in addition to the eventual coming to room temperature of the buttercream frosting which simply makes it too soft again.
2) This recipe for Best Ever Decorator’s Cream Cheese Buttercream, as written with the ingredients called for, was specifically designed to be a thick and stable as well as flavorful buttercream frosting for icing cakes, creating a fondant-finished look for layer cakes (using the popular Viva® Method) as well as for piping details.
Thanks again for writing, Renee. I hope that I have answered your questions thoroughly and completely. Meanwhile, good luck with your next go at this recipe. I am beyond confident that you will enjoy working with it and everyone will LOVE the taste!
Happy baking and buttercream making!
~Stacy
P.S. If you cannot find Spectrum® Organic All Vegetable Shortening locally, try ordering from Amazon. This is not an affiliate or sponsored link, just sharing information with you and fellow readers. 🙂 In the meantime, talk with store managers in your area and request that they start carrying this fabulous culinary grocery item. Many national grocery store chains have started carrying this item that was once only found in health food stores. Even Target® has started carrying it in their grocery stores. Isn’t that wonderful? Here is a helpful link (not an affiliated or sponsored link) to check your local Target® store to see if it is currently in stock: Spectrum® Organic All Vegetable Shortening. Good luck!
I used this for cake. As I live in the U.K I used trex and butter. It was very easy to use just like butter. After crumb coat I put in the freezer and then did the final coat. I also used white chocolate drips. I would use it again as it is very stable in this hot and humid weather.
★★★★★
Hi there, Fatima! Thank you for writing and sharing your positive experience with my recipe for Best Ever Decorator’s Cream Cheese Buttercream – especially in hot and humid summer weather – as well as for your 5-star review. Thank you so much! I’m so glad that you shared information on ingredients to help others using this recipe in the U.K. – that is, by using Trex Vegetable Fat (shortening) and butter. Thank you. 🙂 Meanwhile, your white chocolate drips sound lovely. Such a fabulous application when using this recipe for buttercream. Thanks again for sharing and happy baking!
Hi Stacy. I am making a 3 tiered cake for my inlaws 65th wedding anniversary. I am wondering if I should do the crumb layer with a regular cream cheese buttercream and then the smooth outer layer with the Best Ever Decorator’s Cream Cheese Buttercream? My concern is will it be too hard to put a smooth layer overtop an already dried crumb layer if using the Best Ever Decorator’s Cream Cheese Buttercream for both. I would appreciate your advice! Thanks!
Hi there, Lauren! My pleasure. Thank you for writing with such a great question about my recipe for Best Ever Decorator’s Cream Cheese Buttercream. Your baker’s instincts are spot on as this particular buttercream is thick and fragile cakes should be at least chilled first before applying a crumb coat. To do your crumb coat, I would recommend that you either chill the cake layers, first, before applying the crumb coat and then chilling the crumb coat if using this buttercream. Alternatively, I recommend chilling the cake after you have crumb coated it with regular Cream Cheese Buttercream. In fact, I would recommend my recipe for Best Ever Cream Cheese Buttercream since it has more butter, is thicker than others and is therefore more stable. Once your crumb coat layer is chilled, you will have an easier time applying the Best Ever Decorator’s Cream Cheese Buttercream as it will more easily adhere to this base. Thanks again for writing with such a great question, Lauren. I just know you will have success with your tiered cake. 🙂 Let me know how your cake turns out. Good luck with your cake and have fun at the party!
Thank you so much Stacy! I ended up making both the Best Ever Cream Cheese Buttercream and the Best Ever Decorator’s Cream Cheese Buttercream as you suggested. They were a delight to work with, went on smooth and silky, and taste delicious! I ended up making a four-tiered cake (four different flavors) which is my way of dealing with the paranoia of running out of cake (not going to happen!) and will be assembling and serving the cake tomorrow. Thanks again!
Hi again, Lauren! My sincere pleasure. 🙂 Thank you kindly for taking the time to write and share your positive experience with my recipes for Best Ever Cream Cheese Buttercream and Best Ever Decorator’s Cream Cheese Buttercream. I appreciate it more than you know and am beyond thrilled that you enjoyed working with these fabulous buttercream frosting recipes for such a special tiered cake for such a beautiful milestone in life and occasion to celebrate. Truly, these buttercream frostings are a dream to work with and the taste for both is phenomenal. I hope everyone enjoys your cake(s) and that you receive rave reviews for your beautiful tiered cake and all your efforts. Meanwhile, I would LOVE to hear what the response is from all the lovely guests. Perhaps you could return and provide your starred review based on those responses. I would appreciate it immensely. Meanwhile, have a wonderful time at the party and please extend my warmest wishes and congratulations to the happy couple (your sweet inlaws) celebrating their 65th wedding anniversary tomorrow! 🙂
Stacy, this buttercream is truly delicious. I doubled a batch and used it in carrot, chocolate and strawberry sheet cake. It was very impressive. By having a 3rd of each flavor side by side. in 1 cake, it was such a talking piece.
I’m really impressed with the flavor and the crusting, used Viva method and loved it.
My only concern is it was incredibly thick. I can’t get the powdered sugar you recommend, so I was wondering what I could use to thin it out and still crust? I’m in Houston and humidity is a killer to decorated cakes.
Any advice wild be greatly appreciated.
★★★★★
Hi there, Dee! Thank you kindly for writing and sharing your positive experience with my recipe for Best Ever Decorator’s Cream Cheese Buttercream as well as for your 5-star review. Thank you so much! It’s truly fabulous (a definite favorite of mine), but it is indeed a thick one. By the way, I really like your idea of a carrot, chocolate and strawberry sheet cake! It really must have been a fun talking piece for everyone while they enjoyed the multi-flavors of the cake. As for thinning this buttercream recipe and still have it crust, I have not conducted testing trials and waiting periods for it to crust. Adding a tiny bit of heavy cream may work or even whole milk or light cream. Perhaps even a little cold water? These ingredients would be my first steps in testing for thinning the buttercream. If you do test this recipe and find that a certain amount of these liquids work well for thinning while keeping the crusting feature intact, I would love it if you would share your results with me and fellow readers. Otherwise, until I can test this recipe thoroughly, you would unfortunately have to wait. I’m so sorry! I really do need some help with recipe testing. 🙂 Thanks again for writing and, if you do test this recipe, I wish you the very best of luck! Meanwhile, happy baking and buttercream making!
Can I use Cris o shortening in place of the palm shortening?
Hi there, Susan! Thank you for writing with your question. Although I have not tried making this recipe for Best Ever Decorator’s Cream Cheese Buttercream using Crisco® Vegetable Shortening, I don’t see why you couldn’t. Just be aware that your buttercream may have a greasy texture to it vs. using the velvet-like and non-greasy texture that the palm shortening has. You could always prepare a fraction of the recipe to test it out on cupcakes and see how you like it before making a full batch and frosting an entire layer cake. Thanks again for writing with your substitution question. I hope that I have been helpful to you. Meanwhile, good luck and happy baking!
I think this recipe looks fabulous and sounds like it could be the answer to my dilemma. It is really informative and makes me want to try it for a 3 layered carrot wedding cake for , but I’m a bit nervous….having experimented with cream cheese icing for crumb coat under fondant (gooey avalanche after 1 day), if I went for this crusting cream cheese icing, how long would you reckon can the iced cake be kept (boxed, in cool cellar) before transportation the day before the event? Am I best to stick to (tried and practised) fondant icing? I am definitely an amateur and only do celebration cakes for my very-forgiving family, so any useful advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.
Hi there, Polly! Thank you for writing with such great questions. Since I have not prepared a large wedding cake in advance using this recipe for Best Ever Decorator’s Cream Cheese Buttercream under fondant, I cannot answer your question from direct experience. Therefore, my suggestion is that you prepare a simple 3-layer cake (8- or 9-inches round) and conduct a test run before making a 3-tiered wedding cake (as I think this is what you meant above by a “3-layer” cake for a wedding). This way, you will get a good feel for this recipe by working with it as well as the fondant you will be using to cover the cake. In addition, this test will provide confidence moving forward with the larger special occasion tiered-cake so you will not be nervous and, perhaps, prevent any unfortunate mishaps. As for how to store the cake chilled, I have had success by removing a couple refrigerator shelves or even assembling a large tiered-cake the morning of the event after chilling the tiers separately. After that, the assembled cake was carefully transferred to the venue and the catering staff transported the cake to a large commercial refrigerator in their kitchens to chill until ready to be transferred to the room at the venue for the event. As for how far in advance to prepare the cake, I would recommend doing so as late as possible – for instance, the night before. Cakes made with cream cheese buttercream frostings really DO need to be refrigerated for food safety reasons – and generally within 2 hours of frosting and assembling. Therefore, I do NOT recommend storing the assembled cake in the manner you have outlined – such as a cool cellar where there would be temperature fluctuations throughout the day. Thank you for writing and I hope my answers were helpful to you. 🙂 Meanwhile, happy baking and buttercream making!
Can’t wait to try this as I love your other cream cheese frosting!
I was wondering if you had a crusting/decorating buttercream frosting that is creamy like your american buttercream. I have made the chocolate buttercream but with this warmer weather it is sliding off my cakes.
Thank you, Michaela! You will love this recipe for Best Ever Decorator’s Cream Cheese Buttercream. To answer your question, I do not have a posted recipe for a regular crusting buttercream, just this cream cheese version. If you are interested in a chocolate cream cheese buttercream recipe, please check out my recipe for Dark Chocolate Cream Cheese Buttercream. It is fabulous. Meanwhile, a crusting buttercream is on my list to publish to the blog soon. So, stay tuned for that. Thanks again for writing and… Happy Baking and Buttercream Making!
Which icing would be best to ice a wedding white cake.Was going to use Best Ever Buttercream but reading more into your comments, should i switch to the Best Ever Decorators Cream Cheese Buttercream? Hoping you can answer. Anniversary Cake 50 yrs. Oct.7th.
Hi again, Kay! Well, I think that I answered your question in my previous comments posted earlier today. 🙂 If you really enjoyed my recipe for Best Ever American Buttercream, you will be over-the-moon thrilled with my recipe for Ivory Silk Buttercream. Please give it a trial run with taste testing in advance of your celebration event. It is ultra creamy and sublime. I think you will be very impressed. On the other hand, if you are desiring a cream cheese buttercream, look no further than my recipe for Best Ever Cream Cheese Buttercream. It is my #1 most popular recipe on the site and everyone who has tried it raves. (New images will be uploaded soon.) The extra butter content, in a 1:1 ratio to cream cheese by weight, makes it superior to Classic Cream Cheese Frosting, which is why I call it a “buttercream” rather than a “frosting”. It is not overly sweet which is really nice. If you desire a crusting cream cheese buttercream that is thick and sweeter (due to the added sugar content), definitely try this recipe for Best Ever Decorator’s Cream Cheese Buttercream. Thanks again for writing, Kay. I hope that I have been helpful to you in making your decision on the buttercream for your special anniversary cake. Once again, Happy 50th Wedding Anniversary!
Oh! Kay, don’t forget to consider my recipe for White Chocolate Cream Cheese Buttercream when considering a cream cheese buttercream for your 50th wedding anniversary cake. It’s wonderful! 🙂
Assuming a cake iced with this cream cheese crusting buttercream would need to be refrigerated? I
Sorry I should have read previous posts on this, I got my answer!
Can I make this chocolate by adding some ganache?
Hi there, Chris! Thank you for writing with such a great question. Although I have never tried adding chocolate or cocoa powder to this recipe, I am sure you could. However, when adding chocolate, you would be adding a fat which would have an affect on the “crusting” nature of this buttercream. If you wish for it to remain a crusting buttercream, cocoa powder would be the better option. My apologies for not developing a chocolate recipe yet for this buttercream, but I have added it to my growing list of recipes to develop soon. Thanks again for writing and good luck creating a chocolate version for Best Ever Decorator’s Cream Cheese Buttercream. Let me know how it goes if you do. 🙂 Good luck!
I have used your other White Chocolate Cream Cheese Buttercream and it tasted great but was not a crusting frosting. I would love to try this recipe but Im wondering if I can add white chocolate to the recipe and still have the crusting effect? Please let me know asap! Im on a huge deadline!
Hi there, Michelle! Thank you for writing with such a great question. Unfortunately, I don’t have a solid answer for you. Since I have not yet tested this recipe for Best Ever Decorator’s Cream Cheese Buttercream with white chocolate, I cannot guide you as to how much melted white chocolate you could add and still have the crusting effect. Of course, the recipe development approach would have to do with the proper fat to sugar ratio so as not to disturb the crusting effect. With that said, it would seem as though you could add white chocolate without losing the crusting effect because there is so much sugar in white chocolate that it would be substantial enough in amount when compared to the fat (cocoa butter and milk fat) in white chocolate. (The FDA states that in order to be called white chocolate, the product must have at least 20% cocoa butter, 14% milk solids, and 3.5% milk fat and no more than 55% sugar or other sweeteners.) Once again, thank you for writing. I just wish I had a definitive answer for you!
Can you tell me if you have had any experience keeping this icing at room temperature and if so for how long.
Hi there, Tonia! Thank you for writing with such a good question and I wish that I could answer it fully for you. When I tested this recipe for Best Ever Decorator’s Cream Cheese Buttercream, the cake did not set out for very long at room temperature. I’m sorry that I cannot be of further help to you today. However, as soon as I prepare the cake I have in mind for an upcoming blog post, I will definitely clock a long period of time at room temperature and update the Recipe Notes section with some tips. Thanks again for writing, Tonia. And… Happy baking!
I’m wanting to use this frosting recipe to make a rosette cake. Will this frosting hold up with rosettes all along the top and sides?
Hi there, Melissa! Thank you for writing with such a great question. I wish that I could answer from direct experience by using this exact recipe for decorating a layer cake completely (top and sides) using the very popular and pretty rose swirl technique. However, I have only used it to ice and pipe decorations on a layer cake and cupcakes. Having said that, I don’t think you would have any trouble. The best thing to do would be to test out the recipe first, in a trial run, before preparing a cake for a special occasion. Meanwhile, if you do go the trial run route, please let me know how things go. Thanks again for writing, Melissa. Happy cake baking, buttercream making and cake decorating!
I don’t know if my reply is late, but I did test this recipe out doing a rosette cake. My first few attempts ended with some of the rosettes sliding off the sides of the cake after sitting for a short period of time. I later realized that I did not let the first layer (crumb coat) of icing crust before I added the rosettes. I attempted to make the cake again last weekend. This time I let the crumb coat crust for a good 30 minutes before I began to pipe on the rosettes. Success! The icing held up this time and did not slide off of the cake, even after being left at room temperature for several hours! Hope this helped.
Thank you, Ashley! Fellow readers and I both thank you for taking the time to write and share your successful technique when using a crusting buttercream, such as our recipe for Best Ever Decorator’s Cream Cheese Buttercream, when creating a rosette cake. The method of allowing the crumb coat to crust, about 30 minutes, before piping on rosettes is a stellar one. It makes perfect sense to create a solid “foundation” for the rosettes to adhere to in this fashion. Truly, I cannot thank you enough for sharing this important tip and added information that the icing held up well and did not slide off the cake – even after being left at room temperature for several hours. This is beyond helpful for offsite event catering professionals and cake decorators alike. I will definitely add this information to the Recipe Notes section for this recipe. Thanks again for writing and sharing, Ashley. 🙂 Happy baking, buttercream making and cake decorating!
I’ve been baking a banana cake for several birthdays lately and this cream cheese buttercream recipe is PERFECT! It compliments the banana cake so well and is awesome for decorating. Thank you so much for sharing!
Does your Cream Cheese Buttercream need to be refrigerated? Also, does this recipe work well for piping flowers?
Thanks so much!
Hi there, Diane! Thank you for writing with such great questions. Yes, all cream cheese buttercream frostings need to be refrigerated due to food safety reasons and the added dairy with the cream cheese. As for piping flowers, if you really want them firm, I would go with another recipe. This recipe is perfect for decorative piping and for the rose swirl technique. Thanks again for writing, Diane. I hope that I have answered your question thoroughly and completely. Meanwhile, happy baking and buttercream making!
Thanks! You answered my questions!
I have a question about storage, can I ice cupcakes and leave out (covered) at room temperature overnight? I have a wedding coming up and no room to store 90 cupcakes in the fridge. I have researched this question about cream cheese icing extensively and have no solid answer. I hope you can help, thank you!
Hi there, Karen! Thank you for writing with such a great question. However, you may not like my answer. Yes, all cream cheese buttercream frostings need to be (should be) refrigerated for food safety reasons due to the added dairy content with the cream cheese. Please accept my sincere apologies as I thought that I had answered your question. (In WordPress, questions by new commenters are color coded. Since you have commented before here on the blog, your comment was not colored. It just slipped through upon first glance. Again, so sorry!) Meanwhile, I am currently working on a comprehensive post on buttercream frostings, from tips to making them to troubleshooting common problems and safe storage. So, look for that post coming soon this fall. Thanks again for writing and happy buttercream making!
I am going to attempt my hand at decorating with cream cheese frosting this week and looked at your recipe first, which is lovely as it’s essentially a break down of what I do for my regular buttercream with a slight variation in math for the cream cheese. Long time baker, only recently bothering with decorating. Thanks!
Thank you for writing, Anastasia! My pleasure. I hope you will enjoy this recipe. It’s so much fun to work with and the taste is phenomenal. 🙂 Happy baking and buttercream making!
I used your recipe this past weekend for a wedding cake for a dear friend – she asked for a snickerdoodle cake. EVERYONE raved about it. Thank you for sharing this recipe. It was completely delicious and very easy to work with.
Thank you for writing, Melody! My pleasure, girl. Wow…a Snickerdoodle Wedding Cake! How cool is THAT? 🙂 I am beyond thrilled that you, the bride and all the wedding guests enjoyed your very creative cake made with our recipe for Best Ever Decorator’s Cream Cheese Buttercream. It truly is a dream to work with, so easy to make and the taste as well as texture are both phenomenal. Thanks again for taking the time to write, Melody. I appreciate it so much! Meanwhile, I hope you will try our other fabulous buttercream recipes and will share your experiences with them. You will LOVE them. Happy baking and buttercream making!
Hi, I loved the recipe, but it didn’t crust. any thoughts?
Hi there, Son-Mi Lee! Thank you for writing and bringing this typo (error) to my attention. I went back and reviewed my notes and noticed that I had inadvertently entered a test recipe and not the final recipe. Please accept my sincerest of apologies! Rest assured, the recipe has been updated to reflect the correct amounts and weights of butter and cream cheese with 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks/170 grams) butter and 1 (8-ounce/226-gram) package of cream cheese. All of the other ingredients are in the correct amounts. Once again, I deeply apologize for my error and hope you will try this recipe for buttercream soon. The taste and texture is phenomenal and it is a pleasure to work with. I even made the recipe again today to make certain everything is accurate. You should witness the crusting between 10 and 15 minutes, at the earliest, and around 20 to 30 minutes, at the latest, depending on the humidity. Thanks again for writing and happy baking, buttercream making and cake decorating! 🙂 ~Stacy
I’ve been on the hunt for a cream cheese buttercream that crusts and am so glad I came across your site! I always prefer cream cheese frostings to american buttercream on my favorite chocolate cake and this will be perfect! I have a quick question…would it be possible to flavor this buttercream with salted caramel (for a flavor similar to your Caramel Cream Cheese Buttercream)? I’m making a birthday cake for a friend (who is a chocolate and caramel lover) and am looking for a caramel buttercream that crusts so I can use the “viva” method to smooth, harden in the fridge overnight, and then pour chocolate ganache over. Thoughts or suggestions?
Hi there, Laura! Thank you for writing with such a good question. However, I wish that I had a good answer for you. Since I have never tested this recipe for Best Ever Decorator’s Cream Cheese Buttercream, to make it similar to my recipe for Caramel Cream Cheese Buttercream, to see if it will crust, I cannot help you there. I would have to experiment as to how much Homemade Salted Caramel Sauce to use due to the humectant (moisture) factor and also how much sugar to use to create the “crusting” effect. If you do some experimenting on your own, let me know how it goes. I think it is a fabulous idea to have a Decorator’s Caramel Cream Cheese Buttercream in one’s baking repertoire. Meanwhile, I did find this recipe that is for a caramel buttercream that crusts over at Cake Central: Crusting Caramel Buttercream. I hope this helps. 🙂 Thanks again for writing and happy cake baking and buttercream making!
Thanks so much for your reply, Stacy! I will definitely do some experimenting and let you know how it turns out. Thanks for the link to the other recipe…it’ll be nice to have something as a backup in the event of a fail :).
My pleasure, Laura! Have fun in the kitchen experimenting. I hope you will soon be doing a victorious “happy dance” to celebrate your success with a crusting caramel cream cheese buttercream. I’m cheering for ya! 🙂
I apologize in advance if someone already asked this question! I need a frosting recipe that will crust so I can wipe it down with a viva paper towel and make it look like fondant. I have another recipe that does this, but the taste is not the greatest. Have you done this method with this recipe or has anyone else? Thanks!
Hi there, Shelly! Thank you for writing. Yes. As I wrote in the article, this recipe for Best Ever Decorator’s Cream Cheese Buttercream, is ideal for using the “Viva Method” to smooth cakes to look like fondant but that it has an incredible flavor profile that everyone loves. Thanks again for writing and happy cake baking and buttercream making!
Hi! YOUR RECIPE SOUNDS WONDERFUL, I’M GOING TO TRY IT, I LOVE CREAM CHEESE. ONE QUESTION, DO YOU KNOW IF I CAN SUBSTITUTE THE ORGANIC PALM SHORTENING I’M HAVING TROUBLE TO FIND IT. THANK YOU …
Hi there, Mariana! I am sorry, but there is no real substitute for the palm shortening. It is crucial to use in my buttercream recipes for the same outcomes. I’m so sorry you’re having trouble finding it. The entire world has not caught on yet as to how phenomenal this shortening really is! Try Amazon.com and stock up. Here is a link. It’s a fabulous shortening and comes in a butter-flavored variety as well. You will be surprised at how much you will love it! I guarantee you will be sold on it like I was. Good luck!
I’m excited to try this. Sounds delicious. Do you think it would pair well with chocolate cake with a mocha mousse filling?
Hi there, Nichole! Thank you for writing with such a great question. This recipe for Best Ever Decorator’s Cream Cheese Buttercream is ideal for both chocolate and mocha flavored cakes. Your mocha mousse filling sounds divine! Thanks again for writing and happy baking!
I would eat right now Stacy, look amazing!!
Thank you, Gloria!
I love cream cheese frosting! What a great recipe for when I’m gearing up for cake decorating!
Thank you, Laura! Wow…are you gearing up for some cake decorating? I can’t wait to see what you do if you will be posting!
I have eaten crusting buttercream before but never knew it was called “crusting buttercream” – Stacy – this looks fantastic! You are the queen of buttercream!!!
Thank you, Shashi!
I prefer cream cheese frosting because it has tang that butter cream doesn’t. My boys love cream cheese frosting. In fact, they wouldn’t mind this just on a toast:-). I cannot wait to get my hands on a cake to make this amazing frosting. I’m sure we could make some good swirls with it.
I learn so many new things when I visit. Beautiful post as usual my friend.
Have a beautiful week.
Thank you, Ash! Kids really do love cream cheese buttercream, don’t they? Thanks for stopping by, my friend. 🙂 I hope you’re having a wonderful week!
This is so perfect! I’m pretty sure I’m going to reference your blog now whenever I need any kind of buttercream frosting! Really appreciate the explanations! (:
Thank you, Monica!
Stacy, this was so educational! I never knew all this about frosting and cake decorating. I love cream cheese frosting and yours looks amazing!
Thank you, Rachelle! I’m so glad you found this post on buttercream helpful. 🙂
Cream cheese frosting is a favorite of mine, and I love this version, perfect for decorating a beautiful carrot or red velvet cake (among others)! I never knew about the “crusting”, so I definitely learned something new today. Thanks for sharing, and have a great day, Stacy!
Thank you, Marcie! My pleasure. I’m glad you learned something new in pastry and cake decorating from my blog. This “crusting” buttercream is so much fun to work with and tastes so much better than traditional crusting or decorator’s buttercream recipes. Thanks for stopping by, my friend!
This is the perfect cream cheese buttercream, Stacey. I’ve never made one thick enough for decorating as I’m not much of an artist. But I bet this would be great pipped up over a cupcake!
Thank you, Jen! This crusting buttercream is perfect for piping big swirls on cupcakes…especially if the weather is warm or humid. It’s perfect for outdoor weddings and showers, especially. Thanks for stopping by, my friend. Have a fabulous week!
How much extract can this formula hold?
Hi there, Stacey! Thank you for writing with your question. Please know that I have not tested the limits of this recipe for Best Ever Decorator’s Cream Cheese Buttercream as to the maximum amount of extract that it can hold and still maintain its “crusting” properties. My advice is to stick to 2 1/2 teaspoons, as the recipe indicates, and only up to 3 teaspoons (or 1 tablespoon) and not go beyond that. I hope this information is helpful to you. Meanwhile, happy baking and buttercream making!
I could eat this by the spoonful!
Hahaha! Thanks, Jen! You and me both. I just wish butter and cream cheese could be paleo! 😉
Your cream cheese buttercream looks perfect for decorating, Stacy! My nieces and nephews all prefer cream cheese frosting for their cupcakes whenever I make them but I still haven’t found a recipe that the piping holds up as well as an ABC or SMBC. I can’t wait to try yours, it looks so creamy and delicious!
Thank you, Kelly! Kids…they really do enjoy cream cheese buttercream, don’t they? They just have good taste and know what makes a great cupcake! 😉 Thanks for stopping by, Kelly. Have a great week!
I used to bake for business and I remember in testing cream cheese frosting, it was always too soft! I found out (fortunately before selling any cakes haha) that I needed MUCH more cream cheese and much for powdered sugar. Looking at this recipe I already know that it’s PERFECT based on the quantities! I love a frosting that crusts but I really wish you were somehow my neighbour so I could just come over to taste this! I could eat this by the bowl full (true story!).
Thank you, Jessica! I remember reading about your business when I first met you via blogging, so there’s no doubt you know your cream cheese buttercreams, my friend. 🙂 It is so true…when you add more cream cheese (more than the butter), you need to add an incredible amount of sugar to compensate. Thanks for stopping by and have a great week!