Aunt Darlenes Cream Cheese Frosting Food

AUNT DARLENE'S CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

Steps:

• In medium bowl, beat cream cheese and butter on high speed until smooth.
• Gradually add powdered sugar and continue beating until spreadable.
• Stir in vanilla.
• Add pecans, coconut and red food coloring (if desired for Red Velvet Cake).

AUNT ROSé'S POUND CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter and flour a 10-inch (3-quart) bundt pan, knocking out excess.
• Sift flour. Beat together butter and cream cheese in a large bowl with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add sugar, flour, and vanilla and beat on low speed until just combined (mixture will appear dry and crumbly). Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition (mixture will form a batter as eggs are added).
• Pour batter into pan, smoothing top. Bake in middle of oven until golden and a tester comes out clean, about 50 minutes. Cool cake in pan on a rack 15 minutes, then invert onto a rack and cool completely.

CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

Steps:

• Place cream cheese in a medium mixing bowl. Using a rubber spatula, soften cream cheese. Gradually add butter, and continue beating until smooth and well blended. Sift in confectioners' sugar, and continue beating until smooth. Add vanilla, and stir to combine.

GOLDEN BEET CAKE WITH THE BEST CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

Steps:

• Cake
• Place rack in middle of oven; preheat to 350°. Butter two 8"-diameter cake pans. Line bottom of pans with parchment paper rounds and butter parchment. Toast almonds on a rimmed baking sheet, tossing halfway through, until golden brown, 6-8 minutes. Transfer one third of almonds (½ cup) to a small bowl; set aside. Sprinkle coriander, cardamom, and fennel over remaining almonds on hot baking sheet and toss until spices are fragrant, about 30 seconds. Transfer to another small bowl; set aside.
• Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl to combine. Beat eggs, oil, sugar, and 2 Tbsp. cherry juice in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment on medium speed until combined, about 2 minutes (a whisk and a large bowl also work). Reduce speed to low and add half of dry ingredients; beat until mostly combined. Add remaining dry ingredients and beat until just a few steaks of flour remain. Using a rubber spatula, fold in cherries, beets, and reserved spiced almonds until evenly distributed and any remaining flour streaks are incorporated. Divide batter between prepared pans and smooth surface.
• Bake cakes until tops spring back when lightly pressed and a tester inserted into the centers comes out clean, 40-45 minutes (cake will be well browned). Transfer pans to a wire rack and brush or drizzle 2 Tbsp. cherry juice over each cake. Let cakes cool 20 minutes in pans. Run a knife or small offset spatula around edges of cakes and invert onto rack. Peel away and discard parchment paper rounds. Turn cakes right side up and let cool completely. Do ahead: Cakes can be baked 2 days ahead. Wrap tightly and chill, or freeze up to 3 months.
• Frosting and assembly
• Whisk sugar, flour, and salt in a medium saucepan to combine. Whisking constantly, pour in milk gradually to avoid lumps. Set over medium-high heat and cook, whisking often and scraping corners of pan, until mixture begins to thicken, about 4 minutes (slow bubbles will begin to form as the mixture pulls away from the sides of the pan). Reduce heat to medium and cook, whisking constantly, 1 minute to cook off any floury taste. You should have a thick, glossy paste resembling rubber cement. Remove from heat and let cool, about 1½ hours. (If you're worried about floury lumps, pour hot mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a medium bowl, pushing through with a heatproof rubber spatula.)
• Transfer sugar mixture to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. With motor running, beat in vanilla extract and almond extract (if using) on medium speed, then add butter, a piece at a time, beating until combined after each addition before adding more; repeat process with cream cheese. Turn off mixer, scrape down sides of bowl, then beat frosting until fluffy and lump-free, about 4 minutes. (Cover and chill until cold if you'd like the frosting firm enough to pipe decorations onto the finished cake.)
• Place a cake layer on a cake stand or plate. Top with 1½ cups frosting and spread to edges in an even layer. Place second cake, bottom side up, on top. Scoop 1 cup frosting on top of second layer and spread over top and sides until entire cake is covered in a thin layer (if bits of cake are still showing through, that's fine; this is only your crumb coat). Chill, uncovered, at least 1 hour and up to 1 day to firm up.
• Briefly beat remaining frosting to lighten, then scoop onto cake. Spread in an even layer across top and down sides of cake. Use an offset spatula or bench scraper to smooth sides and top. Sprinkle reserved toasted almonds in a cluster in the center of the cake. Do ahead: Sugar mixture can be made 3 days ahead; press plastic wrap or wax paper directly onto surface and chill. Let sit at room temperature 20 minutes before using. Frosting can be made 3 days ahead; cover and chill. Beat to lighten before using, about 4 minutes.

CREAM CHEESE CUT-OUT COOKIES WITH ALMOND FROSTING

Steps:

• Beat butter and cream cheese until well combined.
• Add sugar, beat until fluffy.
• Add egg, vanilla, almond extract; beat well.
• In medium bowl mix flour and baking powder (or sift).
• Add flour mixture to cream cheese mizture; beat until well combined.
• Divide dough in half.
• Cover and chill 1 1/2 hours or until dough is easy to handle.
• On floured surface roll dough to 1/8" thickness & cut with cookie cutters.
• Place on ungreased cookie sheets.
• Bake in 375 degree oven for 8-10 minutes or until slightly browned.
• Remove to wire racks to cool.
• FROSTING:.
• In bowl beat powdered sugar, butter, and almond extract until smooth.
• Beat in enough milk until frosting is of piping consistency. For spreadable frosting, add a little more milk.
• Stir in a few drops of food coloring, if desired.

CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

Steps:

• Beat the softened butter to a soft and even consistency. Add the orange juice, if using, then the icing sugar. Cream until you have a smooth, soft buttercream consistency.
• Add the cream cheese and work it in - don't beat it in, just slowly mix with a wooden spoon. Depending on how soft the mixture is, you may want to put it in the fridge for 10 mins at this point. If it's runny, it will firm up again. It should be spreadable and not run off the cake.