# Wedding cake cream cheese frosting



## tracydr

Looking for a recipe for cream cheese frosting for my wedding cake. Neither bride (me) or groom like any of the other options so it really does have to be cream cheese despite some of the challenges which I understand.
Does anybody have a cream cheese frosting recipe which will have a consistency relative to buttercream frosting? It's ok that it's ivory colored. The consistency is what I'm concerned about. I will be adding some lemon zest and essential lemon oil to it as well since this is a lemon cake with lemon curd and homemade blackberry jam fillings.
Thanks for everyone's wonderful advice on my previous questions.
One other question. I've read in a few places that you can replace the support dowels with plastic drinking straws. Is this true? Advisable or not? The cake will have main assembly at the site of the reception so movement will be minimal. (torting, frosting, stacking and decoration will all be done at site of reception)
Thanks so much, this is a great site!!!
Tracy (2 weeks and one day until wedding!!)


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## cheesecake man

I have a cheesecake business and do cheesecake "wedding cakes". When the bride wants a frosting on her cake I use the following:

1 lb softened cream cheese
1/2 lb softened butter
2 cups sifted powder sugar
flavoring (to your taste)

Be sure the butter and cream cheese are at room temp. If you want the frosting to be fluffy just whip it longer. This holds up real well.

Drinking straws can be used but we found a blue plastic product at Lowe's, in the electrical department that works great. It has circular ribs and can be cut between the ribs so that the ends are straight. it comes in a 10' stick but will save you a lot of heart ache.
Best of luck and congratulations!


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## ajoe

Here is a cream cheese frosting that I use:

8 oz. 1/3 fat cream cheese (Neufchatel)
1.5 cup confectioners sugar
1 tsp finely grated lemon zest

Whip to desired consistency.

I am sure you could substitute for the lemon zest to achieve any desired flavor.


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## tracydr

Do you have any idea what the blue plastic products are called? Thanks for the recipes! I will use the frosting recipe for sure!!!


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## siduri

absolutely use white chocolate cream cheese frosting. The chocolate doesn;t give a chocolate taste (white chocolate doesn;t have much of a taste anyway) but it gives some consistency to the frosting because it hardens at room temp. It gives a subtle taste no one can identify. Beranbaum's cake bible has a recipe for it. I used it for my daughter;s wedding cake under the fondant and between the layers, and it was 100 degrees and no air conditioning and it stood up well. I prefer it with vanilla but she suggests using lemon to enhance the tartness of the cream cheese, so it should work for you. It's quite soft and fluffy, just that it doesn;t get all melty when you have it in a hot room like regular cream cheese frosting does. It's basically only white chocolate and cream cheese, no sugar, because the chocolate sweetens it. I think it;s just what you;re looking for.


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## andyg

Cointreau for sure!! The most heavenly orange liqueur, doesn't take much to add a lot of flavor. In cream cheese frosting, it's a for sure thing.


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## cheesecake man

Blue tubing - cannot remember the exact name but will find out and let you know!


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## cheesecake man

The blue tubing at Lowe's is called:
1/2"ENT - flexible conduit - blue, that is the name they use on the shelf.
It costs $2.40 for a 10' piece. Hope this helps!


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## stir it up

Tracy, congratulations, I wasn't sure if the bride was you in your previous post, though I suspected with "future DIL"...

No to drinking straws IMO. I wouldn't sleep at night if I used them. You need something with more support, especially if your cakes are heavy with lemon curd, moistness, etc. 

cheesecake man's stuff from Lowe's sounds very cool, but personally, I'm picky about using plastics that are not food grade with foods. I don't do it, though many top pastry chefs do it all the time.

I use the plastic dowels that are made for the purpose, if I couldn't get my hands on them, I would use plain ol wood dowels, cleaned. Cake decorating supply type places or even Michaels I would think, would have something for you.


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## tracydr

Thanks. Didn't see the plastic things at the cake decorating place or Michaels but Home Depot is really close. I'll just go with the wooden dowels like the book says.
You guys have been great. Made a practice run last weekend and it was a little too sweet. I think I put too much moistening syrup on it.


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## lentil

Siduri,

I'd love that recipe if you have the time to post. I don't have the cookbook. No rush- whenever you get to it. Thanks in advance!


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## tracydr

Yes, please if you have the time. I've never seen a recipe for white cream cheese frosting. Would it work with all the lemon and blackberry flavors?


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## cake-decorator

Hi about what size cake would this amount of icing frost.  I have to make a square wedding cake.  Pans size are 16, 12, 8,.  Thanks so much for your recipe.


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## meaellen

I am in the process of attempting to make my own wedding cake, we are renewing our vows next year and was wondering if store bought cake mixes are a good choice for a 4 tier cake


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## chef william

you will need 30 cups of frosting that is the same size im using on mine wedding cake


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## delkat

I'm new to making frosting and recently made a cream cheese/mascarpone recipe that was very good but I had to add a lot of powdered sugar to get it to stiffen up.  You mentioned "whipping" it longer.  I made in in a stand mixer with a paddle.  Is there a better approach.  It didn't seem to get any lighter/whippier the longer I mixed it.  Is there something else that can be used as a thickening agent without adding so much sweetness?


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## dobzre

Use a whip attachment. This is a tiramisu cream, mascarpone, cream cheese sugar etc. Cream cheese/mascarpone aren't like egg whites (or even butter for that matter), don't expect them to triple in volume, but switching to the whip will at least get a 50% - 100% volume increase. Maybe you can make a buttercream 86 the butter and use mascarpone and cream cheese. If it doesn't work, at least you tried, if it does, you've just discovered something amazing.


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## siduri

Sorry to be so slow in replying - i hope it's not too late - i was away off and on for the past couple of months and very busy. 

There is no flavor of chocolate and she recommends putting some lemon juice in it to enhance the tartness of the cream cheese

this is from Rose Beranbaum's cake bible pg. 237

enough to fill and frost two 9 inch by 1 1/2 layers or three 9-inch layers.  She has a note to reduce the butter if the cake is going to be made where it is hot

9 ounces or 255 grams good quality white chocolate

12 oz (340 gms) cream cheese softened

3/4 cup (6 oz) (23 gm) butter softened\

1 1/2 tbsp lemon juice

Put some water in the bottom of a double boiler and make sure it won;t touch the bottom of the upper part of the double boiler.  Bring to a boil.  Then break the white chocolate into  the top of adouble boiler, and take it off the heat. 

stir till melted.  put back on the heat if the water has cooled too much, but be very careful because it can burn.  It can take about ten minutes

stir till smooth

let it cool

in mixing bowl beat the cream cheese till smooth and creamy.  gradually beat in the cooled white chocolate till smoothly incorporated.  Beat in the butter and lemon juice (or vanilla, which i prefer)

If you refrigerate it bring it to room temperature and beat it again to prepare it to use for frosting a cake.  DON'T heat it though. Let it get to room temp. 

This can hold up well and can be used to decorate.  The white chocolate give it body. 

you'll need to adjust quantities to cover the wedding cake, depending on how big it is.


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## chefedb

Wood dowels mold. Straws are really not strong enough > Cream cheese icing is heavy asis the cake. Any plastic dowe  l can be used . I have seen plastic disposeable knife blades used . Also how many guest , this determines cake size.


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## siduri

Has anyone tried using plastic straws, inserted perfectly vertically and had the cake collapse???

I used them for a big wedding cake - heavy chocolate butter cake (very dense and thick) - 6 one and a half inch layers, 3 tiers, covered with the white chocolate cream cheese buttercream and filled with dark chocolate ganache, and covered in home-made fondant.  I used straws.  the cake held up wonderfully.  Rose Beranbaum uses straws, and makes cakes professionally, and they don;t collapse.  So I'm wondering why many people say they're not going to hold.  Since straws are easier to cut and easier to find, I'd want to really know the risks from actual practice before going looking for something that i would have trouble finding and then cutting. 

As I see it, it's a question of engineering.  They use I beams (or H-beams as they call them here) in building because they're strong, and hollow columns not subjected to sideways stress are also very strong.  The straw gets filled with cake when you put it in the cake, and is surrounded by cake, so it is not going to go sideways, if you insert it perfectly vertically. 

Just curious - not likely to be making many wedding cakes - maybe one more when/if my son marries.


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## beecher

I just made my daughter's wedding cake using straws, also 6 layers, 3 tiers, covered with white chocolate buttercream. I used separator plates for space I filled with fresh flowers. It held up beautifully as well, and in temperatures over 90. The straws I used were for Boba drinks, extra large in thickness and diameter.


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## lentil

Thank you for the recipe, Siduri.  Sounds wonderful!


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## sdc2011

HI, you can purchase the thicker, bigger straws from a restaurant supplier store (restaurant depot, etc.). they work perfectly and are easier to cut than the thick plastic dowels and wood ones. Use them all the time and never had a problem in many years! Good luck


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## prettycake

I never use straws,  UNLESS your are talking a two layer and two teir cake.  But even though  I never use straws..  Use the plastic tubes where you can add dowels in the center.

I just do not trust straws.  They are soft plastic.

When I made my cream cheese frosting,  I added Marshmallow fluff and only whipped it until it was just incorporated.  Over mixing cream cheese frosting will make it too soft and the sugar tends to separate.


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## athomebleu

I have always used 1/4 in. wooden dowels which I cut with floral shears. They are easy to mark, and you can cut all you need for one tier at a time. ( ALL the supports for one tier MUST be the same length!)  Long dowels can also be sharpened to pierce through multiple tiers for added stability when pre-stacking tiers to save set-up time (which I have come to find indespensible in eliminating last minute stress!) I use foamboard to separate up to three tiers and have never had any structural problems. As with most anything, there is more than one path to success.


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## newby

can you please share your recipes using the marshmallows?


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## brhoad

The very best thing I have found for a heavy cake is a PVC pipe between layers....I had my husband cut all the lengths the perfect depth of a double layer cake.sand the realm edges smooth..This is the very best and your cakes will not budge.and they are save and can be put in the dish washer..Can be used with all layers///....By trial and error I found this to be the best and the cheapest..


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## brhoad

The problem with wooden dowels is they can twist and cause the cake to turn and fall..Not a pretty thought...


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## brhoad

If i were you I would use 1 &1/2 - 2 inch PVC pipe cut the length of the depth of 2 layers...this will hold your weight in cake.!!!!!!!


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## andylewis

Thanks for sharing recipes guys.


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## mimis9

Hi, I was wondering if this recipe would be good to do a quilting  design on a wedding cake


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