This is beautiful! I never heard of the Crusting frosting. It is so perfectly smooth. I like that it tastes good, too.

Wish we could see this one sliced!

I will email my friend Susan and see if she has one when they cut it..!! )

This looks awesome. And delicious!

Thank you Alta!

Great looking cake!!
You have saved the day! Im so glad i found your site. I need to make a red velvet cake with the crusting cream cheese frosting however i need to put fondant on it also. I noticed you had fondant accents on your cake…now to my question…did the fondant melt while sitting on the cake and did you refrigerate the cake at all.’
Thanks

Hi Kate! The fondant didn’t melt at all after sitting it on the cream cheese. The cream cheese frosting dries pretty well on the outside while remaining creamy on the inside. I used some fresh frosting on the back of my fondant accents to stick them to the frosting. Water also works. While I’m not a big advocate of freezing my cakes I did stick these cake layers in the deep freeze for about 15 minutes to set up my crumb coat layer which was also the cream cheese frosting put on thinly. I delivered this cake on Saturday morning to my friend who did refrigerate it until the party the next day due to it having a cream cheese frosting. I warned her to keep an eye on the stars etc for drooping in the fridge but she assures me they didn’t budge, fall off the wires or change consistency. Good luck and I will be getting more posts online now since we have just about finished moving house. I knew April would pretty much be a quiet month for cake posts.

Thanks so much for the quick reply. Ive been hearing horror stories about using crusting cream cheese frosting but i figured you just cant have a red velvet cake without cream cheese frosting!! And the cake is for a 15 year old so i needed to use fondant to decorate as im still learning how to pipe neatly
Again, thanks so much.

Hi there, I’ve been asked to make a birthday cake for a dear friend of mine this coming sat n have decided on a red velvet with cream cheese frosting.
Thing is, am rather apprehensive using cream cheese as my previous experience was that the cake has gotta be eaten within 8 mins of it exiting the fridge as the cream cheese melts fast!
With this crusting recipe, can i use it as a filling and a frosting for the ouside of the cake?
Will the filling crust too or stay creamy?
will the frosting crack when the knife sinks in for the cut?
gosh, so many questions, please bear with me n i hope to hear fr you really soon as am experimenting with a cake tomorrow!
thanks loads!

genie

Hi Genie,

Yes, you can absolutely use this crusting cream cheese recipe for the filling and for the outside frosting. I’ve made many cakes with it and have flavoured it and colored it to suit. I find it a marvelous frosting and very user friendly. I haven’t had any episodes of it melting or cracking. Good luck and I hope you try it, I think you’ll be happy with the result. Would love to see a photo of your cake!

I’m looking for a cream cheese frosting and came across this, I have one question. Can I make the frosting a day ahead and put it in the fridge until I need it or will it crust? Thanks

Hi Linda, this is a very versatile frosting. Push plastic wrap right down on the surface of the frosting and also put it in a lidded bowl if you can. When you take it out you will need to let it soften up some and then you can actually put it back in the mixer before you go ahead and use it. I haven’t had any issues with it doing this previously. If it was to be a bit stiff you can add a very small amount of water to it, just a few drops at a time. Good luck.

This sounds like a great recipe. I’d like to use it in a lemon wedding cake as a filling…but the wedding is the end of June, and the weather will be warm. What are your thoughts on stability? We will be filling with this and covering with fondant. Thanks for your time!

Hi Tina, this should do just fine, especially since you are using it internal to the cake. It can get soft in warm weather due to the cheese & butter but if you keep it in a cool place prior to delivery/serving it should be just fine. One of the good things about fondant as a covering is that it keeps the cake inside somewhat protected and stable. Like I said, do keep it in a cool place after putting the fondant on. All the best!

I will be making a 3 tier red velvet cake with cream cheese frosting for my friends wedding and I had a few questions. I will not be covering it with Fondant because the bride doesn’t like the taste so I will be using this frosting inside and outside of the cake with fondant accents.
1. How long can this frosting be out of the fridge before it will start to sour because it is cream cheese?
I know you said above that it should be fine with a fondant covering to keep the cream cheese cool but I will only have little bits of fondant. We live in FL and the wedding will be outside on a patio in the evening.
Thank you so much for having this website with good information for beginners

One more thing… how long will it stay in a freezer or fridge? can I make it 1 or 2 days in advance? I have a deep freezer I can put it into. What is the difference between freezing or refridgerating cakes? taste or apperance?

sorry…one more question Should I just plan on practicing and decorating it with icing out of a bag with tips or would the fondant be easier and keep better in the fridge.

Hi Abigail, I have left a cake with this frosting out overnight without any apparent issues but I wouldn’t recommend doing this as it is dairy. I think the best solution is to leave it in a cool spot (in the air conditioned house perhaps) for as long as possible before taking it outside. I would try to bring the cake outside after the ceremony. While they are having photos done is usually a good opportunity to do this. I have the same issue coming up in September here in Oklahoma so I’m hoping for a cooler day and will be keeping it in the air conditioned delivery van for as long as I can.

I use this frosting in place of fondant all the time since a lot of people aren’t fans of fondant usually because they’ve only had commercially produced stuff and not the delicious homemade fondant many decorators can provide – I can see another article on fondant from scratch in my future!

Regarding freezing versus refrigeration, I would only refrigerate the cake if you will be using it within a day or two. Fondant cake coverings and fondant decorations can get quite sticky and shiny when they come out of the refrigerator. Just don’t touch them and allow them to dry out on their own and they should be fine. It can take quite a few hours for the wet look to dissipate so do allow for that. It will also depend on the humidity so air conditioned rooms help. Remember that some fondants lose their structural integrity under refrigeration and I’ve seen flowers and other items sag from the moisture so you may want to add anything too fancy after it comes back to room temp.

I have frozen cakes prior to usage and you can keep a cake for a month or two in the freezer without it drying out though I don’t generally recommend leaving them in there for that long. Basically the choice between fridge or freezer depends on how long you are trying to keep it. Fresh in my opinion is best if time allows. Most decorators have to refrigerate or freeze a cake due to time crunches from time to time.

When I don’t use all of the cream cheese frosting I place it in a ziploc bag, label it and reuse it when I have the need for that color or flavour. When I want to reuse it I take it out of the freezer and just let it come to room temp. I have used it straight out of the bag and I have also put it back on the mixer and rewhipped it. The consistency hasn’t changed nor the flavour or workability.

I hope I’ve covered all your questions. If you have any others just drop me a line! Good luck and I’d love to see photos of your completed cake. I’ll even post it on here!

Cheers for now,

Colleen

Hi Abigail, I think you mean should you use just buttercream decorations instead of fondant. I guess it depends on what type of decorations you are doing. Personally I like the look of fondant accents on the smoothed buttercream. Also, I learned cake decorating using fondant and gumpaste and buttercream is something I’ve only embraced since moving to the US so my first thought is to go with fondant decorations most of the time unless the customer requests otherwise and I am far more comfortable using fondant. Wow talk about a run on sentence! Doing the fondant decorations ahead of time might be less stressful than doing the buttercream on the day of the wedding? Good luck, you’ll do fine!

I’d like to know if I can add a couple of tablespoons of Frangelico to the cream cheese crusting frosting?

Hello Teresa, yes you can absolutely add some Frangelico for flavour. If you think the frosting becomes too thin or soft just add some additional powdered sugar until it has the consistency you desire. Good luck and thank you for visiting! Colleen

omg thank you so much for this recipe. i am making baby block cakes for my bf’s baby shower and i made several cakes such as carrot and banana, which NEED cream cheese frosting, so i will be using this recipe. i will also be doing fondant accents. do you think that it would be okay to leave the frosted cakes at room temp for like 18 hours? is that too long for a cream cheese frosting to be out? i do not want to refridgerate cakes that have fondant on them already and do not think i have time the day of the shower to decorate them as i am throwing the shower at my house. and should i wait for the cake to crust before i add the fondant? or put it on when it is slightly wet? how thin should i roll out the fondant decorations in order for them to stick and not slide off? any advice you have would be greatly appreciated!!!

Hi Michelle, so glad you found a recipe that will work for you. As far as leaving them out of the refrigerator for 18 hours if you do, I would definitely ensure they are in a cool a place as possible just to be safe. Really, you can add the fondant decorations either while the buttercream is wet or dry. Personally, I wait until it is dry as I feel it is a little more stable and easier to handle. I use a water brush like this or the flat one:

You can buy them online at a cake decorating supplier such as Cal Java for about $12.00. Seems a little pricey I know but a great tool to have. Without that you can also use a clean paint brush used only for decorating to add a very small amount of water to the fondant decorations to make them adhere to the buttercream. I would make the decorations relatively thin so they don’t want to slide off while wet, probably no more than 1/8th of an inch thick. Obviously you can get away with heavier decorations if they are sitting on the board etc., as I did with the Jungle themed baby shower cake I made. Good luck and I’d love to see photos of your baby blocks when you are done!

Colleen,
I am making 3 tiered red velvet wedding cake for a friend’s wedding next Saturday. The bride wants cream cheese buttercream covered in fondant with buttercream accents. I need to decorate the cake Thursday, (as I am in the wedding as well… terrible I know) however I know the buttercream will have cream cheese and needs to be refridgerated but the fondant will get sticky. Any thoughts, suggestions, or helpful hints? (other than don’t agree to make cakes and serve in the same wedding!)
Thanks so much!

OMG! I’m so glad I found your site! I was ready to give up. I do wedding cakes on the side as a hobby for friends and family. My friends sister is getting married and she wanted a cream cheese frosting wedding cake with melted chocolate on top. I’ve tried a few cream cheese receipes but they are all way too soft. I wanted something that had a consistency of buttercream. I’m going to try this recipe tonight. I’m hoping it works!! Also, do you by chance know of a good recipe to make a thin chocolate drizzle / ganache that will slightly harden up when on the cake? I tried a regular chocolate ganache receipe and when I took it out of the fridge to cut it, the cake was hard to cut and the chocolate was kind of soft. Thanks! BTW I love your website!

Hi Kelley, I would never try to discourage someone from doing a lot of things… I’m the queen of taking on too much and then juggling it all but it usually works out. Good for you! No problem with covering the cake and putting it in the refrigerator with the fondant on it. The trick is, when you take it out it will look wet and sticky. You just have to NOT TOUCH IT and let it dry on its own accord. I will however warn you against putting on fondant or gumpaste decorations before you put it in the fridge. I know this makes it hard to do on a busy time scale but you will be sad if you do as these types of sugar decorations will sag and can often run or bleed onto the fondant if they are placed on the cake and then in the fridge. Also, be sure to take a bag of icing with you to the reception in case something on the cake moves, breaks, falls off. And take a few extra flowers, swags, (whatever your decorations are) etc. for the same reason. Good luck to you and let me know if you have any other questions or concerns. I’ll do my best to assist you! Colleen

Hi Suzie! I use a basic boiled cream over chocolate chips for my ganache recipe. You can make it thinner by adding some cocoa butter to it but I would do it a little at a time until you get the consistency you want. You can test your ganache by cutting a few strips of clear thin plastic (not plastic wrap) and dipping it in your ganache and letting it set up. You can then see how malleable it is and make adjustments accordingly… more chocolate chips to firm it up or more cream or cocoa butter to thin it out.

I use this cream cheese recipe for everything and find it very easy to adjust the consistency without ruining it. I often add more powdered sugar to make it a bit thicker/drier especially when it is going to be the final finish on a cake. You do have to work faster to get it smooth though as it will set up quicker. Good luck to you and be sure to email me if you have more questions. Colleen

Thanks so much for responding! I’ll try the recipe for the chocolate ganache.

Another question for you. So when I took this cake decorating class I was shown how to use fondant. I use it a lot with my cakes now cause I like the finish but I’m not sure if I’m doing something wrong. Sometimes my fondant will crack or tear as i’m putting it on. Also, it will bubble sometimes when I take it out of the fridge. So here are the steps I usually go through each time I cover a cake with fondant:
1. Kneed the fondant with crisco
2. Roll it out
3. Put it on a refrigerated cake usually covered in buttercream.

Some questions:
1. It seems to crack sometimes when I add color? Am I needing it too much? Am I adding too much crisco or not enough?

2. Am I missing a step?

3. Why is it bubbling after I take it out of the fridge?

4. When I try to smooth the fondant on the cake it will sometimes tear.

5. I’ve heard people using powdered sugar while rolling it out? What does that do?
HELP!?

Thanks so much!!!

Hi Suzie, I’m wondering if you might try rolling the fondant a little thicker than you have been to avoid it tearing. Also keeping it cool helps as with most sugar products it weakens when it warms up. Adding colors can often make the fondant a lot softer hence it will break easier also. Are you using gel colors or liquid. I prefer gels as they tend to be more concentrated and the liquids can change the ratio of the fondant which will also lead to it breaking down easier.

The bubble can be removed by inserting a pin or needle into the bubbles and smoothing it with the cake smoother or your cool hand. Perhaps it is the recipe of the buttercream you are using underneath that is causing it to bubble. It wouldn’t hurt to try a different recipe or two and see if that helps. I learned to cover cakes with fondant using the powdered sugar method and I still prefer it but it can make the fondant dry and crack if you use too much. Personally, even though I do use it sometimes I find that the crisco can really soften the fondant too much for my liking. Mainly keep powdered sugar underneath the fondant to stop if from sticking and a little on top to stop the rolling pin from sticking, but easy does it… just enough to ensure it doesn’t stick is all you need.

Unfortunately it can just take some playing around with different products and methods to find what works for you. Outside elements such as humidity, how old the fondant is, brand of fondant can often affect how the fondant performs. There are some great recipes for making your own fondant which I’ve had great success with. I will be sure to write an article on that soon and add some recipes worth trying.

Good luck.

Colleen

Hi!
I was very excited to give this icing recipe a try, but I had a few problems. The butter and cream cheese were softened and combined smoothly. I added 3 lbs of sugar (gradually) and my icing was VERY stiff. I had to add a few tablespoons of water to thin into a spreadable consistency.
Any suggestions on what I might have done wrong?
thanks!

Hi Samantha, My apologies for not getting back with you sooner. I didn’t see you mention the addition of the 1/2 cup vegetable shortening? If you did use that then you can always add a little more butter, crisco or cream cheese until you get it to the consistency you are looking for. Many different variables can come into play such as altitude, brands of butter, sugar and cream cheese etc. The recipe is quite flexible in that you can adjust small amounts either way and still have a successful buttercream. The addition of the water works also but I do try not to add water as it can sometimes cause weeping. Good luck.

Colleen

[...] very light and fluffy due to the sifted cake flour.  I topped and filled  mine with my favourite crusting cream cheese buttercream and some decorator sugar and toppings I had on hand.  I love the color with this recipe.  I have [...]

I am going to be doing a Red Velvet BD cake with your Crusting Cream Cheese Buttercream icing for my son. My plan is to use a Frozen Buttercream Transfer design. Should I do that using regular buttercream or would the CC Buttercream work just as well?

Hi Sandy, I haven’t used a lot of those transfers but I’d imagine to get it to adhere you might let the buttercream crust over and then wet the surface with a paintbrush and some water to apply the transfer. It’s a great surface to work on for most applications. Good luck!

Hi there! I’m going to be making an airplane cake for a baby shower and have a shaped pan, would this icing work well for use with tip decorating or is it too crusting??

Hi Shannon, it will work fine for piping with tips. I have used it with Wilton pans and the star tip. It crusts after some time exposed to air but is easy to use when it is fresh. Good luck.

thank you for sharing this recipe. i have a question regarding adding lemon juice and zest to the recipe, is this possible? also can I use this recipe to fill the cake with lemon curd? I will be covering my cake with fondant.

Hi Jay and sorry for the delay in replying. Yes, you can absolutely add lemon juice and zest to this. Just watch the consistency when adding additional fluids. This icing is very flexible but I would probably add a little extra powdered sugar to offset the additional liquid. I also have a lemon curd recipe here that is great and could be used for filling. I would not put the filling all the way to the edge of the cakes being filled to avoid it coming in contact with the fondant as that could make a sticky mess. Crumb coating the cakes with the buttercream first will definitely help here also. Happy baking!

Colleen, you and your readers have al been so helpful. I’ve been baking & decorating for years and love working with fondant. I found the questions from your readers about their concerns, and your answers, so helpful for a 3-D red velvet cake and cream cheese buttercream. I did a sample taste yesterday and it all came out great but I used a receipe with only 2lbs confectioners sugar and found it a little too sweet for my taste. Question: I’m making a 3-D bowling ball and wondered if it’s easily to make out of rice krispy treat or buy a ball cake pan? This will be dirty iced and covered in fondant on top of the base cake. Thanks.

Hi Mel and thank you for your kind comments! I’m so glad you found the information here helpful. A couple of thoughts regarding the bowling ball cake. Rice Krispy’s will definitely weigh less than if the ball was made out of cake but of course then you have less cake servings. Either way be sure to use good structural pieces like pillars inserted into the bottom cake and another cake plate (cardboard) under the ball.

Personally, I would make it out of dense cake, do the crumb coat and then fondant as you mentioned. If you have good supports it should hold up equally as well. I like the ball pans since you don’t have to carve them and they hold up better in my opinion. Good luck Mel, would love to see your cake when you are done! Happy baking, Colleen

Hi Colleen, Oops, another question… I’ve noticed that in the past, some of my fondant covered cakes start to bulge at the sides, even after I’ve crumb coated. I suspect I’m doing something wrong while filling the layers?

Colleen, I love your site! This will be my first 3-D cake so I’m a little nervous about any shaping or carving, so I’ll purchase a ball pan. I’m sure I’ll find many other uses for it. Thanks! Also, what do you recommend as a dense cake for the ball? Thank you!

Mel, pound cake is a good dense cake for shaped cakes. Also, when I take a lot of pan cakes out of the oven I press down on the domed top to make them level so I don’t have to carve any off and the cake is also a little denser this way. You won’t be able to press down on a shaped cake or it won’t be a ball anymore!

The bulging can be alleviated somewhat by making a “channel” for the filling to go into. I often scoop out the center about a half an inch deep and leave about an inch of cake around the sides. This stops the filling from gooshing out and causing bulging.

Happy Baking Mel and I’m sure you will do a wonderful job!

[...]  Colleen in Crusting Cream Cheese Buttercream!: Mel, pound cake is a good dense Mel in Crusting Cream Cheese Buttercream!: Colleen, I love your site! This will Mel in Crusting Cream Cheese Buttercream!: Hi Colleen, Oops, another question… I’ve noticed [...]

[...]  Colleen in Crusting Cream Cheese Buttercream!: Mel, pound cake is a good dense Mel in Crusting Cream Cheese Buttercream!: Colleen, I love your site! This will Mel in Crusting Cream Cheese Buttercream!: Hi Colleen, Oops, another question… I’ve noticed [...]

Colleen, I cam across your site through Google and am so happy I did. I am about to make a red velevet cake for my cousins commissioning on Fri and want to use this frosting. I am putting on of these edible image sheets on top( flag w/ army seal) and was wondering if I can do so with this crusting frosting. Also I live in California and I am flying to NY (6 hrs). Will it be ok on the flight over?

[...] difficult to decorate with. SO… after lots and lots of time spent searching online, I found this recipe for a “crusting” cream cheese-buttercream frosting. It’s FABULOUS- tastes great [...]

Hi Shavonne, my apologies for such a late reply since you’ve already flown the coop by now. I find I can do anything with this icing I can do with a regular buttercream. If it dries too much you can lightly brush it with a water pen to adhere the image sheet. I do believe it would be ok for the flight but of course best kept in a cool environment at all times.

Can i use fondant cutouts for decoration on the cream cheese such as a Zebrra print?

Thank you

Hello Therese, you can absolutely adhere fondant to the buttercream. I have had the most success when adhering them after the fondant has crusted and is dry to the touch since it gives more stability to it. You can then use a water pen or brush to stick the decorations on. Happy decorating!

Thanks for posting this recipe! I was wondering, could I replace the vegetable shortening with that Hi-ratio shortening, and if so do I need to change the butter amount? Also how would you make this into chocolate buttercream?

Hello! I just saw your website since I’m looking to cover a bday cake with butter cream and fondant decorations.
My question- why shortening? I don’t know why I’m against it but just wondering if it helps to keep the buttercream stable.
I also understand there’s no problem to cover with the cream cheese and then fondant and put in a cooler for the night..? thanks!!

Colleen, I am so happy to see this recipe! I am doing the cake decorating for my sister’s wedding and have a few questions. We had planned a marshmallow fondant over the cream cheese icing, how long do you think this could be stored in a air conditioned room? Also, does marshmallow fondant behave the same with refrigeration? I know I may have to do the decorating early the day of the wedding but if I can get more done the day before that would make life sooo much easier!
Thank you,
Judi

Hey Judi! Thanks for stopping by. I always liked the idea of marshmallow fondant (MF) but personally I don’t like the way it behaves. It has so many variables depending on the weather, the moisture levels in the ingredients etc etc. In an air conditioned room it should be ok to be left out for a day or two, but if you refrigerate MF you will end up with a gooey, sticky mess. I LOVE the crusting cream cheese because I find it so versatile and forgiving. There have been times when I have forgotten the Crisco or added too much cream cheese, but every time I get a workable product. Perhaps it’s more luck than anything else but it seems so hard to make a mess with it. I have often gotten up early to do a cake the day of but it’s such a risk as I’ve seen cakes dropped etc which doesn’t leave much time to make a replacement. Good luck you brave woman and I sincerely hope it goes perfectly! Would love to see your cake when you are done if you want to email a pic!

Happy baking,

Colleen