How to make cream cheese frosting without cream cheese

Q: Can you substitute sour cream for cream cheese in frosting?

Sour cream replicates cream cheeses taste but isnt quite as caloric, making it a good choice for a lower-calorie substitute. It gives baked goods a texture thats airy and moist, and even adds an extra bit of creaminess to cheesecake. You can substitute an equal amount of sour cream for cream cheese in recipes.

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Ingredients
Tips from the Betty Crocker Kitchens
More About This Recipe
Try These Next
What can I substitute for cream cheese in frosting?
Can I use milk instead of cream for frosting?
Can you substitute sour cream for cream cheese in frosting?
How do you make homemade icing without cream?

For many people, cake is just the delivery vehicle for the real star of the show—the frosting. If you agree, you’ll love this five-star buttercream frosting recipe. It’s rich, sweet and foolproof. With 4 ingredients and 10 minutes of effort, this vanilla buttercream frosting will be ready to turn any cake, cookie or cupcake into a special-occasion dessert—never underestimate the power of a good frosting! Memorize this recipe and you’ll always have a frosting to complement whatever’s for dessert. (P.S. If you fall for this recipe, you’ll be glad to know there’s a 2.0 version: Marshmallow Buttercream Frosting is a must try!)

Ingredients

3 cups powdered sugar
1/3 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
1 to 2 tablespoons milk

Steps

1
In medium bowl, mix powdered sugar and butter with spoon or electric mixer on low speed. Stir in vanilla and 1 tablespoon of the milk.
2

Gradually beat in just enough remaining milk to make frosting smooth and spreadable. If frosting is too thick, beat in more milk, a few drops at a time. If frosting becomes too thin, beat in a small amount of powdered sugar. Frosts 13x9-inch cake generously, or fills and frosts an 8- or 9-inch two-layer cake.

Tips from the Betty Crocker Kitchens

tip 1
Allow your butter to soften at room temperature so it easily beats up smoothly with the powdered (sometimes called confectioner’s) sugar.
tip 2
A real buttercream frosting takes little time to make, can be tinted with food coloring (use paste or gel, not liquid food color), and will hold up to one week if tightly covered and refrigerated.
tip 3
Use a real vanilla; imitations are not recommended. If you can find a vanilla bean paste it’s well worth the investment. The role of vanilla is not only for its flavor value, it also enhances the sweetness of the sugar, so bumping up the vanilla allows you to decrease the amount of sugar in recipes.
tip 4
It’s easy to vary the flavor of this core recipe: stir in a dash of almond extract or grated citrus zest.

Nutrition

170 Calories, 5g Total Fat, 0g Protein, 30g Total Carbohydrate, 29g Sugars

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size: 1 Serving

Calories170Calories from Fat45

Total Fat5g8%

Saturated Fat2 1/2g13%Trans Fat0g

Cholesterol 15mg5%Sodium35mg1%Potassium0mg0%Total Carbohydrate30g10%

Dietary Fiber0g0%Sugars29g

Protein0g

Vitamin A4%4%Vitamin C0%0%Calcium0%0% Iron0%0%

Exchanges:

0 Starch; 0 Fruit; 2 Other Carbohydrate; 0 Skim Milk; 0 Low-Fat Milk; 0 Milk; 0 Vegetable; 0 Very Lean Meat; 0 Lean Meat; 0 High-Fat Meat; 1 Fat;

Carbohydrate Choice

*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

More About This Recipe

Four simple ingredients—sugar, butter, vanilla and milk—come together in a homemade frosting recipe that proves the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. Hundreds of home cooks and bakers have used this recipe for decorating cakes, filling layer cakes or topping off a pan of brownies. Before you begin, check out this step-by-step tutorial on making frosting. You’ll learn that a perfect buttercream frosting recipe starts with room-temperature butter that can still hold its shape but is starting to soften at the edges. Test it by pressing a finger into the butter; if it gives and your finger leaves an indent, it’s ready to go. Once you’ve mastered vanilla buttercream frosting, expand your skill set with more frosting recipes.

Try These Next

Cream Cheese Frosting
Raspberry Buttercream Frosting
Yellow Butter Cake with Chocolate Buttercream
Chocolate Whipped Cream Frosting
Vanilla Pudding
Marshmallow Buttercream Frosting

What can I substitute for cream cheese in frosting?

To use as a cream cheese substitute in baked goods and dips, blend one cup ricotta with one cup plain yogurt to equal two cups substitute. For frosting and cheesecakes, blend one cup ricotta with one cup heavy cream to equal two cups substitute.

Can I use milk instead of cream for frosting?

Heavy Cream: Heavy cream or heavy whipping cream work best in this recipe. You can replace it with milk, but keep in mind that the frosting won't be quite as creamy. Vanilla Extract: This adds a little bit of flavor to the frosting.

Can you substitute sour cream for cream cheese in frosting?

Sour cream replicates cream cheese's taste but isn't quite as caloric, making it a good choice for a lower-calorie substitute. It gives baked goods a texture that's airy and moist, and even adds an extra bit of creaminess to cheesecake. You can substitute an equal amount of sour cream for cream cheese in recipes.

How do you make homemade icing without cream?

In medium bowl, mix powdered sugar and butter with spoon or electric mixer on low speed. Stir in vanilla and 1 tablespoon of the milk. Gradually beat in just enough remaining milk to make frosting smooth and spreadable. If frosting is too thick, beat in more milk, a few drops at a time.