I’m a bit of a hack when it comes to baking. My cookplantmeditate partner/sister Trish is the baker in the family (I’m sure she’ll share some fabulous recipes sometime soon). I frequently use cake mixes and other boxed mixes, but always make my own frosting. Canned frosting, to me, tastes like bubblegum base & sweetened artificial favors. This homemade frosting is simple & tasty.

You will need:
6 tbs butter, room temperature
6 tbs cream cheese, room temperature
1 tsp vanilla extract
2-4 cups powdered sugar
1-2 tbs milk

Place cream cheese and butter in a bowl. Mix with a hand mixer until blended and smooth. Mix in vanilla, then 1 tbs milk. Slowly mix in powdered sugar, 1/3-1/2 cup at a time.

The more powdered sugar you add, the sweeter it gets, so taste test after 2 cups, then after every half cup. You can add additional milk to loosen the frosting up when it gets a little tight.

Try using different extracts and liquids to make different flavored frosting. Use fresh lemon juice in place of all the liquids and you’ll have a tasty lemon frosting. Replace vanilla extract with cinnamon extract.

Piping for Dummies (like me):
You can spoon or spread your frosting onto anything you want. Or you could try to pipe it on and make it pretty – very easily. Get a gallon sized ziploc bag and spoon frosting into one bottom corner of the bag. Zip the bag 2/3 closed and squeeze out the air, starting from the top of the frosting. Twist the bag until you’ve made a wide carrot shape. Cut off the very tip of the bag. The smaller the cut, the finer the ribbon of frosting.

Keep hold of the bag with your non dominant hand, keeping it twisted shut. Take your dominant hand and slowly squeeze the bottom of the bag, forming a line onto your cake. It’s very easy to control.

I always make these simple circles on my cupcakes, and my simple frosting looks like I might have decent baking skills. The critics agree – “mmmm nummy!”

-Amelia