This is one of a kind not too sweet vanilla frosting recipe without butter that can be made in less than 5 mins with just 4 ingredients; a recipe that every baker needs!!
Start by sieving your icing sugar twice. Set this aside
Beat the cold cream cheese in a mixing bowl until smooth and creamy for about a minute scraping half way through.
Add the icing sugar and beat till combined.
In goes the vanilla extract and whipping/heavy cream and then beat till stiff peaks form. (Might take around 2 mins)
Pairs well with red velvet cupcakes or can be used with any cupcakes of choice.
Video
Notes
The recipe yields sufficient frosting to frost 12 cupcakes or can be used to fill and frost 2 layer, 6 inch cake.
Always sieve your icing sugar, no matter what frosting you are making to avoid the grittiness and also to make your frosting lump-free.
Cream cheese and cream needs to be cold, so straight from your refrigerator to the mixing bowl.
Since there is no butter in the recipe, make sure that you are using full fat cream cheese because the fat content in the cream cheese is what makes the frosting stable. I prefer using Philadelphia Block Cream Cheese (not a sponsored post) in place of tub or spreads as it has more fat content than the latter.
Over beating the cream cheese would make the frosting runny. It is a better to time yourself and make the frosting so that you do not overbeat it accidentally.
It is advisable to prepare the frosting when you are ready to use it on cupcakes. As if it sits on the counter-top unattended then it would start losing its volume and stiffness. Or store it in the refrigerator for not more than an hour or so until ready to use.
This frosting is just perfect to pipe swirls or any designs on cupcakes and also to fill and frost a cake. However it is not suitable to be used under fondant, in which case use the traditional cream cheese frosting recipe. If you wish to frost a cookie using this recipe then omit the cream from the recipe and use 2 cups of sugar in place of 1 cup.
In place of vanilla, any flavouring of choice can be used like lemon, peppermint, gingerbread, chocolate, cinnamon, nut butters and few others has been addressed in the post above.
The frosting recipe can be easily doubled or halved.