Cream Cheese Frosting / Icing Recipe for Cakes

Cream cheese frosting or icing is perfect for a carrot cake 

Once you have made your carrot cake, of course, you need to ice it or, as the Americans put it, frost it. My friend, Maya uses a frosting of is just cream cheese, a little butter, squeeze of lemon, lemon zest and powdered sugar(or what the British would call icing sugar).

Cream cheese icing with zest of an orange used decoratively

However, I found this cream cheese icing to hit the spot, particularly since I like to be able to start out with some idea as to quantities; also, both Faran and I agree that certain tastes go together, like carrots and orange juice, and hence we stick to the addition of orange, rather than lemon for our cakes. But either is fine - depending on your taste preferences.

Carrot Cake Icing or Frosting Recipe

• 250g cream cheese (1 cup)
• 200g icing sugar, sifted (2 cups)
• grated zest and juice of 1 orange (or lemon)
• 60g chopped walnuts (½ cup) optional

First of all, cream the cream cheese. This may sound peculiar, but cream cheese straight out of the fridge is relatively hard. What works best is to put it into the microwave on low (30%) for a minute or two, to soften it. 

Philedelphia cream cheese is perfect for the cream cheese frosting 

Beat in the icing sugar - preferably using the K-beater attachment:

Cream the cream cheese and icing sugar together 

Add the liquid from an orange, to taste and texture, making sure the icing/frosting is not too liquid and runny.

Zest is made by grating the skin of an orange, and I discovered the most delightful tiny grater which works beautifully:

I hold the tiny grater in the right hand, and then zest the orange with the left 

Many advocate putting the zest in with the icing itself, however, I figured it was fun to use it decoratively:

Carrot cake with cream cheese icing/frosting, decorated with zest of an orange 

You can sprinkle walnuts or my personal favourites, pecan nuts on top- or leave it unadorned, as my son prefers it - or use another icing altogether, as below, where all Faran wanted was icing sugar mixed with hot water and then poured on this cake: