Cream Cheese Frosting

This delicious and easy to make cream cheese frosting is delicious atop carrot cakes, red velvet cakes or pumpkin breads.

Ingredients:

Two 8-ounce tubs of cream cheese
125 ml (half a cup) of unsalted butter (softened to room temperature)
5 ml (1 teaspoon) vanilla essence
500 ml (2 cups) powdered sugar, sifted

Preparation:

1. Combine the cream cheese and butter in a bowl of a cake mixer and mix at medium speed until creamy (30 seconds with paddle attachment).
2. Keep the motor running and add the vanilla and mix for another 30 seconds. Gradually add the sugar and mix until smooth and creamy, approximately 1 minute after each addition.

Serving: Use immediately or refrigerate and use within 2 days. I prefer to spread this on the cake as soon as it is made as it becomes stiff in the refrigerator. If you have to refrigerate it, then let it rest at room temperature for 3-4 hours to soften before spreading or piping.
If you find the frosting to be too soft to pipe then gradually add more powdered sugar until you reach a pipe-able consistency.
This makes 3 cups of frosting - this is sufficient to fill and cover one 9-inch cake.