Skip to main content

Cream Cheese Frosting

I try to cut fat and calories wherever I can, so I generally use a combination of cream cheese and Neufchâtel when I prepare this frosting. It’s great on virtually any cake and a perfect match for Sunrise Carrot Muffins (page 7).

Recipe information

  • Yield

    makes 2 cups (frosts 9-inch layer cake)

Ingredients

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
12 ounces cream cheese, low-fat Neufchâtel cheese, or a combination of both
3/4 cup light agave nectar
1/2 tablespoon vanilla extract
Juice of 1/2 lemon

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Using an electric mixer, cream together the butter and cream cheese. Add the agave nectar, vanilla extract, and lemon juice. Beat well until smooth and fluffy.

  2. VARIATION

    Step 2

    Rum Cream Cheese Frosting: Substitute amber agave nectar for the light agave nectar and add 1 tablespoon dark rum.

Reprinted with permission from Baking with Agave Nectar: Over 100 Recipes Using Nature's Ultimate Sweetener by Ania Catalano. Copyright © 2008 by Ania Catalano; photography © 2008 by Lara Hata. Published by Celestial Arts, an imprint of the Crown Publishing Group, a division of Random House, Inc., New York. Ania Catalano is a graduate of the Natural Gourmet School of Cooking in New York and the owner of the Gourmet Whole Foods Catering and Cooking School in Milford, Connecticut.
Read More
Grab your Easter basket and hop in—you’ll want to collect each and every one of these fun and easy Easter recipes.
A warmly spiced Ashkenazi charoset, perfect for your Passover seder—or spooned over yogurt the next morning.
Like airy lemon chiffon cake and a Cadbury egg–inspired tart.
Keep this easy frittata recipe on hand for quick breakfasts, impressive brunches, and fridge clean-out meals.
Like lemony risotto and tandoori-style cauliflower.
Think a Hugo spritz, a gin basil smash, and plenty more patio-ready pours.
Turn humble onions into this thrifty yet luxe pasta dinner.
Caramelized onions, melty Gruyère, and a deeply savory broth deliver the kind of comfort that doesn’t need improving.