Posted on May 17, 2009
Making a delicious frosting without sugar is actually quite simple. To make this frosting airy, my trick is to whip the cream cheese until it’s smooth and light. Then, I use the soufflé technique of stirring a portion of the whipped cream into the cream cheese to lighten the mixture before gently folding in the rest. This makes the cream cheese light enough to accept the whipped cream without deflation. The result is a light, slightly sweet, creamy frosting that holds its shape. You can use regular or light (Neufchatel) cream cheese. Light cream cheese reduces the fat without compromising any taste which is why I call for it here.
Ingredients
- 8 ounces light (Neufchatel) cream cheese, at room temperature
- 2 tablespoons light agave nectar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- pinch of salt
- 1 cup cold heavy cream
Instructions
- Whip Neufatel cheese, vanilla, agave, and salt with electric mixer until smooth and light.
- In a separate bowl, whip heavy cream until stiff peaks form.
- Stir ¼ of whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture. Gently fold remaining whipped cream into Neufchatel cheese mixture until combined.
- Can be made one day ahead. Refrigerate until ready to use. I like to use a pastry bag with a fancy tip to pipe the icing onto the cupcakes.
- Hint: Put mixing bowl and beaters that you're going to use to whip the heavy cream in the freezer for 10 minutes before using them. The chilled bowl and beaters will help the cream to whip properly. Also, make sure that your cupcakes have cooled completely before icing them.
