Looking for something different to frost your cakes and cupcakes with? I have brought a unique recipe for you all – Peanut Butter Cream Cheese Frosting! It’s creamy, fluffy, nutty, and a bit tangy, something you all will enjoy.
Peanut butter and cream cheese, who knew it would be such a perfect combination?
I wanted to frost a chocolate cake but did not want to use my chocolate cream cheese frosting or chocolate fudge frosting. I wanted to use something different and unique, a frosting that is not so sweet and compliments chocolate cake as well. And that is when I stumbled upon the combination of peanut butter and cream cheese. And voilà – a frosting that I’m gonna use more often for my desserts.
Although the frosting has icing sugar, but just enough to make it sweet subtly. It has a nutty flavor from the peanut butter and the tanginess from the cream cheese, and it’s not extremely sweet. Sounds perfect, no?
Why You’ll Love This Recipe?
- The Texture: The frosting is quite creamy and fluffy at the same time. When whipped together, peanut butter and cream cheese turn into a smooth, soft, and creamy mixture.
- The Flavour: I had earlier posted my peanut butter frosting, which has a more prominent nutty flavor. But I wanted a more subtle one, so adding cream cheese tones down the nutty flavor slightly and added a tangy one.
- Good to Pipe: Unlike regular cream cheese frosting, which is not so sturdy to hold piping decoration, this frosting can be used to pipe as well. The combination of peanut butter and cream cheese makes for a stable frosting that you can use for your cupcakes or cakes.
Important Ingredients Used In The Recipe
- Peanut Butter: I have used creamy peanut butter in the recipe. Use a smooth peanut butter, preferably a market-bought one, and avoid a homemade one.
- Unsalted butter: Peanut butter is already salty; using salted butter with that will make the frosting over-the-top salty. So use only softened unsalted butter.
- Cream Cheese: Make sure to use a block of cream cheese with full fat. Do not use any spread or low-fat cream cheese, as they are runny in nature.
- Icing Sugar: Ensure to sift the icing sugar before adding it to the frosting. This helps to eliminate any lumps and also gives volume to the frosting.
- Milk: Since we are looking for a smooth and creamy texture, milk helps us get that texture. It smooths out the cream cheese and peanut butter and makes it taste rich.
- Vanilla Essence: A dash of vanilla can do wonders for your product. The peanut butter flavor gets enhanced much more when vanilla is added.
How To Make Peanut Butter Cream Cheese Frosting
Preparation: Collect the ingredients and tools needed to make the frosting.
Creaming: In a large mixing bowl, cream softened unsalted butter until it gets fluffy. Use an electric hand beater at medium speed.
Add Cream Cheese: Next, add cream cheese to the buyer and continue beating to incorporate the cream cheese fully.
Mix Milk and Sugar: Mix milk and sifted icing sugar in a separate bowl. Mix the two until the sugar dissolves.
Add Wet Ingredients: It’s time to add the milk and sugar mixture to the creamed butter, followed by the vanilla essence. Beat the mixture till the milk gets emulsified into the fats.
Add Peanut Butter: Finally, add the smooth peanut butter and mix until you get a nice homogenous, smooth frosting.
Chef’s Tips For The Recipe
Use Beater
Use either a stand mixer with a paddle attachment or an electric hand beater with a whisk attachment to make the frosting. Do not try to make it with a spatula, as you won’t be able to incorporate that much air and blend well with a spatula.
Use Room Temperature Ingredients
While making the frosting, it is essential that the butter, cream cheese, and peanut butter all are at room temperature. They should be soft in touch. If used too cold, they won’t whip and will have lumps in the frosting.
How To Store Peanut Butter Cream Cheese Frosting
You can store this frosting in an airtight box in the refrigerator for up to a week.
You can store it in the freezer as well for a month. Just make sure that when you need to use it, thaw it first and then beat the frosting to get the right consistency.
More Easy Recipes
If you follow my recipes, you know I have been adding many frosting recipes. Check them out:
Frequently Asked Questions
You can use the crunchy peanut butter if you like. You might have to use a broader nozzle while piping so the chunks don’t get stuck.
Salt is not needed, as peanut butter also has salt. So no need for any additional salt.
You can pair this frosting with your cakes and cupcakes flavored with chocolate, Banana, caramel, and even coffee.
