Butter Cream Cheese Frosting

As a kid, I was the one who'd eat the frosting and leave the cake.  { What can I say, I know what I like. } Cake batter came in at a close second for favorite sweet.  Still does.

{ Case in point. }

To this day, Duncan Hines Butter Recipe Golden cake batter and Wilton buttercream taste like childhood.  Crazy how things like that can make you so nostalgic.

{ Pretty sure I was about to dig into this thing face first. }

Lately, though, I've wanted something a little less sweet and a little more complex than buttercream.  Enter what I'll call Butter Cream Cheese Frosting.  Kind of like buttercream, kind of like cream cheese.  It's the best of both worlds, and I put this stuff on everything. { Much as I want to, I can't quote the Frank's Hot Sauce lady.  Hi Mom! }

{ Love this cake.  And this day.  And this man. }

Butter Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup solid vegetable shortening { I love the Crisco sticks... they're much easier to deal with }
• 1/2 cup { 1 stick } butter, softened
• Forget to set it out to soften?  Just pop it in the microwave, standing upright, for ten seconds on 50% power.  Bing!
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 4 cups confectioner's/powdered sugar { sifted, if you're hardcore }
• 4 ounces { half a package } cream or neufchatel cheese

Primary Equipment

• Bowl
• Mixer { stand or hand }
• Spatulas, both traditional rubber and offset
• Optional pastry bag/tips for decorating

Instructions

• Cream butter, shortening and cream cheese on medium speed for two minutes.
• Add vanilla and mix well.
• Gradually add powdered sugar, beating well and scraping down the sides of the bowl with each addition.
• Once all sugar has been incorporated, mix for two additional minutes at medium-high speed.

Butter Cream Cheese Frosting can be tinted with food gel just like a buttercream.  And it holds its shape like one, too.  Just with a bit more tang.

Use immediately or refrigerate in an airtight container until you're ready to use it.  Whip it right back up and frost away!