Earlene's Recipes Banner
Icing Recipes
My own personal favorite recipes and
Chris's Yummmmmmy Cinnamon rolls
- Cake Recipes
Back to my home page
Butavan is a thick (pudding like consistency) very strong butter/vanilla emulsion flavoring that I use in nearly all my recipes. It looks and smells like butterscotch. It is now available for shipping. Order here

Due to the numerous questions I have about this cream cheese icing - here are a few things I have learned over the many years of using this icing.

1. It tastes really good as icing and as a filling

2. Add flavoring to it for an even more tasty addition to the cake. Lemon, orange, strawberry, mint and etc all work well. The flavor emulsions and powder I have on the shopping cart don't add any color to the icing- just flavor.
(2B). If you put orange flavor in the cake and or icing - don't tell the customer it is orange - that isn't what they want to hear - tell them it is dreamsicle - then they go WOW this is really good.

3. This icing will not melt in the out door receptions - that is if you don't leave it in the sun at 105º for 6 hours. It reacts to heat just like the regular buttercream.

4. You can make borders, roses, and etc - just like regular buttercream icing.

5. It will be a very soft ivory color because of the cream cheese. Very little color and for the better taste most brides are just fine with that tiny bit of color.

6. No we don't refrigerate the cakes once they have this icing on them.

7. After we are through with the icing for the week it goes in the refrigerator until the next week when it is needed. The next week take it out of the refrigerator the night before you need it and use up what you have left and then make more to continue with the cakes. If you don't use it all just put it back in the refrigerator until you need it again. I have never had any of this type of icing go bad using this proceedure with the icing. This icing is really very stable to use.

8. I have eaten cakes with this icing on them (kept at room tempreture appx. 75º) after they are a week old and it was just fine. If your customers want to refrigerate the cake that is fine but it isn't absolutely essential.
Cream Cheese Buttercream Icing

Maximum recipe for a 5 Qt. mixing bowl

5 1/2 lbs. of powdered sugar
3/4 C +2T warm water
1 T Butavan
12 oz. warm cream cheese
1 1/4 lb. of solid shortning with the transfats (Not Crisco)
(Sweet-tex, Alpine or even a store brand - must have the transfats)
1 1/2 t. salt

Mix with the paddle beater by hand until slightly moistened and the place on the mixer.

The air can be worked out of the icing by starting the motor on the mixer on slow and lifting the bowl of icing up and down several times until the air is worked out. Additional water may be added for a softer icing. Finish beating until smooth.

Transfer into storage containers being careful to not put lumps of unmixed icing stuck to the sides of the bowl into the containers.

For additional flavor add flavorings to your icing. The orange in the chocolate buttercream is wonderful. These flavors are strong and very tasty - they don't add any color to your icing.
Small Recipe of the Cream cheese buttercream icing

2 lbs. of powdered sugar
1/3 C. warm water
1 1/2 t. Butavan
3 1/2 oz. cream cheese
7 oz. solid shortning with the transfats (Not Crisco)
(Sweet-tex, Alpine or even a store brand - must have the transfats)
dash of salt.

Mix as above instructions

Cream Cheese Chocolate Buttercream Icing

Maximum for 5 Qt. Mixing bowl

5 lbs. of powdered sugar
16 oz. can of cocoa or 2 cups
1 3/8 C of warm water
1 T. Butavan
12 oz. warm cream cheese
1 1/4 lb. of solid Crisco shortning with the transfats (Not Crisco)
(Sweet-tex, Alpine or even a store brand - must have the transfats)
1 1/2 t. salt

Mix the same as above instructions

Smaller recipe of the Chocolate Cream Cheese Icing

2 lbs. powdered sugar
3/4 C. Cocoa
1/3 C. warm water
1 1/2 t. Butavan
3 1/2 oz. warm cream cheese
7 oz. solid shortning with the transfats (Not Crisco)
(Sweet-tex, Alpine or even a store brand - must have the transfats)
dash of salt

Mix the same as above instructions

Sugar Free Icing
that you can do simple borders with.

I found this recipe in a book called "Out of the Sugar Rut" and made a couple of adaptations to make it taste and work better.

Cream cheese frosting #2

2 packages (8 oz. each) cream cheese, softened
2 Tbsp. butter
2 Tbsp. vanilla
1/3 cup honey
2 egg whites, beaten stiff
1 package of instant sugar free vanilla/chocolate/etc pudding

In medium bowl, with electric mixer at medium speed, beat the cream cheese with the butter and vanilla until creamy. Add honey. Beat 3 minutes more. Add instant pudding and beat until dissolved. Fold in beaten egg whites and mix thoroughly. Spread thickly over top of cake. You can make basic borders and decorations with this icing.

Rolled Fondant Icing
made from Scratch
with tips and hints

Cake Preparation

1. Most firm cakes will work under the rolled fondant. The cake must be able to support the weight of the icing and not break off on the edges.
2. Trim the top edge of the cake and then crumb coat the cake
3. Just before preparing the rolled fondant to place on the cake - ice your cake
4. Prepare your surface to roll out the fondant
5. Knead the fondant to soften and make pliable
6. Roll out the fondant on heavy plastic surface
(You can use a cabinet top - making sure to keep the under surface loosened with powdered sugar and cornstarch mixture - With this method you must lift the icing over the cake on a rolling pin or your hands)
7. Invert the icing and heavy plastic and place over the cake
8. Gently peel the rolled fondant from the plastic and smooth and work on the cake (I find a little powdered sugar on my hands helps with the initial forming over the cake)
9. Trim away the excess with a pizza cutter
10. Continue smoothing with the fondant smoother
11. Mark or trim as needed

Various Techniques to use with Rolled Fondant

1. Painting directly on the fondant using Vodka or Everclear with food colors
2. Crimping (Must be done while icing is fresh )
3. Brushed Embroidery (Must be marked while icing is fresh)
4. Inlay work (Must be done while icing is fresh)
5. Trim with - fondant or gumpaste ruffles - fondant smocking - string work - curtain work - lace points - Embroidery - small gumpaste arrangements - airbrush - small plaques - molded pieces and etc.

Rolled Fondant

Place 3 T. of cold water in heat proof container - sprinkle 1 T. Gelatin over the cold water - place in a pan of warm water (NOT HOT)
Add 1T. Edible Glycerin - 2 T. Crisco - 1/2 C. Glucose to this liquid mixture
and leave over low heat until all ingredients are a clear liquid
Sift at least 2 lbs. of sifted pwd. sugar into a large bowl and make a shallow well in the middle - pour the warm liquid into the shallow well and begin to work sugar gently into the warm liquid with a spoon or spatula
When this mixture begins to get to thick to work any more sugar into it. Grease one hand (Remove Jewelry) and begin to knead the sugar into it until you get the right consistency
(Keep the other hand out of it for answering the phone or whatever)

OR you can purchase ready made fondant such as Bakels/Pettinice, Satin Ice, FondX or Chocolate Fondant

You can mix Gumpaste, fondant, rolled buttercream choco-pan or choco-paste depending on the dough you need. Gumpaste for more strength and hard consistency. Rolled buttercream for a soft dough that dries very slowly. Chocolate dough's to add moisture and slow drying time.

Here is a chart I use to know how much fondant I need for a cake.

Bakel's chocolate fondant is very dark chocolate - We mix 1 1/2 lbs. of the chocolate fondant with 1/2 lb. of the white fondant for a softer color chocolate icing.
Rolled Buttercream

Equal portions of shortning with the transfats (Not Crisco)
(Sweet-tex, Alpine or even a store brand - must have the transfats) and Karo
Such as 1 Tablespoon of each for small items or
2 cups of each for covering a cake with this type of icing
Add flavoring of your choice
Stir in powdered sugar until thick and then continue kneading in powdered sugar until you have a pliable dough. Color as needed with paste or gel colors.

You can mix Gumpaste, fondant, rolled buttercream choco-pan or choco-paste depending on the dough you need. Gumpaste for more strength and hard consistency. Rolled buttercream for a soft dough that dries very slowly. Chocolate dough's to add moisture and slow drying time.

Some of my personal favorite recipes

Excessive Chocolate Chip Cookies

Mix
1 C. butter
2 C. granulated sugar
1 C. Corn oil margarine
2 C. Dark Brown Sugar
4 large eggs (1cup)

Add
3 t. vanilla
2 T. Pure Maple Syrup

Mix dry ingredients
2 C. flour
1 C. whole wheat flour
1 C. Graham Cracker crumbs (fine) = 6 double graham crackers
5 C. Whole Oatmeal (pulverized after measuring)
3/4 t. salt
2 t. baking soda
2 t. baking powder

Add and mix all above ingredients

Stir in
2 C. small chocolate chips
1 8 oz. Hershey bar chopped roughly
1 C. chopped pecans
1 C. toasted chopped Cashews

Place golf ball size balls on insulated cookie sheets and press down lightly

Bake 20 minutes at 325 degrees

Makes approximately 100 cookies

Texas Trash Mix - for snacking - yummmmm

16 C. Cereal and pretzels - such as the corn, rice, sweetened cinnamon and wheat Chex's, Honey Nut Cherrios, and etc.
2 C. nuts (peanuts are my preference)
1 C. margarine
1 T. seasoned salt
2 T. Worchestershire Sauce
2 T. Tabasco Sauce

Scatter cereal, pretzels and nuts in a large sheet cake pan. Melt the margarine and add the salt, Worchestershire sauce and Tabasco and mix thoroughly. Drizzle over the cereal mixture stirring often.

Bake in a 200 degree oven for 1 hour stirring every 15 minutes.

Cranberry Relish

Grind 1 lb. frozen raw cranberries, 2 large cored apples, 1 large whole orange omitting the seeds.

Add
1 medium can crushed pineapple (drained)
1 cup sugar
1 cup chopped pecans

Mix well and refrigerate over night before serving. This will keep for several days in the refrigerator or months in the freezer.

Great for breakfast with toast or as a side dish at any meal.

Frozen Salad - from Nita Littlefield

Cream together in mixer
3/4 C. sugar
1 8 oz. warm cream cheese

Then add in the mixer
1 10 oz. frozen strawberries (thawed)
1 can crushed pineapple (15 oz.)
2 chopped bananas
1 C. chopped nuts

Mix well and fold in 10 oz cool whip and put in a 9 X 13 pan. Cover with foil and freeze. Take out of freezer 30 minutes before serving so it will cut in squares. Cut the whole pan into squares. Refreeze what is not used for later use.
Chris's WONDERFUL Cinnamon Rolls.

Place the following ingredients in a pan
2 Cups water
1/2 C. shortening
1 1/2 t. salt
1 C sugar
bring to a boil and then cool

Move to a large metal bowl

Add to cooled mixture
6 cups flour
2 eggs
1 pkg. dry yeast

Do not knead

I begin this process around 3 PM

When all ingredients are in the large metal bowl, let rise until double.

Punch down (around 6 PM)
let rise until double again (about 9 PM)

Punch down and divide the dough into 2 equal portions and let rest 10 minutes.

Roll out one of the portions on a floured board approximately 12" by 18".

Spread softened butter or margarine on the dough (approximately 2/3 of a stick is enough for the entire recipe)

Sprinkle generously with cinnamon (optional additions of brown sugar, raisins or nuts)

Roll up jelly roll style and cut into 12 equal parts.

Place on greased baking pans such as 8" round pans for 6 rolls or a 9 X 13 pan for 12 rolls.

Repeat for the other portion of dough

Let sit on the countertop overnight to rise. Bake in the morning at 350 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes.

Recipe makes 2 dozen and they freeze beautifully

Icing - powdered sugar, vanilla, water and a touch of vegetable oil. You can substitute concentrated orange juice for the water.

If you have questions about making these cinnamon rolls,
please feel free to call Chris at 512-864-0564
or e-mail her at wcantre1@cox.net