Strawberry Cream Cheese Icing

Active time: 15 minutes | Yield: enough for 1 sheet cake or 24 cupcakes

With this recipe I wanted to try and make an icing without an electric mixer to find out if it is actually possible. I'm often trying to post recipes that are easily doable for people who don't have fancy baking equipment so I thought it was worth trying. Turns out it is possible! Naturally, it was a little lumpy, unlike a super smooth icing made with an electric mixer, but that didn't affect the flavor of the icing and it was still absolutely delicious. So hey, if you don't have an electric mixer and want to mix it by hand, you totally can.

Ingredients:

• 8 ounces (1 block) cream cheese, softened

• 113g (1 stick / ½ cup) unsalted butter, softened

• 1 ½ tsp vanilla bean paste (or vanilla extract)

• ¼ tsp salt

• 4-6 tbsp heavy cream (or milk)

• 30g (2 cups) crushed freeze dried strawberries

• 270 (2 ¼ cups) powdered sugar

Directions:

1. Place cream cheese and butter in a large mixing bowl. Use either a handheld or stand electric mixer with whisk attachment. Whisk on medium speed until cream cheese and butter are light and creamy.

2. Place freeze dried strawberries in a double zip plastic bag and use a rolling pin to crush until they are fine crumbs. Alternatively, you can place them in a food processor or blender until fine crumbs.

3. To the cream cheese mixture, add vanilla, salt, cream, freeze dried strawberries, and powdered sugar.

4. Start by mixing on low speed until sugar begins to incorporate, then increase to medium-high until your buttercream is light and fluffy.

   1. If icing is too thick, add 1-2 tbsp heavy cream and mix until incorporated, then reevaluate.

   2. If icing is too thin, add 1-2 tbsp powdered sugar and mix until incorporated, then reevaluate.

5. Ice on a completely cooled cake or cupcakes and enjoy!