Carrot cake icing - which cheese?

glider3560

My first attempt at making a proper carrot cake tomorrow. Last weekend I made just the sponge, which came out well, but didn't do any icing.

All the recipes say to use either "soft cheese" or "cream cheese". Nothing specifies this in any more detail.

I see Aldi do two types of plain soft cheese: full fat and lighter. Tesco do a Value brand just named "soft cheese".

Would any of these be ok to use in the icing? I'm tempted to go with Aldi's lighter version.

barbaraemmerson

have tried many of the cheaper brands but always end up going back to Philidelphia - half price at Tosco at the moment - always works out fine - really really fine................. have tried the lower fat ones but don't seem to come out quite the same.............

happy35

The icing is a bit softer with low fat cream cheese but still tastes nice. I use cheap cream cheese to make my icing, usually from lidl.

meritaten

I like the full fat one from Aldi. the lighter versions take a lot more icing sugar to make them feel like real cream cheese frosting.

gizwal

When I made carrot cake using the Bero recipe, the icing was butter, orange juice and icing sugar. It worked really well.

http://www.be-ro.co.uk/f_insp.html

Callie22

For carrot cake icing you need full fat cream cheese. 'Soft cheeses' etc have a lower fat content and they can go runny when you beat them. You can use the lower fat cream cheeses but they just don't work as well and you end up putting a tonne of sugar in to get them thick enough to spread, which defeats the point of a cream cheese icing, as it should be a bit 'tangy'.

Nikkisun

It needs to be full fat or the icing is too runny, Tesco value soft cheese works perfectly.

AnnieO1234

Try marscapone - with a little orange liquer in it if you want - it makes for the most lush icing on a carrot cake xxx

Finefoot

I use a store brand with a drop of lemon juice.

purpleivy

I've had disappointing results with low fat products in icings.

[Deleted User]

My DD make a delicious cheesecake at Christmas and she always uses proper philly full fat as she says its worth the extra as it sets so much better

She drizzles melted proper cadburys chocolate over the top and uses full fat double cream as well.Good job its a christmas day treat or we would be the size of a small house :):)