Name: Strawberry–Cream Cheese Frosting
Total time: 20 min
Yield: Makes 3 cups (enough for 12 cupcakes or 1 sheet cake)
Ingredients: 1½ cups (¾ ounces/21 grams) freeze-dried strawberries; 12 ounces (340 grams) cream cheese, softened; 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 6 pieces and softened; 1½ tablespoons sour cream; 1 teaspoon vanilla extract; ⅛ teaspoon table salt; 1½ cups (6 ounces/170 grams) confectioners’ (powdered) sugar

Time

20 minutes

Yield

Makes 3 cups (enough for 12 cupcakes or 1 sheet cake)

What Kids Are Saying

"The frosting was really cool because the strawberry dust adds color and strawberry flavor!" —Grayson, recipe tester, age 9

Ingredients

Ingredient check list

1½ cups (¾ ounces/21 grams) freeze-dried strawberries

12 ounces (340 grams) cream cheese, softened

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 6 pieces and softened

1½ tablespoons sour cream

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

⅛ teaspoon table salt

1½ cups (6 ounces/170 grams) confectioners’ (powdered) sugar

Test Kitchen Techniques

Why This Recipe Works

The secret ingredient to this berry delicious cream cheese frosting is freeze-dried strawberries. Since they were never heated before they were dried, they contain loads of fresh strawberry flavor, but won’t add too much liquid to the frosting. Have kids conduct a strawberry taste test: Ask them to taste a freeze-dried strawberry, a fresh strawberry, and any other strawberry-flavored items you have on hand, such as jam or ice cream. What do they notice about their flavors? Which ones taste the most like fresh strawberries?

Want more? Read the whole story

Before You Begin

To make 5 cups frosting (enough for a 2-layer cake): Increase freeze-dried strawberries to 2½ cups (1¼ ounces), increase cream cheese to 1¼ pounds, increase butter to 12 tablespoons, increase sour cream to 2 tablespoons, increase vanilla to 2 teaspoons, increase salt to ¼ teaspoon, and increase confectioners’ sugar to 2½ cups (10 ounces).

Instructions

Place strawberries in large zipper-lock plastic bag. Press out as much air as possible, then seal bag. Use rolling pin to gently pound strawberries into powder.

In bowl of stand mixer (or large bowl if using handheld mixer), combine softened cream cheese, softened butter, sour cream, vanilla, salt, and strawberry powder. Lock bowl into place and attach paddle to stand mixer, if using.

Start mixer on medium speed and beat until smooth, about 1 minute. Stop mixer. Use rubber spatula to scrape down sides of bowl.

Start mixer on low speed. Slowly add sugar, a little bit at a time, and beat until smooth, about 4 minutes.

Increase speed to medium-high and beat until frosting is light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Stop mixer. Remove bowl from stand mixer, if using.