Peanut Butter Cream Cheese Frosting

Who's ready for a shock? I used to HATE peanut butter: the smell, the consistency, the taste, all of it. I am not quite sure when my dislike for anything peanut butter flavor changed, but I am so glad it did, and I have been making up for my peanut butter-deprived years ever since.

If peanut butter is the number one craving you get, try out my other peanut butter recipes! Like these Peanut Butter and Jelly Cupcakes, this recipe for Peanut Butter Shortbread Cookies, or this delicious Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Banana Cake.

Ingredients

To make this creamy peanut butter frosting, you will need the simple ingredients listed below. Remember to use fresh room temperature ingredients when baking. 

• Unsalted butter
• Confectioners sugar
• Cream cheese
• Pure Vanilla Extract
• Smooth peanut butter

Unsalted butter - I prefer using unsalted butter for my frostings and adding salt if necessary. For this recipe, be very careful of using salted butter and then choosing a peanut butter that already has salt in it as you could end up with a very salty frosting.

Cream cheese - There are many different brands of cream cheese and if you follow the tips below you shouldn't have an issue with which one you choose. I usually use Philadelphia cream cheese when making frostings. It has great taste and consistency.

Peanut butter - I am sure you have your preferred brand but there are some considerations when choosing which peanut butter to use when making this frosting. I like my frostings to have a smooth consistency for piping and decorating. That's why I choose smooth rather than crunchy peanut butter. Choose a salted natural peanut butter without added sugar for the best results.

See the recipe card for quantities.

Instructions

To make this delicious icing follow the simple steps below. 

STEP 1: Beat the butter. In a bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment add the room temperature butter. Beat the butter at high speed for 5 to 10 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl often and beat again. As you do this you will notice the color of the butter changing and becoming whiter. The butter is ready when all of it is fluffy and light in color.

STEP 2: Add the icing sugar. Change the attachment of the stand mixer to a paddle attachment and add the powdered sugar. Beat at low speed until incorporated.

STEP 3: Add cream cheese. Add the cubed softened cream cheese to the butter and powdered sugar mixture and beat again at medium speed. Make sure you are scraping down the sides of the bowl often to ensure that the frosting is beating evenly.

STEP 4: Add vanilla and peanut butter. Add the vanilla extract and peanut butter and beat again at medium-high speed for about 3 minutes until light and fluffy. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl often with a rubber spatula. 

Hint: Be sure not to undermix the frosting otherwise, it will be difficult to pipe onto cupcakes or smooth over the top and sides of a cake. The frosting must be fluffy and spreadable not stiff.

Frostings with Cream Cheese

Adding cream cheese to frostings is a sure way to make any frosting creamier and even more delicious. But, you have to know how to add it otherwise expect a lumpy and runny buttercream that can't be fixed.

On social media, one of the most often asked questions is how my cream cheese frostings are so pipe-able and smooth. So, let me share my tips for the perfect frosting with cream cheese.

• Have the butter and the cream cheese at room temperature
• Beat the butter first before adding the cream cheese
• Whip the cream cheese properly before adding the frosting to a piping bag

Let's talk about each of these tips because runny lumpy frostings can't be blamed on the recipes. They also can't be fixed with extra powdered sugar!

Have the Butter and the Cream Cheese at Room Temperature

This step cannot be overlooked, part of the reason why cream cheese frostings go wrong is because people overwhip the frosting to try to get rid of the lumps.

These lumps are actually from using cold butter. And when you try to whip them away, you overwhip the cream cheese, which loses its creamy consistency and becomes runny. So, start with room-temperature ingredients and you'll be well on your way to creating creamy peanut butter and cream cheese frostings.

Beat the Butter First Before Adding the Cream Cheese

Butter is always the problem, whether it's making cakes or making the frostings to decorate them. So, beat the butter on its own before adding the cream cheese. This way you can get the butter light, white, and fluffy making sure it's ready for the cream cheese. This is my favorite tip when making any frostings.

Whip the Cream Cheese Properly Before Adding the Frosting to a Piping Bag

I understand that so many recipes say don't overbeat the cream cheese and I get that, I have mentioned it here too. But don't be too scared to whip it either. About two minutes at high speed is good, scrape down the sides of the bowl and beat the frosting again for about another minute. At this point, you should have a smooth and super spreadable frosting, perfect for sheet cakes, cupcakes, or even cookies!

Variations

I think this recipe is perfect the way it is but you may not be a fan of cream cheese frostings! If that is the case you can use this Vanilla Buttercream recipe and add the peanut butter at the end. Start with about 40g of peanut butter and take it from there.

If you are wondering what to spread this frosting over I have so many recipes for you to choose from! Try out this frosting on these Chocolate Fudge Cupcakes or this recipe for a Chocolate Bar One Cake, both will go so well with this frosting recipe.

Equipment

To make this decadent peanut butter cream cheese frosting recipe you will need a rubber spatula and an electric mixer, either an electric hand mixer or a stand mixer.

I always use a stand mixer to make buttercreams as they help ensure a fluffy frosting. I also always use an accurate kitchen scale when baking.

Depending on how you use this frosting you may need piping bags, different nozzles, and an offset spatula. 

Storage

If you need to make this easy peanut butter frosting ahead of time or have leftover frosting just be sure to store it in an airtight container in the fridge. The frosting will keep for up to a week when stored this way. Be sure to remove the frosting from the fridge and allow it to come to room temperature before beating it again in a stand mixer for a couple of minutes.

If you decide to make this homemade peanut butter frosting, please leave a comment and star rating below and let me know if these tips helped you! I would love to hear from my fellow peanut butter lovers. 

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Happy Baking

With Love,

Kitty