Food In The Fort

My dad put this frosting atop the “Surprise Carrot Cake” and it was the perfect complement. The original recipe below produces more icing than you’ll probably need unless you really like to spread it on thick (I do, when it comes to frosting, my dad, not so much). Dad also cut way down on the sugar (I have to agree that a pound of powdered sugar is pretty crazy). I’ve italicized his changes in parentheses after each ingredient.

Where Daddy dearest and I really disagree, though, is on the necessity of making frosting from scratch at all.  For my money, Betty Crocker and her friend Poppin’ Fresh do a splendid job for about $2.50 a canister and it beats the hell out of having four cups of confectioner’s sugar flying every which way. But I’m a lazy slacker who’s always looking for the quick ‘n’ easy way and Dad’s a true cook who actually sifts flour and performs other labor-intensive procedures.

In short, homemade’s better, but Betty’s fine in a time-crunch. I certainly enjoyed every bite of the carrot cake and cream cheese frosting and wished I had been there to lick the spoon!

Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients

(measurements in italics are for my dad’s reduced quantity, less sweet version)

• 6 Tbsp butter or margarine, at room temperature (4 1/2 Tbsp)
• 1 (8 oz) package cream cheese, at room temperature (6 oz)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract (3/4 tsp)
• 4 cups (1 lb) powdered sugar (2 cups)
• 1-2 Tbsp milk (3/4 - 1 1/2 Tbsp)

Preparation

1. Beat cream cheese, butter/margarine and vanilla with electric mixer until well combined.
2. Gradually add powdered sugar.
3. Add milk by tablespoonful until frosting reaches a spreadable consistency.

Putting it all together

1. Place one cake layer topside down on serving plate. Spread with frosting.
2. Top with remaining cake layer, topside up.
3. Spread sides and top of cake with remaining frosting.

About the author:  I'm a Latin-teaching foodie who has lived (and eaten) in Fort Wayne for the past 10 years. I love all the ethnic grocery stores here and the great Mexican restaurants. Cooking is something that I really enjoy, although I tend to improvise a lot and experience my share of disasters. My parents are both wonderful cooks, as was my paternal grandmother (Oma), and I'm always trying to make things the way mom, dad or Oma did. Read more from this author