The first time I swirled this Blueberry Cream Cheese Frosting onto a cupcake, my entire kitchen filled with the most incredible aroma—a sweet, buttery, and deeply fruity perfume that made everyone who walked in immediately ask, “What are you making, and can I have some?” I’d been searching for a frosting that was less cloyingly sweet and more vibrantly flavorful, something that tasted like summer in a bowl. This recipe, born from a pint of perfect blueberries and a happy accident of over-softening my cream cheese, was the answer. It’s a gorgeous, creamy lavender-hued dream that’s just as delicious licked straight from the spoon as it is piled high on a cake. It completely changed my dessert game.
Ingredients
- 1 cup fresh blueberries
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 cup (2 sticks) salted butter, softened
- 16 ounces (2 full blocks) cream cheese, softened
- 6 cups powdered sugar, sifted
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
This ingredient list is short, but each item plays a crucial role. I tested this with both fresh and frozen blueberries, and fresh berries give a much more vibrant, true-blueberry flavor and a prettier color. Please, use salted butter. It cuts through the sweetness and enhances all the other flavors in a way unsalted butter just can’t achieve—don’t skip this, it makes a huge difference. For the cream cheese, I’ve learned the hard way that the full-fat brick-style is non-negotiable. The spreadable tubs have stabilizers that will make your frosting too soft. As for the powdered sugar, sifting might seem like a tedious step, but it’s the secret to a frosting so silky smooth, you’ll never feel a single grain of sugar.(See the next page below to continue…)