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help with frosting!

ittehbittehkitteh's picture
ittehbittehkitteh

help with frosting!

I found a recipe for a cream cheese frosting. The original recipe is listed below:

 

1.5 c confectioner's sugar

4 T butter, softened

8 oz. cream cheese, softened

2 T yogurt

I've made slight modifications to the original recipe. Original recipe called for 5 T butter, I reduced to 4 T; recipe calls for 1 T sour cream originally, I increased to 2 T and replaced it with yogurt.  It calls for both brown sugar and confectioner's sugar; the brown sugar was such a small amount (1/4 cup) that I just replaced it confectioner's sugar.

 

I'd like to make it into a pumpkin frosting.  However if I did this, would it make the frosting too soft to be piped?I  know I could remedy that by increasing the confectioner's sugar; however I don't want to do that, because if I do that I'm concerned that will make the frosting too sweet, which I'm trying to avoid. I could use sweet potato puree, since it's thicker than pumpkin puree.  If I did that, would it still be firm enough to pipe using a pastry bag?

 

 

 

 

David R's picture
David R

If I personally was making "pumpkin anything" and I planned to frost my "pumpkin anything", I would seriously consider using the frosting recipe as is (as you've already modified it I mean, since you already have it working). What kind of flavour underneath, needs pumpkin frosting?

Devil's advocate, part 2: Maybe spice the frosting as if it was pumpkin pie?

semolina_man's picture
semolina_man

By removing sour cream and butter, you have thinned the icing.   By replacing brown sugar with confectioner's sugar, you have added cornstarch (in the confectioner's), which thickens the icing. 

 

Vegetable puree, such as pumpkin and sweet potato, contain water which will thin the icing.  You are on a path to very thin icing.   

 

You have changed the chemical balance from fat (butter and sour cream) to water and starch (yogurt, confectioner's and vegetable puree).   I would not do this. 

 

If you insist on making pumpkin icing, try a test batch with whatever recipe you think is best.  Make corrections based on the result. 

 

Or do as David suggested, and spice a "traditional" cream cheese icing recipe with traditional pumpkin pie spices such as cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and cloves.  

 

What is your sponge (cake) flavor? 

aimeruni's picture
aimeruni

I saw a technique online where you cook pumpkin to thicken it; you're basically cooking it to remove some of moisture from it.  If I were to add the thickened pumpkin, would my frosting be thicker?  If by 'sponge cake' you mean a cake with a light and airy texture, (i.e. similar to chiffon cake) I wouldn't be using sponge cake, it would be a cupcake with pumpkin in the batter.

 

 

 

 

aimeruni's picture
aimeruni

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Reeni's picture
Reeni

adding raw veg puree to frosting is a bad idea for piping as well as danger of separation... the flavor of pumpkin is very mild compared to, say, raspberry or blueberry puree. Maybe try pumpkin powder sifted with the dry ingredients. If you don't want to spring for that, cook the pumpkin to evaporate as much water as possible and cut out the yogurt. Maybe also a pinch of xanthan gum or gum tragacanth if you have it to keep from separating.

Linda Kaufman's picture
Linda Kaufman

Try this recipe. This is not icing, but an interesting option. https://club.cooking/recipe/italian-meringue-buttercream/ Must be delicious :)

 

Linda Kaufman's picture
Linda Kaufman