Never Let a Cream Cheese Shortage Stand in the Way of Carrot Cake Frosting Again (2024)

  • Skills
  • Ingredients
  • Substitutions

Ingredient Intelligence

Rochelle Bilow

Rochelle Bilow

Rochelle Bilow is a graduate of the French Culinary Institute, and the former social media manager at Bon Appétit and Cooking Light magazines. She has also worked as a cook on a small farm in Central New York and a Michelin-starred restaurant in New York City. Her first book, a food and farming memoir titled The Call of the Farm, was published in 2014. Her second book, a romance novel set in Scotland, will be published in February 2023.

Follow

published Jul 7, 2022

facebook

pinterest

email

comments

We independently select these products—if you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission. All prices were accurate at the time of publishing.

Ask almost any bagel aficionado: A schmear of good cream cheese is a necessary component to any fresh bagel. It’s also a key ingredient in many baked goods and sweet treats, like cheesecake or frosting. But what if you ran out of cream cheese? Or forgot to pick up a package during your last grocery run? What if there’s a cream cheese shortage and you can’t find any?

Happily, there are plenty of great substitutions for a variety of cream cheese-related pursuits. Keep reading to learn which cream cheese swap is best for the recipe you’re working on.

What Can You Substitute for Cream Cheese?

Not all cream cheese substitutions are equal. Some work better as a spread or in a dip, and others perform best in baked goods. Ten tried-and-true cream cheese swaps are thick strained yogurt, sour cream, Neufchâtel cheese, vegan cream cheese, mascarpone, ricotta, cottage cheese, fresh goat cheese, butter, and silken tofu. Keep reading to learn about the ingredients that work when you don’t have cream cheese.

When to substitute strained yogurt for cream cheese

Strained yogurt is thick and creamy —Greek yogurt or Icelandic skyr are examples. These work very well in place of cream cheese in creamy or baked recipes like this casserole. And here’s a crucial tip: Because cream cheese is high in fat, it’s a good idea to buy yogurt made with whole milk, rather than 2% or skim. The texture will be much closer to traditional cream cheese.

When to substitute sour cream for cream cheese

Sour cream has a slightly more sour tang than cream cheese, but it adds a comparable luscious richness. It’s best in dips and sauces, as opposed to baked goods.

When to substitute Neufchâtel cheese for cream cheese

If your grocery store is out of cream cheese, there’s a good chance it’s also low on Neufchâtel. But it doesn’t hurt to check —or stock up when you can. The authentic French version of this cheese has a lightly bloomed rind (think: Brie, but way less fatty). American versions are very similar to cream cheese in taste and texture, but they contain less fat than regular cream cheese. Essentially, it’s the original low-fat cream cheese. You can substitute Neufchâtel one-to-one for cream cheese in many recipes, including dips, spreads, sauces, and desserts.

When to substitute vegan cream cheese for cream cheese

Jennifer Walls, one of the founders of all-diets-welcome bakery The Sweet Praxis in Syracuse, New York, uses plant-based cream cheese for many of the bakery’s treats. “Miyoko’s is very tasty,” she says, adding that she sometimes makes her own vegan cream cheese at home. Store-bought vegan cream cheese will be your safest bet when it comes to baking, as the texture very closely matches the original stuff.

When to substitute mascarpone cheese for cream cheese

This Italian cheese is incredibly thick, creamy, and sweet with a subtle tang. Sound familiar? Mascarpone is very close in texture and taste to cream cheese, making it one of the best all-around substitutes. Try it on a bagel!

When to substitute ricotta cheese for cream cheese

Another Italian winner, ricotta can be swapped in for cream cheese with a little jazzing-up. Because it has curds, you’ll want to blend it or put it in the food processor before baking with it. Of course, if it’s a cheesecake you wanted to make, you could always ditch the New York Style entirely for the Italian version, which relies on ricotta.

When to substitute cottage cheese for cream cheese

Think: ricotta, but curdier. The curds in cottage cheese are large and pronounced, so definitely don’t skip the blending step before cooking or baking with it.

10 Totally Irresistible Recipes That Start with Cream Cheese

Read More

It doesn’t hurt to drain off the liquid in thin or watery versions before blending, either. You won’t fool anyone into thinking cottage cheese is a traditional bagel topper, but it can get the job done in both savory and sweet casseroles.

When to substitute fresh goat cheese for cream cheese

Goat cheese has a more distinctive flavor than cream cheese (both fans and detractors call it “barnyard-y”), but it can be a decent swap. Fresh goat cheese, or chevre, is crumblier than cream cheese, so it will help to blend it with a little whole milk before using it in recipes. Try it in vegetable dips that call for cream cheese.

When to substitute butter or vegan butter for cream cheese

Walls says that vegan butter is her bakery’s trick for authentic-tasting plant-based frosting. “For cream cheese icing on cakes, we make an American buttercream with Earth Balance instead of butter —we also add lemon juice and vanilla extract to mimic the tang of cream cheese,” she says. It’s the finishing touch on their vegan carrot cake.

When to substitute silken tofu with lemon for cream cheese

Tofu, made from fermented soybeans, is not a flavor twin to cream cheese. (Adding lemon and a splash of vanilla will help.) But texturally speaking, it performs similarly in baked goods. Try it in a pudding to see for yourself. Be sure to buy silken, not firm or extra-firm, tofu.

How to Make Cream Cheese Substitutions When Baking

Some cream cheese swaps can be made free-form, or by “eye-balling.” As a general rule, recipes that rely on cream cheese to add saucy richness —like casseroles and dip —can be approached with creativity.

On the other hand, baked goods that require science and exact ingredient ratios — again with the cheesecake —should be approached with precision. Seek recipes that address the different ingredients and are formulated to accommodate their different chemistry. For example, instead of just using vegan cream cheese in place of cream cheese in your favorite NY-style cake, follow a recipe that includes the plant-based stuff in its ingredient list.

Final Thoughts

It’s frustrating to find yourself out of cream cheese in the middle of a recipe. To avoid the headache, stock up on extra tubs or bricks of cream cheese. Unlike another common elusive baking ingredient, buttermilk, cream cheese lasts for a long time in the fridge. You can freeze cream cheese, too; just be sure to wrap it tightly in plastic and store it in a freezer-safe container.

Filed in:

Ingredient

Never Let a Cream Cheese Shortage Stand in the Way of Carrot Cake Frosting Again (2024)

FAQs

How long can you keep carrot cake with cream cheese frosting? ›

Refrigerator: If you have cream cheese frosting on your homemade carrot cake, it's best to refrigerate it. A carrot cake with cream cheese frosting can last in the refrigerator for 5 to 7 days. Make sure to keep it in an airtight container or cover it with plastic wrap to maintain its quality.

Which of the following types of frosting are usually perfect for carrot and velvet cakes? ›

CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

Simple ingredients like butter, cream cheese and powdered sugar are combined to make this decadent frosting that is perfect for adding to red velvet cake, cinnamon rolls or carrot cake.

What is carrot cake icing made of? ›

With only four ingredients — butter, cream cheese, vanilla extract, and powdered sugar — the best cream cheese frosting recipe is one that gets the proportions just right. This recipe keeps things pleasantly tangy by using one part butter to two parts cream cheese, which helps balance the sweetness.

Why did my carrot cake flop? ›

When the batter is too wet, it causes the center of the cake to inflate quickly and fall halfway through baking.

How do you store a cake with cream cheese frosting overnight? ›

If your cake is frosted with cream cheese or ganache, make sure to cover it and keep it in an airtight container in the fridge. Covering your cake prevents the air from making it dry.

Does canned cream cheese frosting need to be refrigerated? ›

So, does cream cheese frosting need to be refrigerated? Absolutely yes, and that goes for store-bought and homemade cream cheese frosting.

What is the hardest frosting to make? ›

Italian Meringue Buttercream

This is considered one of the very difficult methods for making buttercream because the sugar syrup must be cooked to a specific temperature and then, while piping hot, poured into the whipped egg whites.

What frosting do professionals use for cakes? ›

Swiss meringue buttercream is probably the most standard buttercream for pastry professionals. It is incredibly smooth, making it an extremely popular choice for icing cakes. Compared to American buttercream, it has a much stronger butter flavor, but is considerably less sweet.

Which is better, cream cheese or buttercream frosting? ›

For instance, carrot cake, red velvet cake, and other moist cakes are commonly made with cream cheese frosting. Its tangy flavor is a perfect addition to spiced cakes, cupcakes, and breads, but it's less versatile than buttercream, which offers a sweeter flavor that pairs with just about any dessert you bake.

What is the fancy name for carrot cake? ›

Carrot cake (also known as passion cake) is cake that contains carrots mixed into the batter.

Why not use butter in carrot cake? ›

Carrot cake is oil-based, rather than butter-based. This keeps it moist and helps it last for days. Unfortunately, it also means you lose the leavening power that creaming butter and sugar would bring. (Creaming, or beating together the two ingredients on high speed, aerates the butter.)

Why is my carrot cake frosting runny? ›

If yours is too runny, you've probably got too high a proportion of butter and/or milk. I don't want to say you've got too little sugar, because although this may be the case, if what you're going for is a less sweet frosting adding sugar would be kind of contradictory.

Why did my carrots turn black in my carrot cake? ›

Carrots contain pigments that are sensitive to changes in pH balance. When the shreds of carrot come into contact with the alkaline baking soda, a chemical reaction takes place that causes the pigments to change color.

Why does carrot cake have to be refrigerated? ›

Don't Let Carrot Cake Be A Breeding Ground For Bacteria

Carrot cake is dense and moist thanks to some combination of butter, milk, eggs, buttermilk, sour cream, and cream cheese, all of which are perishable and are breeding grounds for bacteria, including Salmonella.

Why does carrot cake taste weird? ›

Using baking powder (a chemical leavening agent) often becomes tricky. How much is enough to leaven dense, oil-based cakes like carrot cake? Sometimes, we end up using too much baking powder to help this type of cake rise, and this mistake can unfortunately make them taste bitter or like chemicals.

How long does cake with cream cheese frosting last? ›

Typically, a cake will keep on the counter 2-3 days and 5-6 days in the fridge. If you're going to eat the cake in the next day or two and your house stays around 70 degrees or cooler, it should be fine to sit on the counter, says Jan–even if it is cream cheese frosting.

Can you decorate a cake with cream cheese frosting the day before? ›

Cream cheese frosting is perishable. Always keep your cakes / cupcakes frosted with cream cheese in the fridge. The bakes will stay good upto 4-5 days refrigerated.

Can carrot cake that has a cream cheese icing on it be stored in the freezer? ›

You can actually freeze Carrot Cake baked and frosted! It is best to refrigerate it for about 6-8 hours before freezing so the frosting firms up and you don't ruin it. Before placing it in the freezer, be sure to wrap it well in plastic wrap then either place it in an air tight bag or container.

How long does cut carrot cake last in the fridge? ›

If your cake is iced and decorated (and uncut), it will keep for about 1 week in the refrigerator. If it has been cut, it will stay fresh in the refrigerator for roughly 2 to 3 days.

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Recommended Articles
Article information

Author: Frankie Dare

Last Updated:

Views: 6481

Rating: 4.2 / 5 (73 voted)

Reviews: 80% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Frankie Dare

Birthday: 2000-01-27

Address: Suite 313 45115 Caridad Freeway, Port Barabaraville, MS 66713

Phone: +3769542039359

Job: Sales Manager

Hobby: Baton twirling, Stand-up comedy, Leather crafting, Rugby, tabletop games, Jigsaw puzzles, Air sports

Introduction: My name is Frankie Dare, I am a funny, beautiful, proud, fair, pleasant, cheerful, enthusiastic person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.