If you think that whipped cream cheese is just the topping for a piece of wedding cake, then you are wrong. This tasty treat has so many uses, and it can be used as a dessert or as a cheese spread.
But that is not all. Because of its low-fat content, it can also be used for fun. So, what can you do with this creamy spread? Do you want to add it to a dessert? Try it on a pizza or on a bagel.
You can also try it on a sandwich or on your favorite cracker. You can even use it as a dip for vegetables.
How to Make Whipped Cream using Cream Cheese
Instructions
Place the cream cheese and maple syrup in a large bowl. Beat until completely smooth. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
Pour 1/4 of the cream into the cream cheese mixture. Beat until completely smooth. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Repeat 3 more times for a total of 4 additions.
Add the lemon zest and vanilla and beat until smooth. Store in the refrigerator until ready to use. If you want the cream cheese whipped cream to be soft, make sure to take out of the refrigerator for about 15 minutes and give it a good whisk before serving.
Makes enough to frost a layer cake made with two 6-inch layers.
I’ll bet just reading the title of this post made you say, “Cream cheese whipped cream? WHY haven’t I thought of this before?!”
It’s such a simple addition, but oh, is it ever lovely. The cream cheese makes the whipped cream even thicker, and that bit of tang wakes up your taste buds.
You’ll need just 5 ingredients: cream cheese, cream, lemon zest, vanilla, and maple syrup.
Start by beating the cream cheese and maple syrup together until smooth. If you do this step first, it helps cut down on any clumps in the final product.
Next, you want to add the cream gradually. Pour in 1/4 of it and beat until completely smooth. Repeat 3 more times for a total of 4 additions.
This part is optional, but I really like the flavor of lemon zest in cream cheese whipped cream. It plays really well with the sharp cream cheese.
Oops, got some on my hand!
A splash of vanilla is also nice.
Now beat it once more until everything is nice and smooth and incorporated.
Look at that bowl of creamy goodness!
Now, you might be wondering how you can use cream cheese whipped cream. Well, I’m glad you asked! I have a few suggestions.
One of the simplest ways to enjoy cream cheese whipped cream is with fresh berries. You could either use it as a dip, or dollop it on top and eat with a spoon. Such a simple, fresh dessert!
It’s also yummy on waffles or pancakes. I mean, this is almost dessert status, no?
Or you can plop it on top of warm scones. Just let your heart jump for joy at the thought for a minute.
Cream cheese whipped cream makes a really nice crepe filling as well. This totally counts as a balanced breakfast, right?
You can even use it to frost a cake! It’s not as stable as a buttercream frosting, but it’s so easy. If you make sure to eat the cake right away or refrigerate it, it should be just fine.
Another idea (that I haven’t tested out yet) is to top grilled peaches with cream cheese whipped cream. Talk about the perfect end to a BBQ! Or you could serve it with brownies, strawberry shortcake, blueberry cobbler … the ideas are endless!
Notes:
1. You could totally sub orange zest for a slightly different flavor profile. It would pair nicely with chocolate.
2. Keep in mind that cream cheese whipped cream gets thicker in the refrigerator. This is perfect if you’re serving it on top of something warm since it won’t melt quite as quickly.
3. You can increase the amount of cream cheese for an even thicker and tangier whipped cream.
3 Uses for Whipped Cream Cheese
It tastes phenomenal with spiced cakes and cupcakes, but don’t limit yourself. This stuff is so versatile! Here’s plenty of recipe inspiration for your next batch:
- Spice Cake
- Banana Bread
- Homemade Brownies
For taller layer cakes, I usually add a little milk, extra cream cheese, and extra confectioners’ sugar to produce more volume.
My carrot cake and red velvet cake recipes show this higher ratio of frosting. And sometimes I add extra butter for a stronger, more buttercream-like frosting.
My lemon layer cake and coconut cake show the buttercream variation.
1) Super Moist Spice Cake
Moist, dense, and rich homemade spice cake is topped with a generous layer of tangy cream cheese frosting. Filled with comforting fall spices, this cake is perfect for cool fall days.
Chocolate? Who needs it. Spice is easily one of the best cake flavors around. It’s dense, moist, and flavorful enough that frosting isn’t even a requirement.
I can’t even believe I’m saying this but when done right, super moist spice cake doesn’t need a swipe of frosting on top. Though that’s not really stopping you and I. Cream cheese frosting is always welcomed.
This spice cake recipe is different from my spice cupcakes. Maybe it’s just me, but when I think of cupcakes– I prefer light, fluffy, soft, and springy.
No matter what that flavor is. When I think of spice CAKE, the direction is drastically opposite. Spice cake is dense and rich. It has tight crumbs and a moist texture.
More flavor in 1 bite than in an entire cupcake– we’re talking gingerbread-level flavor.
2) Banana Bread
With its super-moist texture, buttery banana and brown sugar flavors, and incredibly soft crumb, this is my favorite banana bread recipe. You need 4 ripe bananas.
This is my favorite banana bread recipe, one that I’ve cherished for years.
It’s the recipe that comes to mind first when I have leftover spotty bananas on the counter and the bread that’s on constant rotation in my freezer stash.
This is the best ever banana bread recipe and if you haven’t tried it yet, now’s the time.
I’ve tried many basic banana bread recipes and this one is my very favorite. Readers have fallen in love too! What makes this one so good?
This banana bread has the most bananas out of any banana bread I’ve ever made before. 2 whole cups of mashed banana, which is about 4 large bananas. More banana adds more moisture and flavor to the finished product.
3) Homemade Brownies
Does the world really need another brownie recipe? Yes, because these are the richest, most decadent homemade brownies you’ll ever try. The best part is that you don’t need a mixer and they’re made in only 1 bowl!
We’re doing it. A big 9×13 inch pan of homemade brownies is on the table tonight.
If you google “homemade brownies” there are 1000s of search results. (I don’t recommend doing this if you’re hungry.) I threw a brownie recipe into the running back in 2014.
They’re chewy, dense, and easy. But lately I’ve been craving something new; a different brownie option to toss into the mix.
Because that’s the best part about baking: you can constantly experiment like a mad butter-loving scientist.
And, if you think about it, we can never have enough recipes combining butter, sugar, and chocolate.
Recipes using Whipped Cream Cheese
Many of us are as likely to have tubs of whipped cream cheese in our refrigerators as the more traditional blocks.
To find out if the two are interchangeable, we used both types (measured by weight) in our Foolproof New York Cheesecake and in cream cheese frosting.
Though some tasters found the frosting made with whipped cream cheese slightly less tangy than the one made with block cream cheese, all found it acceptable.
In fact, it had a lighter, smoother texture that many preferred. The cheesecake was another story.
While both cakes looked the part, the one made with whipped cream cheese had an unacceptably granular and slightly wet consistency in comparison with the dense, creamy texture of the one made with block cream cheese.
These differences can be explained by the manufacturing process.
Block cream cheese is made by adding a cheese culture to milk and cream, which causes the proteins to coagulate slowly and produces a rich, smooth mass.
Whipped cream cheese is coagulated with lactic acid, a process that is quicker (and less expensive). It forms a tight network of small, dense protein particles, which gives the cheese a grainier texture.
But because the cheese is whipped, this graininess isn’t very noticeable when eaten as is or when used in uncooked applications like frosting (additives also help it maintain that lighter, spreadable consistency).
But when baked, the tight networks will tighten up even more and expel water. Hence, a cheesecake that is grainy and watery.
And finally, a test using our pH meter confirmed why the whipped cheese tasted less tangy than the block style:
The whipped product has a higher pH, an indicator that it contains less lactic acid, a result of being coagulated much more quickly.
CONCLUSION:
In recipes for which cream cheese is cooked, we recommend sticking with the traditional block. In cases where it is not heated, the whipped product is acceptable provided you substitute by weight.
