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Cream cheese and butter are you base.
First, place your cream cheese and butter in a good mixing bowl. Great icing needs to be heavily beaten for a good fluffy texture. The unfortunate thing about cream cheese icing is that it is not going to get really fluffy. It taste great, but doesn't really hold a shape well. Use it for the taste ... but not for decorating. - 2
Lots of flavor combinations to try.
After your cream cheese and butter are mixed really well, add the vanilla or whatever flavor you would like to enhance it with. A touch of orange, or amaretto, maybe a little espresso ... it's a little more grown up in the taste. - 3
Mix in the powdered sugar and be happy with a nice swirl.
Now add the 4 cups of powdered sugar and start mixing slowly. Too fast, and you have a big mess. After the sugar is mixed in well check to see if it is not too runny.
You can add more powdered sugar, but eventually you will have thick candy which is great in a candy mold. Not so great to spread on a cake.
Cream cheese icing is always going to be soft. It will swirl, but the peak will not really stand up well. - 4). To make a great, party dip ... make the cream cheese icing and leave it soft enough to run a cracker through ... without breaking the cracker. Stir in mini chocolate chips or nuts, or white chips and dry cranberries, or raspberries and hazelnuts, anything you can think of. Graham cracker or chocolate sticks (from the cookie aisle are great dippers. Even a none sweetened crispy bread stick is good to offset the sweet. We love it.
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