Cream cheese

[PAULW]

When a recipe calls for cream cheese what do you peeps use, I have just done a carrot cake and the topping was cream cheese and icing sugar I used mascapone but it didn't set right very disappointing.

[Jeanied]

Paul I use philly.

[Alison]

I erm, well, erm, use erm cream cheese!

[Jeanied]

I can never find anything labelled just cream cheese, Alison - just philly or the own brands. But it is the best, I have to agree!

[PAULW]

Thanks for that Jeanied I will give that a try next time

[Rhona]

You can buy fresh cream cheese on the deli counter of most supermarkets, or a deli shop. As Alison says - it's just called 'cream cheese' and it's delicious stuff.

[Two_Sheds]

Supermarkets own brand of Philly (but not the garlic one for a carrot cake)

[Flummery]

Philli here to, but it doesn't actually set Paul - it always has a tendency to be wet/runny. You need a little cheese and a lot of icing sugar I find.

[Hilary B]

Sometimes called 'curd cheese' (strictly speaking 'cream cheese' is made from cream, and most of what people use is made from whole milk, or even skimmed milk) or 'full fat soft cheese'.
Other types of cake use butter icing, the icing for carrot cake is made the same way but with soft cheese instead of butter (at least that is the recipe I've seen, never actually made one, must do that some time...)

[lindyloo]

i just use philly, or whatever own brand. do you add some lemon juice to it, or as i do, a couple drops pure, 10% natural lemon essential oil. that really gives it a tang

[ginger ninger]

I've never thought of adding a splash of lemon to the topping of carrot cake, I might give it a go next time I make one...thank's for the tip lindyloo.

[lindyloo]

thank you ginger, another thing i do which you might like is- i put it in the freezer for a while , either before you ice it, or in slabs-- i really like half frozen carrot cake! it doesnt seem to entirely freeze, always a bit chewy. ( this helps if you are dieting, as it takes longer to eat!) or you could add beaten egg white to the icing to make it less runny- havent tried this but it might work.

[CaroltheCarrot]

I confess to using dairylea when i had no cream cheese noone noticed

[binley100]

On no account try and use low-fat cream cheese. Unless of course you want it as a pouring sauce.

[Hilary B]

On no account try and use low-fat cream cheese. Unless of course you want it as a pouring sauce.

Quite!! Of course if it is low fat it ISN'T cream cheese, but it still sometimes gets called that.