Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with creamcheese

I want to have my cake & frost it, too!

numinous — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 15:23:27 -0800

[Cupcake-Filter]: Why is my cream cheese frosting an irreparable mess? How can I make some that is temperature stable? Great culinary minds of the hive, I beseech you! I recently finished a test-batch of Mummy cream-cheese frosted red velvet cupcakes that I plan on making again for my younger sister’s halloween party in two weeks. They are darling and festive, and she is over the moon with the presentation. However, frosting them and having them retain their shape is a NIGHTMARE!

While the recipe I used results in a delicious frosting, it ends up being a hugely goopy mess when it warms to room temperature. Getting the ribbons to keep their shape is difficult; even applying the ribbons in the first place was a challenge, as the frosting kept melting in the bag while in my hands. Making cupcakes should never be this frustrating! (I want them to taste like love, not bitter resentment.)

I’ve tried refrigerating them first to “set” the frosting, but 20 minutes after being set on the counter the frosting begins to melt. This is problematic as these cupcakes will have to sit out in room temperature for approximately 2 hours during the course of the upcoming party.

The recipe I used is as follows:

12 ounces or 1-1/2 packages of Philly cream cheese
1/2 stick Smart Choice (Vegan Butter Substitute)
4-5 cups sifted powdered sugar
seeds of 1/2 vanilla bean
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

What is the secret to finding a temperature-stable cream cheese frosting?
Should I substitute the vegan butter with vegetable shortening? Should I be using more of something, and less of another?

I know that there must be some solution, as evidenced by the numerous cupcake bakeries (Magnolia, Sprinkles, Miette, Yummy Cupcakes, etc.) that leave their cream-cheese frosted cupcakes on display with great success (and no melting!). What is their secret? I would like the frosting to be as close to this recipe as it can be (no HFCS if at all possible, for instance), but I am definitely open to suggestion. Thank you!

How can I transport some tofu cream cheese across the Atlantic?

kdar — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 13:09:42 -0800

I'm looking for some advice about transporting tofu cream cheese for long distances. Specifically, on a flight across the Atlantic. I'm going to visit a couple of friends in Germany tomorrow. To thank them for their hospitality, I wanted to bring along some NYC bagels and cream cheese for breakfast. After reading about the EU's customs regulations and seeing that they don't allow milk-based imports from non-Schengen countries, I decided to bring tofu cream cheese (which I like better anyway, although it's not quite as classic) from one of the bagel stores in Williamsburg.

Basically, I want to know:
- what, if anything, needs to be done for this tofu cream cheese so that it doesn't spoil during the flight (which has a long layover in Dulles, so I can't count on it staying cool in the hold)?
- does this need to be declared?
- bonus points for advice on how to keep bagels fresh for 24 hours.

No, I'm not saying where I'm buying the bagels, because I don't want to get into a holy war.

Identify this bread!

Meg_Murry — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 17:45:45 -0800

What did I eat in Mexico? It was basically cream cheese-filled bread, does it have a name? On a day trip to Juarez while visiting friends in El Paso, we had lunch at a restaurant (it may have been the restaurant for which you get a margarita coupon when you buy a trolley ticket from El Paso to Juarez) where one of our party remembered an appetizer she’d had on another visit. She couldn’t remember what it was called, but described it to the waiter as “little breads with cream cheese inside.” The waiter brought out a plate of, essentially, warm white dinner rolls filled with cream cheese (i.e., the cream cheese was baked in). They were surprisingly tasty, and I’d love to know what they were and how to make them. My Mexican friends had never heard of them, and googling hasn’t turned up any answers so far. Has anyone heard of anything like this?