Quick and Easy Cream Cheese Frosting with Variations
rec.food.cooking/Cyndal

1 (3-oz) package cream cheese at room temperature (NOT light cream cheese)
2 tablespoons butter at room temperature
1 tsp vanilla
3 cups confectionery sugar

Using a wooden spoon, mix the first 3 ingredients together fully until you can see no more bits of either butter or cream cheese. (Use a wooden spoon for this, as using a mixer tends to take more time by way of having to keep emptying the beaters of chunks of cream cheese or butter.)

When totally blended, use your mixer to mix in the confectionery sugar.

NOTE: Do this in 1/2 cup measurements, and be sure to have the mixer on low, as the confectionery sugar tends to fly up all over since is it so powdery.

Possibly after you have added the 2nd cup of confectionery sugar, you may have to add 1-2 teaspoonfuls of milk. If (and only if) necessary, add one teaspoon of milk and continue adding the confectionery sugar until everything is mixed together into the frosting. If you need to add another teaspoon of milk, then do so.

This should make more than enough to frost most average-sized cakes. Some additional things to do are below:

For chocolate frosting:

Add two to three heaping tablespoonfuls of baking cocoa to the confectionery sugar and sift them together a few times before you add the sugar to the cream cheese/butter/vanilla mixture. Proceed with the rest of the recipe.

For peppermint frosting(great for the holidays!):
Instead of the vanilla, add 1/2 tsp of peppermint flavoring, and after you are done mixing the sugar in, add 1-2 drops of red food coloring. Unless you like a REALLY strong peppermint taste, do not add more than 1/2 tsp of the peppermint flavoring. I've tested it a number of times and find that any more than this amount makes the frosting 'stink' too much. :) For a more spirited holiday topper, you can also add small smashed-up bits of candy canes too. Just sprinkle these atop the cake once frosted.

For a minty frosting:
Instead of the vanilla, add 1-2 teaspoonfuls of creme de menthe to your frosting after it is thoroughly mixed. Although it probably is not necessary, if you do like it quite green, add a small drop of green food coloring after totally mixing in the creme de menthe.

For cocoamint frosting:
If you prefer a chocolate and peppermint taste, follow the instructions for chocolate and peppermint frosting. If you prefer the chocolate and creme de menthe kind of taste, follow the instructions for those two.

For Lemon-Zing frosting:
Instead of vanilla flavoring, add 1/2 tsp of lemon flavoring (NOT lemon juice!!!) and 1/2 tsp. of freshly grated lemon zest (or 1/4 tsp of the dried lemon peel). If you like, after the frosting is mixed thoroughly, you can add a drop of yellow food coloring. This works really well on a lemon or white cake. I know it sounds strange, but my personal favorite is this Lemon-Zing frosting on a spice cake. Try a small dab of it on a piece of your own spice cake first. Some may like it, some may not.. and others may never use plain cream cheese frosting again!!!!!

For Florida Sunshine frosting:
Instead of vanilla flavoring, add 1/4 tsp of orange flavoring, 1 Tbsp. of frozen orange juice(not hard to steal some before you make orange juice in the morning!), and 1/2 tsp. of freshly-grated orange zest(or 1/4 tsp of the dried orange zest). This works well atop a white cake and some of my friends have later used this atop a gingerbread cake. Experiment around.