Old Fashioned Boiled Milk Cream Cheese Frosting

From Cook's Country | October/November 2010

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS:

Our approach to Old-Fashioned Boiled Milk Cream Cheese Frosting was unconventional, but the result was fluffy, flavorful
icing the likes of which we’d never tasted. We started by heating and stirring flour and milk into a thick paste, beating
together sticks of butter and cream cheese with granulated sugar, adding the paste, and continuing to beat until the
mixture came together. To firm the icing and make it more spreadable, we adjusted the ratio of milk to flour and
substituted cornstarch for some of the flour. The original recipe left little lumps of flour suspended in the icing. Adding
sugar before heating the flour and milk mixture helped solve this problem. Straining the mixture before cooking it
eliminated any residual lumps. Adding the butter to the paste a little at a time prevented the icing from resembling
overbeaten whipped cream.

MAKES ABOUT 4 CUPS (ENOUGH FOR TWO 9-INCH CAKE LAYERS)

Whole milk makes the richest, tastiest frosting. Use a stand mixer; the frosting is too thick for a hand mixer. And plan
ahead, as the frosting needs time to cool.

INGREDIENTS

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

3 tablespoons cornstarch

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cups whole milk (see note)

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

16 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened (2 sticks), cut into 16 pieces

8 ounces cream cheese, cut into 1-inch pieces and softened

INSTRUCTIONS

1. COOK MILK BASE Combine sugar, flour, cornstarch, and salt in medium bowl. Slowly whisk in milk until smooth.
Pour mixture through fine-mesh strainer into medium saucepan. Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until
mixture boils and is very thick, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer milk mixture to clean bowl and cool to room temperature,
about 2 hours.

2. MAKE FROSTING With stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment, beat cooled milk mixture and vanilla on low
speed until combined, about 30 seconds. Add butter and cream cheese, 1 piece at a time, and beat until
incorporated, about 2 minutes. Increase speed to medium-high and beat until frosting is light and fluffy, about 5
minutes. Let sit at room temperature until stiff, about 1 hour.

MAKE AHEAD: Frosting can be refrigerated in airtight container for 1 week. When ready to use, let stand at room
temperature until softened, about 2 hours. Beat with stand mixer on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about
 1 minute.

HOW TO MAKE MIRACLE FROSTING

American buttercreams are made by beating together butter and confectioners' sugar (and sometimes milk or cream).
Miracle frosting is a whole other ball game.

1. Combine the milk with sugar, flour, cornstarch, and salt. Pour through a strainer to help eliminate
lumps.

2. Cook the strained milk mixture over medium heat until it's so thick it's difficult to whisk, about 6
minutes.

3. Cool the flour paste, transfer it to a mixer, and beat in three sticks of butter, 1 tablespoon at a
time.