Transform your baked goods with this sweet and glossy Cream Cheese Glaze.
I’m not proud to admit this, but sometimes, I choose a pastry from the bakery case just so I can lick off the sweet glaze on top. I usually do this in the privacy of my own home or, if I can’t wait, in my car! Sure, it was fine to do that when I was a little kid, but people frown on grown women licking glaze off a cinnamon roll. But when it’s a cream cheese glaze, I simply cannot resist.
It’s not that I don’t love frosting and icing—I do!—but I don’t have that same temptation to lick frosting off a cupcake. A glaze just has such a light, elegant texture, especially this cream cheese glaze, and with its tart sweetness, it also adds the perfect extra layer of flavor to so many treats. Because you are in control of its consistency, cream cheese glaze is also very versatile: it can be brushed on or drizzled over anything you are inclined to pair it with.
Once you’ve allowed your cream cheese and butter to soften, this recipe takes only minutes to make. In fact, I often whip it up while whatever baked good I want to put it on is cooling. Lemon juice is optional in our recipe, but we highly recommend adding it—that citrusy flavor balances the sweetness from the powdered sugar and the tang from the cream cheese perfectly. And did I mention how beautiful it is? It just elevates whatever it is drizzled upon.
Like this delicious Pumpkin Bread!
Frosting Vs Icing Vs Glaze
Although they are all made with the same or similar ingredients, frosting, icing and glaze are each their own thing. Frosting is the thickest of the three; it is spreadable, which of course is why it is so perfect for filling and covering cakes. Icing is generally thinner than frosting and is usually poured over or piped onto baked goods; it also will become firm after it’s set for a bit. Glaze is the thinnest of the three, will not harden, and is used to brush, drizzle, or spoon over baked sweets.
How To Make Ahead And Store
Cream cheese glaze can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days and in the freezer for up to 1 month (thaw overnight in the fridge before serving).
Is The Corn Syrup In This Recipe Unhealthy?
According to a registered dietician quoted in an article from USA Today, consuming standard corn syrup (not to be confused with high-fructose corn syrup, the kind used in most processed foods) in small amounts as part of a well-balanced diet is generally safe.
Serving Suggestions
Cream cheese glaze is, naturally, the best topping for Cinnamon Rolls but wait until you try it on these Pecan Sticky Buns. The lemon in the glaze also makes it the absolutely perfect topping for this Orange Sunshine Coffee Cake. And if you don’t have any clotted cream around (ummm, I usually don’t), drizzle cream cheese glaze on top of any kind of sweet scone: Strawberry, Cranberry-Orange, Cinnamon, or Chocolate.
Cream cheese glaze is also delicious on all kinds of fruit breads (Banana, Applesauce) and on so many cakes (especially this Lemon Bundt Cake). But one of my favorite ways to use it is for a really special breakfast treat drizzled on a stack of Buttermilk Pancakes (which I then cover in chopped up Candied Pecans).
Cream Cheese Glaze
Ingredients
- 4 ounces cream cheese softened
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter softened
- 1 tablespoon corn syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3/4 cup powdered sugar sifted
- Lemon juice to taste optional
- 1-2 tablespoons milk
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, beat the cream cheese and butter together until smooth.
- Mix in the corn syrup, vanilla extract, and powdered sugar until well combined. Add lemon juice to balance sweetness if desired.
- Gradually add milk, one tablespoon at a time, until the glaze reaches your desired consistency.
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