Instructions: Gradually add powdered sugar, beating until smooth and creamy.

Gradually beat in milk, if necessary, until proper spreading consistency is obtained.

Blend in nuts, if desired, or sprinkle them on top of the cake after you have frosted it.

Variations:
Omit the salt and use unsalted (sweet) butter.

Add more vanilla. Try 1 Tbl, rather than 1 tsp. Then add or subtract based on taste.

Change the ratio of cream cheese to butter (2:1 in the above recipe).

I have seen ratios as low as 4:3. There is no upper bound on the ratio, as I have seen recipes which use no butter at all. Just cream cheese, vanilla and powdered sugar.

Replace half of the vanilla extract with almond extract, walnut extract, or banana extract.

Rather than using milk to thin the frosting, use 1. 1/4 C (melted) frozen orange juice and/or lemonade concentrate.

2. 1/4 C maraschino cherry juice. Stir in 1/4 C minced maraschino cherries.

Replace all or part of the nuts with toasted coconut flakes.

Replace 1/2 C powdered sugar with 1/2 C firmly packed brown sugar. Melt the brown sugar with all of the butter and a little milk. Cool.

Then beat in the cream cheese and the rest of the ingredients

(remember to remove 1/2 C of the powdered sugar).

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