White Chocolate Cream Cheese Buttercream

Steve_G's Note:

This is an ivory colored buttercream with a slight tang. I like to fill carrot cakes with it, but it's good enough for any yellow cake as well. From Rose Levy's "The Cake Bible". One batch should be enough to fill one 9-inch cake.

• Total Time: 20 mins
• Prep Time: 20 mins
• Cook Time: 0 mins

Ingredients:

Serves: 16

Yield: 4.75 cups

• 9 ounces white chocolate , melted and cooled
• 12 ounces cream cheese , softened
• ¾ cup unsalted butter , softened (170 gms)
• 1 -2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 ½ tablespoons lemon juice (optional)

Directions:

1. Coarsely chop the chocolate and melt in a double boiler over 160°F water.
2. Don't allow the water to touch the bottom of the bowl.
3. Stir the chocolate until smooth, 10 minutes or so.
4. •OR you can melt the chocolate in the microwave, stirring every 15 seconds, remove before fully melted and finish with residual heat.
5. Allow chocolate to cool.
6. In a mixing bowl beat the cream cheese with a flat beater until smooth and creamy, gradually beat in the cooled chocolate until smooth.
7. Beat in the butter, vanilla and optional lemon juice.