How Do I Stop My Chocolate Guinness Cake Frosting From Being Too Runny?

Our answer

Nigella's Chocolate Guinness Cake (from FEAST](/books/feast) is a moist chocolate cake that has a particularly light and airy cream cheese frosting, emulating the frothy "head" of a pint of Guinness. This frosting is slightly unusual as it includes cream as well as cream cheese.

Since the recipe was first written cream cheese has evolved from being a fairly firm block to being sold in plastic containers in a slightly more spreadable form, which has occasionally caused a more runny icing. If you are using UK double cream then it has a higher fat content, which usually helps to thicken up the icing as it is whisked. The first thing we would mention is to make sure that you are using the full fat version of cream cheese (also known as "soft cheese" in the UK). The reduced fat (Neuchatel in the US) and low fat versions have a higher water content, which can cause the icing (confectioners') sugar to dissolve and give a runny icing. Also, it can help to use the cream cheese and cream while they are cold rather than at room temperature. When you open the package, drain off any excess liquid before using the cream cheese. If you are using anything other than UK double cream then it is better to whisk the cream to soft peaks first and then fold it into the cream cheese, as directed in the recipe.