Savory frosting for faux cake

[SammyB]

I'm making what I'd like to look kinda like a cake but is really cornbread. My plan is to make two skillet cornbreads and treat them like 8" cake rounds. I want to frost between the lawyers and around the cake. (Maybe I'll skip the candles.)

I've been looking for ways to make a "frosting" that would work for this and couldn't come up with anything that didn't cross over into dessert-land. The best i could think of was to make some ghee and then whip it up with a little honey. Not sure if this would work.

I tried to find an ingredient that would substitute for the powdered sugar in buttercream frosting that would stabilize it at room temperature without the sweetness. I was thinking of xanthan gum but have never worked with that before and couldn't find a butter cream xanthan gum recipe on the web (it sounds so delicious!).

Anyone have any advice?

Sam

 

[bakechef]

What about a savory whipped cream cheese like a garden vegetable or garlic and herb.

 

[Andy M.]

So you want to make a real frosting but not sweet? What flavors will be present aside from the cornbread? Is it a sweet cornbread?

 

[Dawgluver]

Mashed potatoes? Maybe mashed with cream cheese or sour cream, or Greek yogurt. Tint with beet juice or food coloring.

 

[SammyB]

The cornbread is a side (show) to a meal that is Hunger Game-themed, with a twist that "not everything is as it appears," which I thought was consistent with what we've seen of the Capitol. Guests are bringing various courses and my job as the host is the main course and side. I think the main course is going to be lamb and dried plum stew (one of Katniss's favorites). The cornbread is a side to go with the stew. I don't think a cream cheese or a mashed potatoes was what I was going for --- really more of a surprise that the cake isn't a cake. I was going to make the cornbread with buttermilk but otherwise wasn't going to add too much flavor to it.

 

[GotGarlic]

Maybe butter, honey and cornstarch?

 

[menumaker]

Would a thick carrot puree be any good? Make it thick by adding arrowroot or cornflour so that you can 'work' it. Slightly sweet but would compliment the lamb. Another idea would be celeriac puree thickened with cornflour. This would certainly go with the lamb.

 

[jennyema]

I want to frost between the lawyers and around the cake.

Thanks, Id like that. Make mine that German Chocolate Cake frosting!

Regarding your cake, maybe whipped Boursin cheese?

 

[PrincessFiona60]

Thanks, Id like that. Make mine that German Chocolate Cake frosting!

Regarding your cake, maybe whipped Boursin cheese?

ROFL!!!

I too, was thinking whipped cream cheese and half & half, maybe a smidge of cayenne pepper in it. The cayenne/paprika would make it pinkish.

 

[Oldvine]

Brian Boitano has a savory frosting for corn muffins shown on his Food Network site. Type in Bacon corn muffins in the search box.

 

[Aunt Bea]

I am part of the cream cheese crowd.

You could try whipping some liverwurst or pate with some mayonnaise and gelatin for an odd twist, sort of a liverwurst mousse.

 

[Kayelle]

Brian Boitano has a savory frosting for corn muffins shown on his Food Network site. Type in Bacon corn muffins in the search box.

Here's the link...Recipe: Brian Boitano's Bacon Corn Muffins With Savory Cream Cheese Frosting

The recipe looks great to me, and I think "cornbread cupcakes" would work much better and have the same effect you're looking for.

 

[Aunt Bea]

Last night I was thinking about this and I think I would whip up a batch of pimento cheese, made using half cheddar and half cream cheese, until it was light and fluffy.

 

[SammyB]

Great ideas. Boitanos cupcakes do sound yummy. That Liverwurst idea is also intriguing. Not sure what I'm going to do. I'll let you know. Thanks everyone.

 

[PrincessFiona60]

Only two pages of posts...we are not even close to done with this subject.

Cream cheese, sour cream whipped together with some salsa added for color.

 

[Addie]

Great ideas. Boitanos cupcakes do sound yummy. That Liverwurst idea is also intriguing. Not sure what I'm going to do. I'll let you know. Thanks everyone.

Get back here. Don't you dare leave yet. We haven't beaten this thread to death yet. We have a long way to go.

 

[CraigC]

16oz cream cheese
1/2 lb bacon
1 can French's fried onions
3oz package dried porcini mushrooms, ground to powder
Dash worcestershire sauce or to taste
Dash hot sauce or to taste
Heavy cream for thinning

Allow cream cheese to soften to room temperature. Fry bacon until really crisp, remove from skillet and drain well on paper towels. Into a food processor, with standard blade, crumble bacon and add fried onions. Process until ground fine. In the bowl of a stand mixer, equipped with paddle, add softened cream cheese and mix on medium-high until smooth. Reduce speed to low and add bacon/fried onion mixture and mushroom powder. Mix until blended. Add worchestershire and hot sauce. If needed add heavy cream to thin until you get a frosting consistency.

You can all see where I'm going with this. Sort of a bacon and onion dip frosting. Its a base to work from. BTW, I just pulled it out of my head, so no TNT.

 

[Kayelle]

16oz cream cheese
1/2 lb bacon
1 can French's fried onions
3oz package dried porcini mushrooms, ground to powder
Dash worcestershire sauce or to taste
Dash hot sauce or to taste
Heavy cream for thinning

Allow cream cheese to soften to room temperature. Fry bacon until really crisp, remove from skillet and drain well on paper towels. Into a food processor, with standard blade, crumble bacon and add fried onions. Process until ground fine. In the bowl of a stand mixer, equipped with paddle, add softened cream cheese and mix on medium-high until smooth. Reduce speed to low and add bacon/fried onion mixture and mushroom powder. Mix until blended. Add worchestershire and hot sauce. If needed add heavy cream to thin until you get a frosting consistency.

You can all see where I'm going with this. Sort of a bacon and onion dip frosting. Its a base to work from. BTW, I just pulled it out of my head, so no TNT.

Wow, it's scary in there...

Actually it sounds really good.

 

[SammyB]

Tough crowd. I'm still here.

What if we got away from the cheese concept. I could totally see that working but on the other hand, I'm not sure it's really what I'm going for with the lamb. Here's the lamb recipe I'm using. I've for a bag full of lamb shanks I'm carrying home on the train from the downtown butcher.

 

[Aunt Bea]

I would serve it with plain cornbread, polenta, mashed potatoes, couscous or a rice pilau.

I would save the layer cake idea for another time.