Vanilla Bean Cream Cheese Frosting

* Take 1 and 1/2 packages of cream cheese (12 oz.) and 1 stick (1/2 cup) butter from fridge and bring to room temperature.

* Sift 3 to 4 cups powdered sugar onto parchment paper (or tin foil).

* Cream together butter and cream cheese on medium speed.

* If you have a stand mixer, set the speed on low and SLOWLY add the powdered sugar to the butter & cream cheese (avoid the temptation to dump it all in there unless you’re dying to do a deep cleaning of all the crevices in your kitchen). If you have a hand mixer, add the powdered sugar in parts, mixing to combine after each addition to avoid a sugar catastrophe.

TIP: The sugar will determine the sweetness of the mixture–I like my frosting with the tang of the cream cheese really coming through, so I tend to add around 3 cups sugar to mine. You may like yours sweeter (and stiffer)–if so, you might want to start off with 4 cups.

* Once the powdered sugar is incorporated, add the vanilla extract, and the seeds scraped from the inside of the vanilla bean. Beat until combined (you want that vanilla bean evenly distributed through the frosting).

* Now–the dangerous part–dip a spoon in there and give it a taste. Not sweet enough? Sift some more sugar and add slowly until your desired sweetness is achieved!