Halloween Doughnut Cake with Cream Cheese Icing

I had a new cake pan to try out, so I thought I'd make this oversized Halloween doughnut as a thank you for a craft-loving friend who did a huge favor for me.  I made a basic spice cake from a mix to see how the pan would fill and brown.  

To make it a little special, I wanted to try a cream cheese icing from scratch, something I'd never done before.  The main reason for doing it homemade:  I wanted something a bit runnier than the can at the grocery store so it would resemble a doughnut glaze in the way it would lay down the sides of the cake.  I searched online and came up with an unusual recipe that utilized ricotta cheese.  It turned out supremely yummy!  I definitely want to bookmark this recipe so I decided to reprint it here.

I used some Wilton spray icing coloring to add a green glow, then layered graham cracker crumbs with Halloween pumpkin sprinkles.  I was really pleased with how festive it turned out! 

Cream Cheese Icing with Ricotta

2 tbsp softened butter
4 oz cream cheese softened
1/2 c ricotta cheese
1 tsp vanilla
2 c powdered sugar

What's your favorite recipe for icing?  Do you even measure out the ingredients precisely, or just pour until you reach a desired consistency?  Can you freeze leftover icing?  Please leave a comment below.