It takes hours to make Red Velvet cake from scratch so when I saw a box mix from either Duncan Hines or Betty Crocker I tried it and it was great. I have never used cream cheese icing. I use a variation of Waldorf icing and it is great but very fattening. And it helps if you have a KitchenAide mixer. I'll be glad to show you how to make the icing and bring my mixer if you don't have one. Send me a pm if you agree.