This is my family favorite BEST cream cheese frosting recipe! It goes great on Carrot Cake, Red Velvet Cake, and just about any other flavor cake or cupcake you can imagine. I’ve been making this cream cheese icing for years!
If I had things my way, every cake and every cupcake would be be buried beneath a mountain of cream cheese frosting.
Not buttercream — Never rarely buttercream — always and only cream cheese. For someone with such a rampant sweet tooth, it’s alarming the number of times I’ve turned down a slice of cake or a sky-high frosted cupcake because the buttercream just makes my teeth hurt (OK full disclosure I have a buttercream recipe coming up on the blog next month, and it’s delicious, but cream cheese frosting will always win over my heart, even over my favorite chocolate frosting).
While buttercream frostings are usually too sweet, cream cheese frosting I could eat with a spoon, and this recipe is every bit as versatile as buttercream — it’s sturdy, pipe-able, can be dyed, and, most importantly, it’s delicious.
Tips for Making Cream Cheese Icing:
- Make sure that you are using full-fat brick cream cheese, not low fat or spreadable cream cheese (which is usually sold in a tub rather than in brick form).
- I always like to use unsalted butter and add a dash of salt so that I have complete control over the flavor of the frosting. However, if you only have salted butter on hand then just omit the salt called for in the recipe.
- Make sure you allow your cream cheese and your butter to soften before making your frosting! Softening the butter and cream cheese ensure that your ingredients will combine well and be lump free.
- If you intend to pipe your frosting, I recommend sifting your powdered sugar before mixing it into your butter/cream cheese mixture, as small lumps of sugar can clog up your piping tips, especially if you’re using a smaller tip.
Can cream cheese frosting be used for piping?
- Yes! Especially with this recipe because it is nice and thick. Now, this frosting (as with most) is prone to melting in hot weather, but it pipes nicely and as you can see in the photos it holds its shape neatly as well.
How do I make my cream cheese frosting thicker?
- What I love about this recipe is that it already makes a nice thick frosting, but if needed you can add more powdered sugar to make your cream cheese frosting even thicker. I recommend adding about 2 Tablespoons at a time until the desired thickness is reached. Alternatively you can add cornstarch… see more on that below.
Can I add cornstarch to my cream cheese frosting?
- Yup! While this recipe does not call for it, if you need a particularly stiff frosting or are looking to make your frosting thicker without making it sweeter, you can add cornstarch (in fact, I use this technique for my carrot cake cookies). I don’t recommend adding more than a few Tablespoons, so start with just one Tablespoon at a time until desired thickness is reached.
Alright, while (in my humble opinion) cream cheese frosting goes great with everything, there are certain cakes and cupcakes that complement it particularly well. Wednesday I’ll be sharing one of my favorite cupcakes with you — the exact cupcakes seen in the photos above.
Can you guess what flavor they are???
How to Make Cream Cheese Frosting
Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter softened (113g)
- 8 oz cream cheese softened (brick-style, not spreadable) (226g)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 4 cups powdered sugar* (500g)
Instructions
- Combine butter and cream cheese in the bowl of a stand mixer (or you may use an electric mixer) and beat until creamy, well-combined, and lump-free.
- Add vanilla extract and salt and stir well to combine.
- With mixer on low, gradually add powdered sugar until completely combined.
- Use to frost completely cooled cake or cupcakes.
Anais Meylan says
This is absolutely delicious, but how long is the frosting good for? I have 2 cups of leftover frosting, and i put them in my fridge for now, but i might freeze it so that i can reuse it for later!
Sam says
I am so glad you enjoyed it! It should last about a week in the refrigerator in an air tight container. You can freeze it. 🙂
Nora says
I’ve always made my frosting like this, but if I want to make it chocolate frosting, do I just add cocoa powder?
Sam says
Hi Nora! I actually have a chocolate cream cheese frosting recipe you can follow. 🙂
serena says
do u think it would work well for decorating a cake? sounds very yummy
Sam says
Hi Serena! This is a pretty sturdy frosting so should work well for decorating. 🙂
Liz says
This was so easy and delicious! I had to stop myself from just eating it with a spoon. I wouldn’t have had any left for my cupcakes. I only had salted butter, so I didn’t add the salt in the recipe and it was perfect. You can’t even really taste the salt. If someone finds it too salty, I’d guess they had used salted butter and also added the salt in the recipe. It mixed together really nicely and tastes great!
Sam says
I am so glad you enjoyed it so much, Liz! Next time you’ll have to do my favorite trick, make a double batch so you can eat half of it before frosting anything. 🤣
Liz says
That’s a good plan! 🙂
Heidi says
OMG! This frosting was remarkable!!!! Doubles the batch for 24 red velvet cupcakes generously frosted with still some left over. This is officially marked as a favorite!!!
Sam says
I’m so glad you enjoyed it so much, Heidi! 🙂
Nancy says
I would not add the salt again. It tasted salty. I ruined my cake , and I cooked it for guest!
Sam says
Hi Nancy! 1/4 teaspoon of salt that the recipe calls for would definitely not make the icing salty, its only purpose is to add a bit of flavor and help cut the sweetness. Are you sure you just used the 1/4 teaspoon? And was the butter unsalted as indicated?
Sandi says
If only able to buy the tubs of cream cheese, what ratio of butter is needed or just add 1tbl of cornstarch? Also if a large quantity of cream cheese frosting is needed can the recipe just be doubled up and if so how much longer to beat in a stand alone mixer. Thank you.
Sam says
Hi Sandi! Unfortunately I don’t recommend the tubs of cream cheese. They have extra ingredients that don’t allow the frosting to set up properly. I’m not sure what alterations you could make to get the same texture. 🙁
Jenia R Johnson says
Dear Sam, I’ve made a recipe like this for many years and lots of people in my family request my red velvet but I’ve found a problem with my frosting becoming runny and not thickening. Is it possibly the quality of the cream cheese is less superior than the old days or what? I try fixing it by what you do – adding more sugar but it continues to be runny & way too sweet. I’ve even found this problem with Philadelphia cream cheese as well. Can you suggest a better quality brand with no added preservatives and guar gum? Your advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks, Jenia
Sam says
Hi Jenia! I typically use Philadelphia and have never had an issue. Are you by chance using low fat cream cheese or the cream cheese out of the tub? You can use a little bit of cornstarch to avoid adding more powdered sugar but you want to be careful doing that as it can alter your texture a bit. I hope this helps. 🙂
Elizabeth Chapa says
Awesome! It was delicious. thanks
Cindi says
Used this for first time and what a hit and so easy to make. Love it , thank you.
Sam says
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Cindi! 🙂