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
- ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter softened (113g)
- 8 oz cream cheese softened (brick-style, not spreadable) (226g)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ 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.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered an estimate only. Actual nutritional content will vary based upon brands used, measuring methods, cooking method, portion sizes, and more.
Rose Miller
I just made this for my son’s graduation cake and it was superb! I am so happy to have found an excellent recipe for my cakes. It had the perfect balance of sweet and tangy, thank you for your recipe post!
Kelly
Absolutely delicious.
Gigi
I just made a batch of this frosting for a Spice Cake. Oh boy! This frosting is delicious! I was a little worried it would be so sweet with 4C of powdered sugar but it is not. Certainly more palatable than standard buttercream. I agree with you, Sam. I would prefer this frosting over buttercream any day.
Tammy T
The best I have tried. It is really easy to make and my husband loved it!
Donna Canamore
I live in Arizona and tried this frosting recipe for some cupcakes for a party outside. This frosting help up amazing in the heat and didn’t melt.
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Wonderful! We’re so happy it worked out for you, Donna 😊
Barb
Made today to frost a banana cake my family loved! I loved the taste and how easy it was to make.
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Yum, we love that combination Barb! So glad it was a hit 😍
Linda Mays
Can I use gel food coloring?
Sam
Hi Linda! Gel food coloring will work great! 🙂
Liz
Hi there,
Can cream cheese frosting be made ahead of time, and if so, how far ahead?
Sam
Hi Liz! It will be good up to 5 days in advance. 🙂
Evelyn
Is this frosting stiff enough to pipe flowers on cupcakes?
Sam
Yup! 🙂
Maddipatti
I have a question as I’m not sure if I have sticks of butter currently. Would 1 cup of butter from a tub or something like margarine suffice?
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Hi there! Unfortunately that kind of butter or margarine will likely make the frosting too soft 🙁
Lenka
Hi, could you please advise if cupcakes with this frosting have to be placed in the fridge? If yes how long would you say I can leave them outside?
Many Thanks
Sam
Hi Lenka! It’s generally recommended that cream cheese frosting be refrigerated. Personally. I will leave mine out for an event or something similar but if it’s particularly warm I will keep them refrigerated until it’s almost time to eat them. 🙂
Margie
I love this recipe and so many of yours that I have tried… thank you for all you do! I am making, frosting and freezing cupcakes for my son’s wedding. We make 14 dozen this way for our daughter’s wedding and they were great! They go in a disposable plastic cupcake holder with lid, then two layers of plastic wrap. Can I I do the same with cream cheese frosting? I can’t seem to remember how we handled cream cheese frosting. I will thaw the morning of, in the refrigerator, for an evening wedding. Thanks for your help!
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Hi Margie! That should work just fine. Thanks for trusting our recipes! ❤️
rae
it’s so good !! goes amazing with red velvet cake. perfect amount of sweetness <3
Emily Kalfen
Hi, can you frost something with this recipe the day before and refrigerate overnight OR would it be better to make the frosting the day before and keep it in an airtight container overnight to frost before serving? Or are neither recommended? Thanks!!!
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Hi Emily! Either will work, but the fridge tends to dry out cakes, so the second option is probably best 😊
Emily
Hi! Thanks for the advice! I did as you suggested. However, it ended up with clumps of cream cheese throughout. I had let the cream cheese sit out on the counter for a few hours so it was softened. What went wrong? It still tasted good but would love to know for next time!!!
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Hi Emily! Did you beat the butter and cream cheese until they were lump free? If they were both fully softened, it sounds like you may have just needed a little more time during that first step of the recipe 🙁
Ulanda
Hello, can I drizzle a ganache on top of this frosting?
Sam
Hi Ulanda! That should work just fine. 🙂
JaiLynne
Amazing recipe I used it for icing cupcakes, cakes as well as piping. It held up and was delicious. Worth a try.
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Thanks for the review JaiLynne! We’re so happy the frosting is a hit for you ❤️