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.
Michelle says
Hi Sam, Can you please advise me if unsweetened cocoa, would be good to use to colour the frosting little brown, as I don’t want to added anymore sweetness.
Cannot wait to make the carrot cupcakes with this frosting 😊 Thanks
Sam says
Hi Michelle, unsweetened cocoa would make it brown, but it will also make it taste like chocolate so just keep that in mind. I do have a chocolate cream cheese frosting if you’re looking for one.
Hannah Shirley says
loved this recipe! finally found the perfect cream cheese frosting.
Sam says
So happy to hear this! Thanks for letting me know how you liked it, Hannah!! 🙂
Sandra says
I love cream cheese frosting! And I have a penchant for piping this icing onto cupcakes using all kinds of colors! I don’t beat my butter and cream cheese together ever. I do butter first for about 3 minutes on low using a hand mixer rather than my stand mixer. I just find it easier to “feel” when the consistency is just right. Then I add the room temperature cream cheese and carry on to adding in sifted icing sugar a half cup at a time. 2 tsps of cornstarch diluted in a LITTLE milk can help stiffen the icing if it won’t hold its shape the way you’d like. I’m a long way from being an expert baker or chef but I have figured out frosting!!
Shannon Andretta says
What type of cream cheese brand do you recommend? Is Philadelphia cream cheese in the foil okay?
Sam says
Hi Shannon! I prefer Philadelphia cream cheese if it’s on sale. The one sold in the block form, it’s in a box and then wrapped in foil. Enjoy! 🙂
Annatoli P Palombo says
So yummy I added some milk to mine but taste just like cheesecake
Sam says
I am so glad you enjoyed it , Annatoli! 🙂
Ella says
Can I add different food colorings to it to?
Sam says
Absolutely! Enjoy! 🙂
Tracey says
Hi, I have followed ingredients and method exactly as explained but the frosting is runny regardless of not overworking the mixture, where am I going wrong 😣😣😣
Sam says
Hi Tracey! Did you use the brick-style cream cheese or the spreadable kind in the tub?
Lady Shema says
It has to be the BRICK STYLE to support the thick consistency of the frosting and the integrity of the cream cheese flavor.
Lorena says
This recipe is perfect explained and it turns so well for the cupcakes, I made it the night before and left at room temperature, so well, thanks for sharing it. I made extra , how long it can be in the fridge to be able to use it?
Sam says
Hi Lorena! The frosting is good for several days covered in the refrigerator. You will need to let it warm back up at room temperature and then mix it up a little bit afterwards. Enjoy! 🙂
SarahK says
If you use this to frost cupcakes, does it need to be done the same day you are serving them? If I make a day ahead of time, does the frosting need to stay refrigerated or will it be ok on cupcakes sitting overnight? Thanks!
Sam says
Hi Sarah! You can leave them at room temperature in an air tight container overnight without any issues. 🙂
Annette says
Where I live in Sweden I can’t find the bars of cream cheese, only the soft spreadable kind. Is there anything I can add to be able to use the spreadable cream cheese successfully?
Sam says
Hi Annette! Unfortunately I don’t have a good substitute for you here. With the spreadable cream cheese, the frosting will be too soft, and almost liquidy. I’m sorry. 🙁
Olivia F. says
Hi, Sam!
I’m looking for enough frosting to use for a 3-layer cake, and it will be between the layers, as well as the entire outside. Will I need to double or 1.5x this recipe for that amount, you think?
I want to make sure I have enough ingredients, while also not making SO much that I can’t use it. (Well, I suppose that would be a good excuse to try your cupcakes as well, right?!)
Thank you!
Sam says
Hi Olivia! This frosting recipe makes enough for a 2 layer cake, either 8 or 9 inches. If you increase the recipe by 50% you should have enough to cover a 3 layer cake, but there is no such thing as too much frosting if you ask me! 🙂
Olivia says
Perfect, thank you! 🙂
Barb says
This tasted delicious! I added lemon instead of vanilla. It didn’t hold up too well in our Aussie heat as it just slid off the cake but it was over 100 degrees (38 degrees) so I don’t think anything was going to!
Sam says
I am so glad you enjoyed the frosting Barb! 🙂