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.
Jane
Is there any way to make a whipped cream cheese in a tub work for this? Maybe with the cornstarch? It has worked for us before, but that was for cinnamon rolls. We try to ensure that if we ever buy animal products we source them from a local small farm and the only cream cheese we have in the area that I’ve found is only the whipped cream cheese in a tub.
Sugar Spun Run
Hi, Jane! I personally have not been able to achieve the desired taste or consistency using whipped cream cheese so I can not advise. If you try it, let me know how it works for you! 🙂
Denisa
Thank you
Sugar Spun Run
Thank you for trying my recipe, Denisa! 🙂
Denisa
Hello can i use it on cut out cookies?
Sam
Hi Denise! Yes you can, just keep in mind that it won’t harden like classic sugar cookie frosting.
Sara
Is it possible to freeze the leftover cream cheese frosting? Thank you in advance! Also, love this recipe!
Sugar Spun Run
I am so glad that you enjoyed the recipe, Sara! Yes, you can freeze cream cheese frosting up to 3 months if stored in an airtight container. 🙂
Dave
Awesome for Christmas Morning Cinnamon Rolls:):) thanks!
Sugar Spun Run
I am so glad that you enjoyed the cream cheese frosting on top of the cinnamon rolls, Dave! I couldn’t agree more, a perfect Christmas morning breakfast! 🙂
LJ
I used the recipe before and it was awesome. I made ut the day of and it was really good…
But my question is can i freeze it for later, if so for how long
Sugar Spun Run
Hi, LJ! Yes, you can. if properly stored in an airtight container. cream cheese frosting can stay frozen for up to 3 months. 🙂
Betsy
Just made this to go on your white cake.. so so good. But I just had 3 cups of T.J. Powdered sugar and really that was fine…I covered it and put in fridge for later when I make the cake…looking forward…
Sugar Spun Run
I am so glad that you enjoyed the cream cheese frosting, Betsy! I hope that your cake is enjoyed as well. Thanks for trying my recipes and for commenting. 🙂
Valerie
Quick question, can I make it a day in advance and put it in the fridge? Or should I just make it as soon as I am ready to ice the cake?
Thanks:)
Sugar Spun Run
Hi, Valerie! You can make the cream cheese icing in advance. The frosting can be made and transferred to an airtight container and stored in the fridge for up to 3 days. 🙂
Caroline
Excellent! I used this on your banana muffins and it came out great. I added a tiny splash of whipping cream to make it a bit smoother. Everyone loves them and I’m becoming known for these muffins. Thanks again!
Sugar Spun Run
Thank you for trying my recipes, Caroline! I am so glad that everyone enjoyed the cream cheese frosting and banana muffins. 🙂
Kate
We made this recipe last night and it was very sweet and dense (not fluffy). We added another full block of cream cheese and it was much better – fluffier and still sweet, yet less so. By adding the additional block of cream cheese, it tasted like cream cheese frosting, rather than sugar, in our opinion.
Sugar Spun Run
Hi, Kate! Thank you for trying my recipe. This recipe makes a thick frosting, that is on the sweeter side. I am happy that you adjusted it to your liking. 🙂
Christa
Good consistency & great taste. Made 16 batches of it at work for 240 cupcakes.
Sam
So glad to hear it was such a success for you, Christa! Thank you for commenting!
Patty
Hi Sam , thanks for sharing this recipe ! I would like to make it a tad stiffer but not sweeter , unfortunately I’m allergic to corn , should I use tapioca? Or what do you suggest?
Sam
Hi Patty! Unfortunately I am not familiar with using tapioca in this recipe so I’m not positive how that would turn out, I’m sorry. I’m hoping someone else might be able to chime in with a suggestion to thicken the frosting but not make it sweeter without using cornstarch.
Rosie
Try using arrowroot instead of cornstarch. I’m gluten free and use arrowroot all of the time.
Maria
Can we use Philadelphia cheese
Sugar Spun Run
Hello, Maria! Yes, Philadelphia Cream Cheese will work great! 🙂
Lanina
I found that the frosting is a bit too sweet. Otherwise, I love this recipe and will make it again with less sugar next time.
Sugar Spun Run
Thank you, Lanina! Yes, if you find it too sweet for your taste buds you can always reduce the sugar. Thanks for commenting. 🙂
Max
I love your recipes.cream cheese frosting is heavenly.Thank you.
Sam
Thank you so much Max! I’m so glad you enjoy it. 🙂