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.
Nia
Hi Sam!!! Please put up a recipe for Red velvet cake! Your recipes are always spot on.
Sugar Spun Run
Thank you so much, Nia! I am so glad that you have been a fan of my baked creations. Red velvet cake will be coming soon, it has been on my list for a while, I just need to perfect it. 🙂
Karren
I am having a problem with my cream cheese frosting turning out grainy. I used a different recipe, could it be the recipe or am I not mixing it good enough? I love cream cheese frosting but I hate that mine seem to always come out grainy. Help!
I will most likely try your recipe next!
Sam
Hi Karren! There is nothing grainy in this recipe that should yield a grainy taste, you are using powdered sugar, right? I hope you love the recipe if you try it! 🙂
Maria
What would happen if instead of using full-fat brick cream cheese, I use a low-fat spreadable cheese?
Sam
Unfortunately it will be too runny and won’t work 🙁
Grant
Would this hold up while working with fondant?
Sugar Spun Run
Hi, Grant! Yes, this will work well under the fondant. 🙂
Laura
I would like to use it on my husband‘s birthday cake for Saturday. But the only time I have to frost it and hide it is tomorrow, which is Wednesday. Is that too soon or will I have to do it in front of him? I’m using it on a Cream cheese filled Bundt sweet potato cake. He hates carrots so I stopped making carrot cake and made what he likes.
Sugar Spun Run
Hi, Laura! You should be ok if you keep the cake covered and stored in the refrigerator. I hope that he enjoys it and has a wonderful birthday! 🙂
loanne
Sam this is the best Cream Cheese frosting I have ever tasted. Not to tart or to sweet. The consistency was just as pictured. I can see that it would be perfect for piping. It was fluffy with body.
After it was all mixed and tasted I said this is really good.
I made the decision to add 1 1/2 Tb. butter. I wanted a little less body to spread on a red velvet cake. It was perfect before that and after. Thank you for this recipe.
Sugar Spun Run
I am so glad that you enjoyed it, Loanne! Thank you for commenting. 🙂
Jackie
Does this need to be refrigerated?
Sugar Spun Run
Hi, Jackie! Yes, it needs to be refrigerated for food safety reasons. It can sit at room temperature for up to 2 hours. 🙂
Rebeca
Would it be okay to use regular butter?
Sugar Spun Run
Hi, Rebeca! Yes, that will be fine. If you do, I would omit the additional 1/4 teaspoon of salt the recipe calls for. Happy Baking! 🙂
Britt
During the crisis I am baking for my friends who work in healthcare. I stumbled upon your recipe through Google. Tried it for my carrotcake. Everybody loved it, thanks! Greetings from The Netherlands
Sugar Spun Run
That is such a sweet thing to do and I am sure they greatly appreciate it, Britt! Thank you for trying my recipe. I am glad that it was enjoyed by many. I can’t wait to see what you try next! 🙂
Danny
I made this frosting and it is nothing short of amazing!! I used it on carrot cake and the only thing I did differently was to add coconut and I loved it and everyone at the party asked for the recipe. Your recipes are always great. I learn so much from your website. Thanks so much
Sugar Spun Run
Thank you so much for trying my recipe, Danny! I am so glad that you enjoyed it. 🙂
Salmi
Hi.Can i use just 3/4cups of powderd sugar and then i add the cornstarch to make it stiff.i dont like it to be too sweet.
Sugar Spun Run
Hi, Salmi! You can most certainly try it. I am not certain on how the ratio will do without trying it myself. Keep me posted. 🙂
Salmi
Ok.sure.tq very much ….
Aurora
I did everything and my icing is not thick like this one. 😩
Sugar Spun Run
Oh no, Aurora! I am sorry that you are experiencing issues. To make it thicker, you can add more powdered sugar to the recipe until you get the desired consistency. I hope that helps! 🙂
Vo
hi, i wonder if anyone can answer me. I’ve been wondering why some recipe call for full cheese cream and some other have heavy cream mix. what’s the difference it would made to the frosting?
Sam
Hi Vo! It sounds like a matter of personal preference. Heavy cream in the frosting usually yields a silkier, lighter frosting, but one that may not be quite as sturdy or pipe-able.
Genia
Could you used and extra large tip to pipe a Bundt cake with this frosting?
Sugar Spun Run
Hi, Genia! Yes, it should work just fine for that. 🙂
Saleem
It’s the best I’ve ever tasted
Sugar Spun Run
Thank you so much, Saleem. I am so glad that you enjoyed it! 🙂
Maryann
Do you think this frosting would work well using a grass piping tip? I would love to use it on carrot cake cupcakes for Easter.
Sugar Spun Run
Hi, Maryann! Yes, this frosting should work well for grass. 🙂