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.
Alice
When I tried this I added the sugar and it still wasn’t thick so we put in the fridge and it worked! 😍It was Really delicious and I will definitely make it again.
Sugar Spun Run
I am happy that it turned out well, Alice! Thanks for commenting. Enjoy! 🙂
Jelica
Hi There
Is it possible to use the cream cheese in a tub (only type available at my supermarket) and can’t get anything else due to our lock-down restrictions? And if so, how do I adapt the recipe to still get the same piping texture?
I am trying to still make a memorable lock-down birthday cake with limited goods.
Thanks
Sugar Spun Run
Hi, Jelica! The consistency may be off some and it probably won’t thicken up. 🙁
Kamila
I’m making a birthday cake for my son tomorrow and I can only get the tub cream cheese, too! I hope it turns out good anyway, he deserves a nice celebration.
Sam
Hi Kamila! I hope I’m early enough to save you some ingredients, but the frosting will be too runny if you use the tub cream cheese. 🙂
Lynne
I made this last night for some red velvet cup cakes. It was sooooo delicious!!
I only used half the quantity made on 12 cupcakes, so am making another 12 today to use up the rest of the icing 🙂
Sugar Spun Run
I am so glad that it paired perfectly with your cupcakes and you enjoyed it, Lynne! Thanks for commenting. Enjoy! 🙂
Victoria Ginsburg
Hi,
I am planning on using this recipe to frost a two-layer 9-inch red velvet cake. My family isn’t fond of sweet frostings so I was hoping to reduce the sugar listed in the recipe by about a half. I saw in your video that the cream cheese frosting was already plenty thick after adding about half the sugar. Would you recommend this reduction? And if not, is there any way to thick up the frosting without adding sugar? Thanks so much! I’m excited to make this frosting after seeing all the positive reviews!
Sugar Spun Run
Hi, Victoria! You can try cutting it back but I am afraid that you will not get the desired consistency. You can play around with the amount of cream cheese to sugar ratio to get the right amount of sweetness, then if it’s too thick, add milk to thin it out. Sugar is the best way to easily thicken. I hope that you enjoy it! Keep me posted on how it turns out. 🙂
Marian L Fischer
I’ve made this for years, but this is the first time it came out so firm and fluffy, I use this only a baby food cake I make for special occasions, in my jelly roll pan. It’s just enough, glad I ran across this, thank you.
Sugar Spun Run
I am so glad that it came out well for you and you enjoyed it, Marian!
Robin Young
Hi,
My daughter wants a strawberry cake for her bday and i want to use this frosting recipe. Can adding food color to make it pink alter the recipe in any way?
Sugar Spun Run
Hi, Robin! Yes, food coloring can be added. You can also add pureed strawberries to it if you wanted to enhance the strawberry flavor of the cake. 🙂
Chantel
How many days can a cake be left on the counter with this frosting on it?? Thanks!!
Sugar Spun Run
Hi, Chantel! Cream cheese frosting, alone or on cake, can sit at a cool room temperature for up to 8 hours before it should be refrigerated.
Eileen
Hi! Thank you for recipe! Can I cut the recipe in half? Oh and Trolls like Jena are mentally disturbed and should seek therapy . Jena please get some much needed “help”!
Sugar Spun Run
You are welcome, Eileen! Yes, this recipe can easily be cut in half. 🙂
elaina
THIS IS SO YUMMY
Sam
Thank you so much, Elaina! 🙂
June Robbins
Love this recipe mainly because it isn’t too sweet & easy to spread. Thank You
Sugar Spun Run
I am so glad that you enjoyed the frosting, June! Thank you for commenting. 🙂
Monique
Sooooooo yummy!!!!!!!
Chelsea
Perfect cream cheese frosting recipe! Thank you! 🙂
Nicole
Exceptional recipe. Simple and perfect. I make this frosting for every flavor cake I make, my family absolutely loves it! With this frosting, I can’t go wrong!!
Sam
Thank you so much, Nicole! I’m glad you enjoyed the frosting so much! 🙂
Marian
I just needed to know how much powdered sugar to use when I only need 1# and I have a 2# bag! Thank you,
Lyss
When using a stand mixer, do you prefer the paddle or whisk attachment?
Sam
I prefer the paddle, but either will work 🙂
Brittany
Hi can I add gel coloring to this recipe?
Sugar Spun Run
Yes, you can! 🙂
Katie
Can this made the day before piping? Store in the fridge overnight and come to room temperature the next day?
Sam
Yup! That will work, enjoy 🙂
Katie
Thank you! Gonna make it now 🙂