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.
Jenny
Can this be used for an 8” or 9” double layered cake?? I would like to use the cream cheese frosting for a 2-layered red velvet cake as the outer frosting and middle frosting. Would this hold up?? Please help ☺️
Sugar Spun Run
Hi, Jenny! This recipe will cover either one 2-layer 8″ or 9″ cake. It should work wonderfully on your red velvet cake. 🙂
Taylor
Hi,
Can we use food coloring to change the color?
Sam
Absolutely, stir it in at the end until you get the desired color. Enjoy!
Taylor
Thank you! It was delicious!
Sugar Spun Run
You are welcome. Glad that you enjoyed it, Taylor! 🙂
Megha
Hi, I’ll be baking for my nephew’s birthday. I’m just a beginner at baking. Can you please let me know what else can be added in cream cheese frosting other than powder sugar to make it thick.
P.S. I don’t have cornstarch.
Sam
Hi Megha, unfortunately I am not sure of what else would work other than cornstarch 🙁
Megha
Oh. No problem. 🙂
Stephen Lewis
I only have 5 oz. of cream cheese. Can I make it with that and add one less cup of powdered sugar? Do you think it would be ok?
Sugar Spun Run
Hi, Stephen! Yes, that will be fine. You will just need to adjust the ingredients accordingly. I hope that you enjoy the frosting. 🙂
Kristine
Can u use regular sugar instead of powdered sugar ?
Sugar Spun Run
Hi, Kristine! I do not recommend substituting with granulated sugar because your frosting ends up being gritty. You can make your own powdered sugar by pouring granulated sugar into a blender or food processor. You will blend the sugar until it is a fine, fluffy powdered sugar. I hope that helps! 🙂
Nono
I only have cream cheese in a tub…can i use it?
Sugar Spun Run
Hi, Nono! I do not reccomend it, as the consistency is different than you will find in the block cream cheese. 🙁
Sonja
How long can you keep extra frosting?
Sugar Spun Run
Hi, Sonja! The frosting can be stored in the fridge for up to 3 days, or in the freezer for up to 1 month. 🙂
Samantha
Goodday how much Cocoa to add to this recipe for choc like taste
Sugar Spun Run
Hi, Samantha! I actually have a Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting recipe that I would use instead. Enjoy! 🙂
Jamie
Should these be stored in the fridge or room temp?
Sam
I generally recommend storing in the fridge if storing more than a few hours. Enjoy!
Abby
Usually for buttercream recipes you have to freeze the bowl and whisks for best results. Is that the case here as well?
Sam
Hi Abby! I don’t ever freeze my bowls or whisks. 🙂
Soko Rogers
Great recipe. We only used two cups of sugar and it was perfect. Thank you!
Sam
I am so glad you enjoyed it! 🙂
Robert
OOOooooh, thats good ! ! !
Sam
I am so glad you enjoyed it! 🙂
Patricia
Can I skip the powdered sugar and just use cornstarch? Will it still taste good and hold its shape/form? Thank you!!
Sam
Hi Patricia! Unfortunately I wouldn’t recommend it.
Justin
What a great frosting recipe. Great taste and great consistency. Thank you!
Sam
I am so glad you enjoyed it Justin! 🙂
Donald Harkleroad
Thank you so much!! It is a wonderful taste and very easy to make. Thank you for putting out your recipes.
Sam
You’re very welcome and I am so glad you enjoyed! Thank you so much for commenting, Donald!
CHRIS
Just made this frosting to go with the carrot cupcakes for my son’s birthday. Husband lived the frosting! Will be making this again!
Sam
So happy to hear this! Thank you for commenting, Chris!
Abbie
Hi! I’m going to make my first ever cupcake and frosting today because it’s Mother’s day and I want to do something for my mom. I’ll be following this and you carrot cake recipe. I just wanted to ask if I can pipe the cream cheese frosting right after making it or should I let it chill in the fridge first? If it’s the latter, how long? Also, thank you so much for your recipes!! I’ve only started baking recently so I look forward to trying out all you other recipes!
Sam
Hi Abbie! I usually pipe the cream cheese frosting right after making it. I’m so glad you have been enjoying the recipes, thank you for commenting! 🙂