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.
Nadine
This recipe was insanely yummy so easy to make and perfect for frosting some homemade red velvet cupcakes for my boyfriend’s birthday tomorrow!
Sam
I’m so glad you enjoyed it so much, Nadine! 🙂
Sabrina
Hi, my recipes seems more runny then thick? I think if I put it in a cake it will come out the sides ??? HELP!!!!!
Sam
Hi Sabrina! Did you make any substitutes, like fat-free cream cheese or the spreadable kind of cream cheese from a tub?
Esther Kroloff
1. Can this recipe be cut in half?
2. I only need to make enough that would be 16 ounces, would I make a whole recipe or half?
Sam
Hi Esther! You can cut this recipe in half. I’m not sure how much it weighs though. I haven’t ever weighed it. The frosting as is will cover a 2 layer 8 or 9 inch cake if that helps. 🙂
prabha sivakumar
Hi
I’m planning to decorate my cake with this frosting but have to drive for two hours. Will it hold its shape
Sam
Yes it will, that won’t be a problem at all. Enjoy! 🙂
Lori Daniel
My granddaughter and I made this frosting for the first time today and I must say it was easy to make and oh so good. This will go into our make again folder.
Sam
I am so glad everyone enjoyed it so much, Lori! 🙂
Marissa
Can this be colored like a traditional buttercream?
Sam
Definitely! 🙂
Ashleigh Phillips
Super easy and so good! Put them on boxed cupcakes to give them a homemade touch.
Sam
Yay! So glad you enjoyed the frosting, Ashleigh! 🙂
Pam
I’m making the cream cheese frost for a carrot cake but have a 3 hr drive will it keep in the car that long
Sam
Hi Pam! It will definitely work. I normally keep it at room temperature for about a day, after that you want to make sure to refrigerate it. 🙂
Gail
Is this a good consistency for macrons?
Sam
This will definitely work well in macarons. 🙂
Trina
I made this last night it was perfect . I put it in my banana bread, my daughter loved it.
Sam
I am so glad you enjoyed it so much, Trina! 🙂
Lucy
I doubled this recipe for a three-layer carrot cake. It was SO good and very creamy and delicious! I would recommend this to anyone!
Sam
I am so glad you enjoyed it so much, Lucy! 🙂
ASHI
Hi ,
Thank you for the recipe,I make cream cheese at home using full fat milk,will it alter the taste to that of the store bought
Sam
Hi Ashi! I haven’t had homemade cream cheese, but if the flavor is much different than the store bought it will change the flavor a bit, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing here. 🙂
JOE KUDZIN
Can you add cocoa to make a chocolate cream cheese frosting, if so how much?
Thanks.
Sam
Hi Joe! I would recommend checking out my chocolate cream cheese frosting recipe. 🙂
Missy
Hi do you know how long it keeps in the fridge please? My new favorite!
Sam
Hi Missy! It normally lasts about a week in the refrigerator. Make sure it is wrapped tightly. 🙂
Nicky
I’m making this icing for my cake. How long will the icing be good for?😅
Sam
Hi Nicky! It’s normally good for about a week wrapped tightly in the refrigerator. 🙂
Debra
I am VERY confused, this recipe is saying 1/2 cup of butter 113g. Which is it? one stick of butter is 4oz , 113 grams, 1/4 cup……..
Sam
Hi Debra! The recipe is correct, 1/2 cup is 1 stick or 4 oz or 113 grams. Are you thinking that 1 stick is 1/4 lb? Because it is 1/2 cup, not 1/4. I hope you love the frosting regardless!