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.
Amy
My husband and son said this was the best cream cheese frosting that I’ve ever made, and I’ve tried many! It was perfect for my Valentine’s Day cupcakes. I’m new to your website and Pinterest board and found this by googling “the best cream cheese frosting”. You were not kidding. My husband actually used the words “to die for” so thank you for helping to make my dessert a success! Hubby has already requested that I make some for him to take to work (he’s a firefighter). I’m going to try the chocolate recipe next.
Sam
Aw, this comment made my day! I’m so glad you and your family enjoyed the frosting so much, Amy! Thank you for commenting, I really appreciate it and I hope you love the chocolate one just as much!
Monica
Hi,
Thank you for sharing this yummmmilitious frosting recipe…need to know how long can I keep frosting …ND should I keep it in freezer.
Thanks
Sam
Hi Monica! I’m glad you enjoyed, you can store up to 5 days in the refrigerator, no need to freeze it.
Monica
Thank you dear…one more question…can we double the ingredients if we want to cover 2 tier cake.. thank you
Sam
You shouldn’t have any issues doubling this recipe. 😃
Nina
Would adding Dulce de Leche make it too funny? I’m only using it in between cake layers. Thanks!!
Sam
I would worry about it being too runny, you would probably want to use a dam of regular frosting around the edge so that the layers don’t slide.
Jody
Going to make a blue velvet 3 tier wedding cake. I think cream cheese in the layers covered in white chocolate buttercream ganache and white fondant. Gentle pale flowers around the bottom layers. Does this sound like it will be good? June 29. At a surprise wedding picnic
Sam
Sounds beautiful!
Amna
Hello, your recipe is so easy and great! I am wondering whether it is okay to use regular white sugar instead of powdered sugar. Will it affect the quality of the frosting?
Sam
Hi Amna! Unfortunately granulated sugar will not work in this recipe. The powdered sugar helps thicken the frosting. I’m sorry. 🙁
Julie
Do you have to refrigerate cake after applying icing?
Sam
Hi Julie! If you live in a humid climate, or you are not going to eat it within 2 days, I would refrigerate it. 🙂
Liz
Made this today – it came together nice and easy despite having to hand mix. Tastes great too!
Sam
I’m so happy to hear you enjoyed it, Liz! Thank you for commenting! 🙂
Kristi Isobe
Can I store in fridge till I’m ready to spread it on the cake? Thanks 🙂
Sam
Hi Kristi! You can but it will get very firm, so you’ll want to let it sit at room temperature for 30 minutes or longer and stir again to soften it enough to be spreadable. I hope that helps!
Grace I.
Hi, thank you for delicious recipe. Can I add milk or whipping cream to make it softer/spreadable.
Thank you very much.
Sam
Hi Grace! Yes, you certainly can, or you can reduce the sugar a bit. Glad you enjoyed!
Jen
I’m a beginning baker, and looking to use cream cheese frosting to replace buttercream for a cake recipe. The frosting on the sides would be covered in sprinkles. Should I have any concerns about using this cream cheese frosting instead of buttercream?
Sam
Nope, this should be just fine! Enjoy! Make sure to add the sprinkles right away after applying the frosting though (same as you would with buttercream and for the same reason, it will slightly crust as it sits). I hope that helps!
Stephanie
Hi there, I find lemon icing on carrot cake goes well. Could lemon juice be added instead of vanilla? Or rind? Thank you 🙂
Sam
I would recommend using lemon extract, or some zest, as lemon juice would require a lot more to add the lemon flavor. 🙂
Cindy
Hi I did this the same but mine was super runny! What can I do ? For it to be thicker or not runny???🥺
Sam
Hi, Cindy! If the frosting is a little soft, you can always add a little more powdered sugar to thicken it up a little bit, but if it is really runny, I am worried something else may be wrong. You didn’t use the tub style cream cheese did you?
Christina Martinez
You could add cornstarch to thicken it. Just a little though. Or for thicker, added sweetness, you can add more powdered sugar.
Joslyn Grundman
Would it be okay to whip in strawberry jam to the finished product or would that add in too much moisture?
Sam
I would be worried about the added moisture or even the frosting possibly separating, if you do try it just add a very little bit at a time.
Caroline
To achieve strawberry flavour try adding pulverised (powder) freeze dried strawberry
Patricia Defrancisco
Can it be used to create a frozen transfer?
Sam
Hi, Patricia. Cream cheese frosting is typically softer than a buttercream frosting so I would be worried that it wouldn’t work. If you try it, let me know how it turns out. 🙂
Jason
It was too sweet for me. It lost all the flavor of the cream cheese an tasted like regular buttercream. I tasted it with only 2 cups of sugar instead of 4 and it was perfect. I should have stopped there. The thickness was the same as with 4 cups of sugar and everything. 2 cups was the magic number. Thickness and texture were great, flavor was great. So next time I’m using less sugar.
Sam
If you aren’t trying to pipe it, reducing the sugar should be fine 🙂