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.
Ann
Hi I’m going to be using your marble cake recipe do you think this frosting will pair well with it?
Sugar Spun Run
Hi, Ann! Yes, it will! 🙂
Yas
Hi
In the UK we have spreadable cream cheese so I am assuming the frosting might not hold, would you recommend to add whipped cream so it holds its shape
Sam
Unfortunately adding whipped cream won’t help here. You could use my American Buttercream and add cream cheese to get that cream cheese flavor. I’m not sure exactly how much cream cheese you would want to add here. I would just add it a spoonful at a time and taste test. 🙂
Darrylene Mc Bain
Just a sloppy mess. Too much icing sugar. Now I have to go out just to buy cream cheese. I’m not happy at all
Sam
HI Darrylene! That’s frustrating. However, if you had used too much icing sugar it would be too stiff, not too messy, so I’m confused about what might have happened. Did you accidentally use spreadable or low-fat cream cheese rather than the full-fat brick-style that is called for? That could cause a messy, sloppy cream cheese frosting. It might be helpful to take a peek at the video to see how the consistency should be. I hope that helps!
Maya
By powdered sugar, do you mean icing sugar?
Sam
Hi Maya! Yes, they are the same 🙂
Kitty
I made a chocolate Bailey’s bundt cake. I decided I wanted a cream cheese frosting and then because we love frosting I decided to cut my bundt cake in half making a 2 layer bundt cake. I doubled the recipe for the frosting less two cups of sugar so 6 cup vs 8 the frosting was magnificent and I was able to Frost the entire cake including the inner layer
Sam
I’m so glad you enjoyed, Kitty! 🙂
Connie Harrison
Can the butter be melted?
Sam
Hi Connie! I would not recommend it.
Natalie
This recipe was AWESOME!!! So, so good. Definitely licked the bowl. I followed a suggestion from another comment that said to try 2.5 cups of powdered sugar first. That tasted a little tart but amazing. I added a half cup more, so 3 total, and that was perfect!
Kelsey Moore
Best cream cheese frosting I’ve tried!!! Absolutely delicious and great texture for icing. It Perfectly Iced a round 9” double layer red velvet cake with just 1/4 cup icing remaining. Perfect perfect perfect!!
Sam
I’m so glad you enjoyed it so much, Kelsey! 🙂
Debbie
Is this recipe enough for a double layer cake or should I double it?!
Sam
Hi Debbie! It should cover a 2 layer 8 or 9 inch cake. 🙂
Amanda
Delicious and smooth. You can also add less sugar if you don’t want it as sweet. I recommend starting at 2 and a half cups.
Sam
I’m glad you enjoyed it, Amanda! 🙂
Erin
This is delicious! Can you make this chocolate flavored?
Sam
Hi Erin! I actually have a chocolate cream cheese frosting recipe. 🙂
Rima
Hi, sorry I posted my comment on the wrong frosting page. Can I use mascarpone instead? UK only has spreadable cream cheese.
Sam
Mascarpone would leave a much thinner frosting.
Halle Jackman
Is this a firm frosting?
Could I do a cascading frosting with this down the side or would it slide off?
Sugar Spun Run
Hi, Halle! Cream Cheese Frosting tends to be a soft, creamy frosting. If stored at the right temperature it should be fine. It does not do well in the heat.
Kara
Hi! Can this be used in whoopie pies and then frozen?
Sam
Sure thing! 🙂
Elizabeth
Hi Sam! This cream cheese frosting looks so good and I would totally love to try this recipe for a carrot cake! But they don’t sell cream cheese in brick form here, only the spreadable kind. Is it okay if I use the spreadable cheese, or what do you recommend?
Thank you! 🙂
Sam
Hi Elizabeth! Usually if you only have spreadable cream cheese I recommend using my Buttercream Frosting and then add cream cheese to taste.
June
This is the best cream cheese recipe I’ve used! Soft, creamy, and “Goldilocks” consistency for it’s weight! Heavy enough to hold it’s own, light enough to spread easily and maintain its peaks to make a beautiful presentation. I made homemade banana cake and used this frosting. It’s a big hit! Thank you. Satisfied in Saginaw.
Sam
I am so happy to hear this, June! Thank you so much for letting me know how it turned out for you, I appreciate it 🙂
Tilly
Hi there! I made this recipe to top my cupcakes and it tastes amazing. My husband couldn’t stop sticking his finger in my bowl! I used margerine instead of butter as that’s what I had on hand and I’ve not had a problem with that before. The texture seemed a bit thin though, it doesnt hold shape. Would whipping it longer help to make it thicker/firmer so I can pipe it as shown in your video? I’m nervous to take it too far. Thanks 😊
Sam
I’m glad it still tasted good! The margarine could be an issue here. It doesn’t combine quite as well as the butter does. Did you use the brick style cream cheese? The spreadable stuff can hurt your consistency as well. You can always thicken the frosting by adding more powdered sugar. 🙂
Jenna
Sooo yum! Using this icing for cinnamon rolls. How long will it last on the counter? Should I refrigerate the rolls?
Sam
Hi Jenna! I typically don’t recommend leaving the frosting out longer than 2 days. 🙂