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.
Michelle Hall
Can the icing be frozen atop gluten free cupcakes? Will it survive?
Sam
Hi Michelle! This should do just fine in the freezer. 🙂
Crystal
I want to use is for a 3 layer 9 inch cake.how do I adjust the recipe?
Sam
Hi Crystal! Increase the recipe by 50% and you’ll be good to go! Enjoy 🙂
Joni
Hi. I’m doing my best to cut down on sugar, but it’s my BF’s birthday… so. How much should I make to cover an 8″ 2-layer cake without extra, so I’m not tempted to eat it out of the bowl.
Sam
Hi Joni! This recipe covers a 2 layer 8 inch cake. 🙂
Theresa
How long will this cream cheese frosting last in the refrigerator? I would like to make it a day or two in advance of the cupcakes.
thanks
Sam
Hi Theresa! It will last about a week in the refrigerator. It may need a brief stir before using after being refrigerated. 🙂
Wendy Thomas
Brick cream cheese is not available in my location. Do I need to add anything to my cream cheese to help with thickening? Thanks, Wendy
Sam
Hi Wendy! I’m not sure what you could add to help thicken it up. 🙁
Blaire
I’m afraid this will be too sweet. Is it possible to leave the butter out and lessen the amount of powdered sugar? Have you added candy to this mixture before?
Sam
Hi Blaire! I’m afraid that won’t work. If you reduce the sugar your frosting is going to be much less firm. You also need the butter here. 🙁
Sabrina M Stoll
Will this icing need to be refrigerated after piping on cake or cupcakes?
Sam
Hi Sabrina! I usually try to refrigerate it within 24 hours unless it’s really hot and humid, in which case you will want to refrigerate it sooner. 🙂
Pat
I made this recipe today and put it on a red velvet cake. It makes a lot and it is so good, I just kept eating what was left in the bowl… delicious and creamy!
Sam
I’m so glad you enjoyed it so much, Pat! 🙂
Marcy
I commented on the cream cheese frosting under the carrot cake cupcake recipe, but felt it deserved it’s own spot. The cream cheese frosting was so delicious!!!! I only used one box of the confectioners sugar (it was all I had at the time), but worked out really well!!!! Reminded me of the cream cheese frosting from one of my favorite bakeries back home. Thank you again for sharing it–definitely will use this recipe in the future 🙂
Sam
Thank you so much, Marcy! I’m so glad you enjoyed it so much! I appreciate you taking the time to leave such wonderful comments. 🙂
Akeem
I just made this today it was super simple and tastes amazing my grand eyes opened wide and she smile as soon as she tasted it !!!
Sam
I’m so glad everyone enjoyed it so much, Akeem! 🙂
Chloe
Hi! I was wondering if this recipe would enough for a 3 layer 6 inch cake? I don’t usually do I super thick layer of icing between the cake layers or on the cake
Sam
Hi Chloe! It should make enough to cover a 3 layer 6 inch cake. 🙂
Melody
Hi, where can I get the brick style cream cheese? I never saw it anywhere 🙁
Sam
Hi Melody! It’s in the refrigerator section in the grocery store, but if you aren’t in the U.S. I know it can be difficult to find. 🙁
Blair
Delicious!! I made this to go with your vanilla cake recipe and it turned out perfect! I don’t have a mixer, so I did it by hand. You were right, definitely a good arm workout!
Sam
I’m so glad you enjoyed it so much, Blair! 🙂
Jen
I don’t have a mixer can I still mix this and it come out nicely with a spoon ?
Sam
Hi Jen! While, not impossible it’s going to be quite the arm workout. 🙂
Nancy
Sift your powdered sugar and it will blend easier
Blair
I made this today by hand, it is definitely a workout!! I used a wooden spoon. Just keep at it until it is smooth. Having the butter and cream cheese extremely soft helps alot. It is so worth the work!
Robin Kirby
Yes
Marie
Delicious! Dangerously delicious. I licked the beaters!! Mine came out a little soft, maybe I could have added a bit more sugar or maybe I mixed it too long. But it looks great and I’m sure the birthday girl will love these frosted cupcakes.
Sam
I’m so glad you enjoyed it so much, Marie! 🙂
Azrael
Hi Sam. Thank you for this wonderful recipe for the creamcheese frosting. I was wondering if there are brick style cream cheese that are too soft to take form. I have asked this because my latest frosting created was too soft and kind of melts easily that it wont take form the way i used to do it. FYI i have changed brand of creamcheese butter and powdered sugar on my latest trial.
Sam
Hi Azrael! I sometimes have issues with the store brand cream cheese. I always recommend using Philadelphia cream cheese if you can find it. 🙂
Jazmin Gonzalez
I only used 2 cp of sugar and felt it was a bit too much for our taste but was good
Carolyn
Love this frosting ! I was wondering do you think it would work with pink champagne cupcakes ?
Sam
Sounds delicious to me! 🙂
Priscila
Hi! My cream cheese frosting is too runny. Did I possibly over beat? How can I fix it? Thank you.
Sam
Hi Priscilla! Make sure you are using brick style cream cheese. Make sure that cream cheese is soft but not melty soft. If your frosting never really got thick it probably needs a little bit more powdered sugar. 🙂
Grace
This is an amazing recipe! I used this to decorate my carrot cake and I couldn’t stop eating it! I love how sturdy it is and how easy it is to pipe, I would recommend!😍
Sam
I’m so glad you enjoyed it so much, Grace! 🙂
Kerrie Malta
Delicious! Do the frosted cupcakes need to go in the fridge if they’re not eaten immediately? Or is the frosting okay sitting out?
Sam
Hi Kerrie! They will be ok sitting out unless it’s really hot and humid. I typically refrigerate mine after a day. 🙂
Kerrie Malta
Thank you so much!
William
I need to frost 6 dozen cupcakes. How many can I frost with this recipe?
Sam
Hi William! You can frost about 24 cupcakes with this recipe. 🙂
Kristina
Great consistency. Followed as written. Make sure to let the butter and cheese come to room temp.
Kevin
I was glad I saw your comment, as I was intending to use the butter and cream cheese at room temperature. But when I saw Sam’s comment to Priscilla, it made me wonder. We are making this later today.