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.
Marty Promesberger
I want to try this soonest. Is this enough to liberally frost a 9″ layer cake or should I increase by 1/2?
Sam
Hi Marty! It makes enough to cover a 2 layer 9 inch cake. 🙂
Marty promesberger
Thanks so much for your reply.
Ivonne
Hello Sam, do you know if I can use sugar substitute to make it?
Sam
Hi Ivonne! I have never tried it, so I am not sure. It would have to be a powder consistency for it to work. 🙂
Ivonne
Thank you for your answer! I might make it with it for the weekend and will let you know how it went! Have a great evening!
Krista Cavalieri
So so good! I love how subtlety sweet this is! It worked great with the cake I made. Tonight I also found that it is damned delicious on chocolate ice cream. I felt like I had been transported somewhere other than my bed, it was that good. I can’t wait to eat it tomorrow!
Sam
I am so glad you enjoyed it, Krista! I have never tried it on ice cream, but I bet it would be fantastic! Thanks for the idea. 🙂
Jennifer
Thanks for the recipe! How can I make it whiter for a white cake?
Sam
Hi Jennifer! You can use clear vanilla extract to help a little bit. 🙂
Mary
Use white gel food coloring.
Heather
would this go well on angel food cake?
Sam
Hi Heather! In my opinion, angel food cake does not need a frosting, but I don’t see why it would be bad. This particular frosting isn’t as sweet as a buttercream, but it still may be too much for someone. I’d love to know if you try it. 🙂
Anne Marie
How does it hold up in warm temps?
Sam
Hi Anne Marie! It holds up much like a buttercream will. When you start reaching temps probably around 80 degrees F it will start to melt. 🙂
Jane
Can i use this for my red velvet crinkles?
Sam
Hi Jane! Typically crinkle cookies aren’t topped with a frosting, but it should work just fine. 🙂
Amy Seiber
Excellent frosting!
Sam
Thank you so much, Amy! 🙂
Angela
This recipe was really easy to make and very tasty. I used Almond extract for almond poppyseed muffins
Sam
I am so glad you enjoyed the frosting Angela! 🙂
Christine
Love the tips regarding cornstarch!
Will this recipe still work if I just use cream cheese and honey – then add cornstarch to pipe thick as per your image?
Sam
Hi, Christine! I think it would be too soft if you did that, but I haven’t tried it so I don’t know for sure.
cameron
can you use margarine instead of butter?
Sam
Hi Cameron! It might make the frosting too soft.
Noemi
Can I add color to the frosting?
Sam
Hi Noemi! You can add color to this frosting without an issue. 🙂
Yoli
I’m new to the whole baking world. So this might be a silly question, can I use this recipe to ice a cake?
Sam
Hi Yoli! There are no silly questions here! 🙂 This works great on cakes, it makes enough to cover a 2-layer 8 or 9 inch cake. I hope you love the frosting! 🙂
Monica
I made a 2-layer 9” cake and laid this stuff on _thick._ It was a huge hit. I’m never buying premade frosting again!
Sam
Homemade is always better! 🙂 I am so glad you enjoyed it!
sofia
so nice …….
Sam
Thank you so much, Sofia! 🙂
Joy
Perfect for piping on the cupcakes. Now to find the perfect yellow, carrot and chocolate recipe.
Sam
I am so glad you enjoyed the frosting Joy! 🙂