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.
Sammy
Hello! I wanna try out this recipe but I was wondering if I could add in whipped cream after everything else is mixed to lessen out the cheese taste since my kids do not like it too much.
Sam
Hi Sammy! I haven’t tried it but I’m not sure it will lighten the taste much. You could try a buttercream frosting instead. 🙂
Kim
Is this recipe enough for a 9×13 sheet cake?
Thank you
Sam
Hi Kim! This will make enough to cover a 9 x 13. 🙂
Chelsea
Wow- thank you for this easy to make, delicious Cream Cheese icing. I had plenty to cover my 9” two layer round carrot cake. Double Yum! I had comments about the perfect sweetnesses of this icing. Birthday success!
Ashley @ Sugar Spun Run
That is wonderful to hear, Chelsea! Glad it was a hit! 🙂
Laurie
2 cups of sugar was definitely sweet enough for me
Joni
Could I add a bit of cocoa powder to make chocolate frosting?
Ashley @ Sugar Spun Run
Hi, Joni! I have a chocolate cream cheese frosting recipe that I would use instead. 🙂
Carol
Came out good but only used 3 Cups of Sugar and it was still a little sweet. Maybe it was my cheap cream cheese. Use the good stuff next time.
Sam
I’m glad you enjoyed it, Carol! 🙂
REBECCA
Used 3 cups powder sugar , just perfect taste and texture. Thanks for the recipe
Laura
Can you make a cream cheese peanut butter frosting.
Sam
Hi Laura! You can add peanut butter to taste. 🙂
EMC
It is amazing, my Son loves it, and he will hardly eat anything, So Thank You!!!!!
Bear W
Is one batch enough frosting for a 2 tier, 8in round cake?
Sam
Yup! 🙂
BeckyB
Fantastic recipe for an all purpose frosting that isn’t too sweet. I just made this recipe and followed the directions exactly. I frosted a flag cake and then piped on the Stars and Stripes and added blueberries and raspberries. The piping retains it’s shape because the frosting has plenty of stiffness. Very pleased with the result. Delicious too!
Sam
I’m so glad you enjoyed it so much, Becky! 🙂
Katie
Make in advance? How long could it last?
Sam
Hi Katie! It will last about a week in the refrigerator in an air tight container. It may need a brief stir before attempting to put it on a dessert. 🙂
Millymills
WOW! Amazing! I substituted the regular cream cheese with a dairy free option and it was so delicious! Thank you!!! The family loves it!
Cristina
The flavor is so amazing!! I feel like most recipes are too sweet. The only problem I have is that it doesn’t stiffen like in your photo. Am I over-beating the frosting or maybe it’s my location. I live in central Florida so the humidity here can mess with frosting/fondant. I totally overlooked your cornstarch option, so maybe I need to try that next time. Thanks for this recipe!!
Sam
Hi Cristina! I’m so glad you like the frosting! I would say the heat could definitely be the issue (assuming you aren’t substituting low-fat cream cheese or the spreadable kind that comes in a tub, I just want to mention it because I know some people have tried that and had runny frosting). The heat could be an issue especially if the cream cheese is too warm, while it should be softened, it shouldn’t be so soft that it is melting. I really hope that helps but am happy to help troubleshoot further if needed!
Lucille
I used this delicious frosting on carrot cupcakes and an orange cake. I wanted to add some lemon zest and juice for lemon ricotta cupcakes I’m making, but wasn’t sure if that would work. Any thoughts? Thanks so much!
Sam
Hi Lucille! I actually have a lemon cream cheese frosting on my lemon cupcakes. 🙂
Lucille
Thanks so much! I actually made a batch with lemon and a batch with orange for lemon and orange ricotta cupcakes I made, and both were delicious!!! I brought them to a Memorial Day gathering and everyone loved them!
Sam
I’m so glad everyone enjoyed it so much, Lucille! 🙂
Holly
Hands down the best frosting recipe ever. My selective eater son even loves it! This was a great find. A must have for any baker.
Sam
I’m so glad everyone enjoyed it, Holly! 🙂
Judy Baucom
Follow up to question regarding the strawberries. Could you use strawberry jam to flavor the frosting?
Sam
The same applies as using the fresh or frozen strawberries. You will only want to use a small amount as it could break the frosting. 🙂
Sydney
I absolutely cannot wait to try this recipe with your Confetti Cupcakes recipe. Like you, I’m hugely turned off by buttercream despite my incessant sweeth tooth.
Sam
I think you are going to love this one. 🙂
Susan
Hi Sam.can I freeze this frosting?
Sam
Hi Susan! That will work just fine. 🙂
Nevin
Hi Sam, I would love to try your recipe … can I flavor it with mint for (chocolate cupcakes) & strawberry (for strawberry cupcakes) .. thank you so much <3
Sam
Hi Nevin! That should work just fine. 🙂
Ddd
Hi Sam, This is the best frosting ever…previous recipes have either been too runny or lumpy. It’s been a while since I made your recipe and cannot recall if the cream cheese was used at room temperature or directly out of the fridge as the recipe did not say so, unless I missed it somewhere. I reside in UK and we don’t use {stick} cream cheese in UK is supplied in a plastic…
I’m making the receipt this week, I hope I receive a response soon. ; )
Sam
Room temperature cream cheese is best here. It will help eliminate any potential lumps in the frosting. 🙂
jjBaucom
If you want to flavor the frosting with strawberry, what do you use? Do you use fresh strawberries or what??? I would appreciate a speedy reply as I plan to use the frosting tomorrow. Thanks in advance!!
Sam
It can be a little tricky. You can puree your strawberries and then reduce them. You would then have to use it sparingly in the frosting as it could break the frosting. Your best bet is to use powdered freeze dried strawberries. 🙂