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.
Renee
I’ve used this recipe for several years and everybody loves it! I started making your chocolate cream cheese frosting and my family says it’s the best chocolate frosting they’ve ever had! I’m interested in a almond cream cheese frosting.. any tips on how I might modify this recipe, or do you happen to have one already?
Sam
I’m so happy to hear this, Renee! I haven’t yet played around with making an almond cream cheese version… My first attempt would probably to experiment with reducing the vanilla by half and adding almond extract to taste (just keep in mind that almond extract is quite potent so you may not need as much as you think, start with less and add more as needed). I hope that helps!
Anna Walper
Best one ive used!
Lori Curtis
This frosting is so easy and wonderful. I put it on a strawberry cake. Yum!
hazel
Hi, I am about to try it on my carrot cake but isn’t it too sweet to add 4 cups of powdered sugar? What can be the alternative? Thanks
Sam
Hi Hazel! I do not think it is too sweet. You can try using less sugar but the consistency will not be as firm.
Christina
Can this be made the day before?
Sam
That will work just fine. 🙂
Nikki
I followed every step of your recipe but my frosting ended up soft and not stuffed for piping.
Sam
I’m so sorry this happened, Nikki! Did you use spreadable cream cheese or was your butter really melty when you added it? If neither of those were the case you may have just needed to add more sugar. 🙁
Christy
Hi can you provide instructions on how to make this a chocolate frosting?
Thank you!
Sam
Hi Christy! I actually have a chocolate cream cheese frosting recipe. 🙂
Karen
Do the cupcakes have to be refrigerated?
Sam
Hi Karen! You will want to refrigerate the frosted cupcakes within a few days, unless it’s really hot in your house and then you’ll want to do it sooner. 🙂
Nataly
Hi! Can i use fondant details on this frosting? It will hold? Thank you 🙂
Sam
Hi Nataly! This will hold up under fondant. Enjoy! 🙂
Ava s
going to make this for my birthday party with friends cant wait to try it using it with redvelvet cupcakes!
Elizabeth
Hi! Does this frosting have to stand in the fridge before using it as cake stuffing and decoration? Or can I use it directly after preparing it?
Sam
Hi Elizabeth! As long as it isn’t too soft when you are done making it you can use it right away. 🙂
Sandra Hernandez
I made this today. I used the most of the regular recipe to frost a strawberry cake, then I added 1/2 tsp. dry mix of Strawberry Jello, and a few drops of red food color to the remaining frosting and whipped it. I piped the strawberry frosting as decoration and placed fresh whole strawberries on the piped frosting for the wow effect.
I LOVE IT!!!
Sam
I’m so glad you enjoyed it so much, Sandra! 🙂
Pat
Sounds awesome! Can I freeze the icing in a freezer bag before decorating my cupcakes?
Sam
Hi Pat! As long as your freezer bag is sealed so it doesn’t dry out your frosting that shouldn’t be an issue. 🙂
Pat
Awesome! Can’t wait to try it out!
Pat
It turned out AMAZING!! I used this frosting for my son’s cake smash! I wish I could post a picture hahah! Thank you for sharing this recipe! It was easy and delicious!
Sam
I’m so glad everyone enjoyed it! 🙂
Nubia
If I were to pipe on my cake and put the cake in the freezer before I take to a party because of hot weather, will it still taste good?
Sam
Freezing it won’t change the flavor. 🙂
Cookie
Can you substitute the butter for coconut oil? And if so does it hold up well?
Sam
I haven’t tried it and honestly I’m not familiar enough with using coconut oil to advise. If you do try it I would love to know how it goes. 🙂
Kate
Delicious! I almost used store-bought frosting but this was just as easy and tastes waaay better.
Sam
I’m so glad you went with this one, Kate! I’m glad you liked it. 🙂
Amy H
Delicious and fast to make. My 17 year old licked the batter. Yum!
Sam
I’m so glad everyone enjoyed it so much, Amy! 🙂
Teresa
Can I make and frost cupcakes a week in advance and freeze
Sam
Hi Teresa! That should work just fine. 🙂