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.
Kimberly
This looks delicious and want to try it. Will it be enough for a 2 layer sheet cake?
Sam
Hi Kimberly! You may want to double it to cover a double layer sheet cake. It makes enough for 1 9 x 13. 🙂
Jessica
Hi, I need to make a black creamcheese frosting for a graduation cake and want to use a combination of black cocoa and gel color to get the color without jeopardizing taste too much. Can you advise on how to do that with this recipe
Sam
Hi Jessica! Honestly I have not experimented with it so I can’t say for sure how it would go. I think the gel food color would work pretty well without altering the flavor too much, unless you are going for a super dark black.
Presley
Worked great the first time!!
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
We’re so happy to hear that, Presley! Enjoy ❤
Danielle
This is a beautiful creamy cream cheese frosting. It paired well with my carrot cake.
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Danielle! ❤
Amanda
Does this have to be refrigerated or can be shelf stable while at a vendor show?
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Hi Amanda! We recommend refrigerating after about two hours. Hope that helps 😊
SALLY
THE FROSTING TASTES AMAZING BUT WILL IT BE ENOUGH FOR 2 LAYERS 9″ CAKES?
Sam
Hi Sally! It should be enough for a 2 layer 9 inch cake. 🙂
Shelbie
Love this frosting! I want to use it for my one year olds birthday cupcakes but I don’t want to make everything the day of .. can I prepare this the night before and refrigerate until I’m ready to pipe?
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Absolutely! Enjoy, Shelbie 😊
Janina Ann cullen
it was easy peasy and delicious! thank you for sharing this recipe!
Stacie
Absolutely delicious! I followed this recipe exactly and it was the perfect about for piping 24 cupcakes with a generous amount of frosting. Hands down one of the best cream cheese frostings I have ever had.
scott
This recipe is perfect. Used it on chile chocolate cake, instead of the chocolate bourbon icing.
Olivia
This frosting is delicious. Haven’t tasted it ON the cake yet as it’s still cooling but I’m really excited. I think this might be a go too frosting from here on out 🙂
Emma
I used on my red velvet cupcakes. Perfect amount of sweetness. My husband doesn’t usually like cream cheese frosting so when he asked for thirds and licked the spoon I was delighted. Will be using again!
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Sounds delicious, Emma! We’re so happy it was a hit for you and your husband 😊
Elyssa
If I only have spreadable cream cheese will it still work?
Sam
Hi Elyssa! I don’t recommend it here. The spreadable cream cheese won’t hold up as well and your frosting could be runny. 🙁
Carol
Just wanted to say I live in Switzerland and they only sell the spreadable cream cheese here and I always use it. Pour out the excess liquid on the top when you open it and add cornstarch. It’ll get nice and thick. 👍🏼
Betty
I found 3 cups powdered sugar to be perfect. Pipeable for my simple carrots on top of carrot cupcakes, still a bit malleable and shiny like a delectably rich icing, and the sweetness is perfect. I wouldn’t want to add any more, as someone who prefers a richer butter/cream cheese flavor over super sweet things. This recipe is enough for 24 cupcakes, if you do a modest coating, not piled high.
Deanna Williamson
I could use some advice wanting to add a little bit of a special barbecue sauce that my son loves to this cream cheese icing. Any suggestions? A certain amount? I’m using the base chocolate that you suggested with a pinch or two of cayenne pepper and topping with bacon caramelized the bbq sauce.
Thank you!
Sam
Hi Deanna! This is a question I have not had before. Is it a homemade bbq sauce? If so I would probably try to cook it a little bit longer to reduce it a bit so there’s not a lot of extra moisture and then stir it in at the end. I hope this helps. 🙂
Deanna
Thank you SO much for the advice. I did reduce the barbeque sauce to remove as much moisture as possible. I made the cake and whilst the cayenne and bacon worked, I strongly urge everyone to not use an actual sauce that they make to add familial nostalgia to icing.
Sam
I’m so glad it turned out! 🙂
RLT
I just made this using 2.5 cups of powered sugar and it’s beyond sweet enough for us. I would suggest everyone test it after every cup added. I think I’ll use 1.75 cups the next time. Very yummy.
Allie
A trick I have learned is a squeeze of fresh lemon juice will help cut down on the sweetness without making it taste lemony! It has been (baking) life changing!
Cheryl
I never add all the powdered sugar since I find it overly sweet. Normally I do add some lemon juice. I will also add cornstarch for a thicker frosting. That’s a great tip.
Patty
I’m going to try this, but have 3 layers of 6” cake. Will this be enough I wonder, or perhaps add .5 to the recipe? Patty
Sam
Hi Patty! I think this would be enough for a 3 layer 6 inch cake, unless you like to heavily decorate it. 🙂
Ashley
Love love LOVE this cream cheese frosting! A lot of other recipes I’ve made in the past tend to be on the softer side which makes it difficult to stack cakes or hold the design of the piping tip I’m using when frosting cupcakes. This frosting is perfectly sweet and tangy and is thick enough to work with and holds shape well!!! Yum!!!
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Thanks for your review, Ashley! We’re so happy our icing is just what you were looking for 🥰
Ester
Nice recipe. I doubled for a 1/2 sheet cake. Thank you for sharing.
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
We’re happy you enjoyed it, Ester! Thanks for commenting 😊
Naomi
This is THE best cream cheese frosting recipe ever!! I use it every time I make red velvet cake, it is so good I like to eat it by itself. My mom always asks for it when she makes carrot cake. It is literally my go to, super easy I love it! I never review things but I needed to for this. I mean I’ve been using this recipe for years and it always turns out good.
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Thank you so much for coming back to leave a review, Naomi! We are so happy you love our recipe so much. And we totally agree about eating the icing by itself–it’s irresistible! 😉
Amber
I tried it today step by step and it was runny. I even added more sugar. The taste is great. Am I supposed to chill it before using?
Sam
Hi Amber, chilling before using is not necessary. Was the cream cheese brick-style, full-fat cream cheese?