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.
Farheen
Hi, the frosting tastes delicious but for some reason it is too thin even after following your recipe perfectly… How do I thicken it?
Sam
I’m so sorry to hear this! Did you use brick style cream cheese? If so you can just add more powdered sugar to thicken it. 🙂
Ly
Can i use this to ice a cake 2 days in advance and how would i store cake thanks
Sam
You can frost it 2 days in advance. It will need to be refrigerated. 🙂
Christiane Creveling-Benefield
Excellent with only 2 cups of sugar! Would definitely taste before adding all 4 cups.:)
Kathy
Hi, absolutely LOVE this frosting, thank you so much!
Does the frosted cake need to be refrigerated?
Sam
Hi Kathy! Since it is a cream cheese frosting it is best if kept refrigerated. I’m so glad you enjoyed it so much! 🙂
Lyndy Coombe
Can this be used to ice a tiered cake?
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Sure! Enjoy, Lyndy 😊
Jeanne Parker
Amazing!! Thick and beautiful, easy to spread on my red velvet cake…. It was a huge hit in our house, I’ll definitely be making again!
Alexia
OMG guys u need to make this. I was lookin for something quick and easy, this is the right way to go. It isn’t that sweet, and but it still is. And it is perfect with red velvet, cause that’s what I used it for anyways. 10/10 must try again as I always say.
Bobbi Groninger
Excellent Frosting! Made a chocolate fudge cake and buttercream Frosting was way too sweet, teeth hurting sweet. Made same cake tonight using this cream cheese butter Frosting, and it was Amazing! The Perfect complement to a rich & sweet cake. Thank you! I’ve saved this…
Jazmine Sharick
Every time I make this, it turns out more like a glaze, then a frosty I don’t know what I’m doing wrong
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Hi Jazmine! Are you by chance using spreadable or low-fat cream cheese?
Amy
Like runny? I used standmixer on high to get it really whipped, easy to spread. Then let the cake set in the fridge for atleast 1 hour.
Amy
Make sure you are using real butter and not margarine
Eva Christine Mondragon-Wright
I think that when cream cheese frosting is over whipped, it starts to get runny. At least that has been my experience. I haven’t tried this recipe tho
Lin Cline
I’ve used this recipe several times, and it’s always a hit. Just used it on my Hummingbird cupcakes and in the past on my Red Velvet and Carrot cupcakes and once I used it on lemon cupcakes and added a bit of zested lemon and a teaspoon of lemon juice. So good. Oh, I have used it on a cake once and did use a little corn starch to make my decorations with the cream cheese frosting.
Carol
Delish on my carrot cake cupcakes! Family devoured them!
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
We LOVE that pairing, Carol! Thanks for letting us know how you enjoyed it 😊
Jazmine Sharick
No. The only thing I can think of is I’m letting my butter get too soft.I made some this morning and I tried to even add some cornstarch and that didn’t even work to try and thicken it up. It still taste good.
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
How frustrating…this is definitely not a typical result! The butter could be the issue. Are you adding the full amount of sugar? Any other substitutions?
Richard Wood
This is now my go to cream cheese icing. I used it on a lemon cake, so I added lemon zest for color and flavor. Rave reviews at the dinner party.
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
That sounds delicious, Richard! Thanks for sharing ❤️
Debra Walling
Pleased, very much so! Easy peasy. Thank you for sharing the recipe. It’s a keeper.
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
We’re so happy you enjoyed it, Debra! 🥰
Joss Powers
This is, and will always be my go-to cheesecake icing recipy!
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
We love hearing that, Joss! Thanks for the review 🥰
Naomi
It’s amazing!!! Thanks!
Chrissy A
LOVED it very easy and tastes delicious! Even an 11 year old can make it!
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
We’re so happy you loved the frosting, Chrissy! Thanks for coming back to leave a review ❤️