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.
Christine
I just made this last night for some Memorial Day cupcakes, and this frosting is to DIE for!!! Thank you for the wonderful recipe 😃
Sam
I’m so glad to hear you enjoyed the cream cheese frosting! Thanks for commenting, Christine 🙂
Reg Toews
Made this cream cheese recipe for a batch of cinnamon buns. Was absolutely amazing!
Sam
I am so glad you enjoyed the frosting! 🙂
Jaimy
Hi Sam! My frosting is kinda runny. I used less sugar (350g) and 2 tbsp of cornstarch. I live in a hot and humid country. I already placed them in a piping bag and refrigerated it, but haven’t tried piping them yet.
Sam
Hi Jaimy! That’s a lot less sugar, so that coupled with the humidity and heat would definitely make it more runny. I’d add more sugar, but this frosting (like most) also doesn’t hold up really well to the heat, unfortunately!
Kathy
Made this tonight… Delicious! Thank you!
Sam
I’m so glad you enjoyed the cream cheese frosting, Kathy! Thank you for commenting 🙂
Alex
Is it really 4 cups of powdered sugar? That seems a bit much(I’m a new-ish baker so I don’t know much about frosting but the proportions seem off.
Sam
Yes, 4 cups of sugar 🙂
Enjoy!
Ashley
I did 2 cups and it was amazing 4 would be way too sugary in my opionon. Even my 4 year old went gaga over the icing I made!
PMW
You did not deceive us 😂. This recipe TRULY is versatile! I used this as an icing for my cheese cake. I added lemon and lime extract and used less sugar… OMG! You the real MVP for this one 😂. Thanks Sam!
Sam
I’m so glad to hear that the cream cheese frosting was such a success for you! Thank you so much for commenting, I appreciate it! 🙂
Betty
Just made this to put on banana cake , best ever!!! Thank you.
Sam
I am so glad you enjoyed the frosting Betty! In my opinion, it is the perfect pairing for banana cake. 🙂
Kerry
I am planning to use this to frost my carrot walnut cupcakes for my niece’s birthday. Will this hold up in 20 deg celsius indoors? I am also planning to bake the night before. Can i frost my cupcakes and keep it in the counter until the following night? Or should i keep the frosted cupcakes in the fridge overnight? Thanks !
Sam
Hi Kerry! The cream cheese frosting should be ok at a traditional room temperature. They will be fine to frost the night before and let sit out on the counter. I would store the cupcakes in an air tight container so they don’t dry out. 🙂
Mandy
This is fantastic! How do you store the cupcakes after they are made? I am assuming refrigerate?
Sam
Hi Mandy! The cream cheese frosting will be ok at room temperature in an air tight container for 2 days. After that I would transfer them to the refrigerator. 🙂
Jennifer Mango
How does this frosting hold up in the heat? I will be doing an event next weekend, outside, and I live in Florida so it’s pretty warm. Will this hold up to the heat?
Sam
Hi Jennifer. Unfortunately if it is hot and humid, I’m afraid it will start to melt, much like a buttercream.
Jenny
Does this recipe hold up well after being frozen? I’m making my granddaughter a doll cake. I plan for n making it and decorating it a week before her party due to time constraints.
Sam
Hi Jenny! This is a more sturdy frosting, so I think it will hold up just fine. 🙂
Whitney
Have you ever added Wilton food coloring this the cream cheese frosting (vs buttercream)?
Sam
Yes that will be fine, this frosting takes color from food coloring just as well as buttercream does. Enjoy!
George Murray
This is such an amazing recipe but I did have to cut the sugar in half even though this is an amazing recipe I totally forgot to get vanilla extract and used almond extract instead I had to use half the amount though because it is stronger than vanilla extract
Anyways Thank you so much for the recipe I love it so so much
Sam
I am so glad you enjoyed the frosting, George! 🙂
Marva
This is my new go-to. Thanks!!
Sam
I am so glad you enjoyed the frosting, Marva! 🙂
Cecilia
Can I pre make this frosting and keep in the fridge? How long will it keep in the fridge? Also when I am ready to use, do I need to re whip It? Thanks.
Sam
Hi Cecilia! The frosting will be fine in the refrigerator in an air tight container for a few days. When you go to use it, you will need to let it come to room temperature and stir it a little bit before using. 🙂
Raquel
Just made this cream cheese frosting and it is phenomenal!!! I’m thinking it will be the perfect touch to this banana bread 🙂 Thanks for posting!!!
Sam
I am so glad you enjoyed the frosting, Raquel! It will definitely go great on banana bread! Enjoy! 🙂