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.
Tsakani
can i use 1:1 like 250g cream cheese and 250g of butter in order to underdtand the measurement posted?
Sam
Gram measurements are listed in the recipe if that is helpful.
Anduin
Easy frosting to make! I made a 3-layer carrot cake and frosted it “naked.” Perfect quantity. I sifted the sugar to ensure no lumps, and the consistency was silky and sturdy. The best part – it’s delicious!!!
Nicole
Sam,
Have you ever substituted your; “The Best Cream Cheese Frosting” recipe’s block cream cheese with LorAnn Oils Cream Cheese Icing Flavor? I’m trying to display a cake with cream cheese frosting for at least 3 hours. If not would you consider experimenting with a cream cheese oil?
Thanks
Sam
Hi Nicole! I have not tried it so I can’t say for sure how it will go. Let me know how it does go if you try. 🙂
Julia
I made it with half the sugar and it was still plenty sweet for me (I don’t like things super sweet). Love that this recipe is very easy and uses full package amounts (I hate leftover packs of stuff used for one recipe)
Kris
Very easy, so delicious!
Bonnie
do I need to use unsalted butter?
Sam
Omit the salt if you use salted butter. Enjoy!
Naomi
It’s a great recipe, but I accidentally used the wrong kind of cream cheese and the frosting was too watery. We managed to save it by adding cornstarch and more sugar but make sure to check what kind of cream cheese you are using when you try!
Laura L
How long can you store this for? Fridge or countertop? I’d like to make it ahead of time for a party, but don’t want to be too far ahead.
Sam
Hi Laura! I’m personally comfortable leaving it at room temperature for up to 48 hours or refrigerated for up to a week.
Nicole
Hi Sam, first of all I don’t like cream cheese.😬 However; I did try the Cream Cheese Icing Flavor (two different brands). I really didn’t have time to experiment with the suggested recipes so I stuck to them. My husband (my official taste-tester), who really loves cream cheese frosting thought the icing flavors were okay, but the flavors did taste artificial with an odd after taste. my husband LOVED your recipe for cream cheese frosting!! I will continue trying to work on the cream cheese frosting with the icing flavors…I don’t like to lose!☺️
“Nicole
January 14, 2024 at 12:27 am
Sam,
Have you ever substituted your; “The Best Cream Cheese Frosting” recipe’s block cream cheese with LorAnn Oils Cream Cheese Icing Flavor? I’m trying to display a cake with cream cheese frosting for at least 3 hours. If not would you consider experimenting with a cream cheese oil?
Thanks”
“Per Sam
January 14, 2024 at 9:46 pm
Hi Nicole! I have not tried it so I can’t say for sure how it will go. Let me know how it does go if you try. 🙂”
Sam
Thank you so much for the feedback, Nicole! 🙂
Lynn
This recipe is much better than the old one I had for carrot cake because it only called for a small 3 oz. pkge of cream cheese!……8 oz. size much better! Thanks!
Naz
Why my cream cheese frosting always turn out to be runny ?
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Hi Naz! Are you using brick-style, full-fat cream cheese? Using other kind will result in a runny frosting, unfortunately 😕
Sam
I’ve made this about a dozen times over the past couple years, so I figured it was time to leave a review! This is delicious frosting, perfect for piping on my red velvet cupcakes and spice cake. I always get a ton of compliments on this. I never change anything, do it exactly as the recipe says, and it’s always fantastic. I really appreciate the weights in the recipes, since measuring out multiple cups of powdered sugar is the messiest feat. Knowing it’s 500g always gives me a consistent frosting.
Jen
It’s the best recipe! Ty! If you want to give it a zing put couple tablespoons of lemon juice.
Sheri
Delicious, easy cream cheese frosting! This is my new go to frosting.
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Thanks so much for giving our recipe a try, Sheri! Enjoy 💜
B
Wonderful, easy frosting that tastes great. I made it for a Red Velvet Cake, Delicious.
Kelsey
Hi, I am not sure how to make a normal comment so trying it this way. I made the recipe (doubled it to have 2 portions) however I still taste the sugar. I used powdered sugar and added it gently. I tried solving it by heating but it is stil sugary. I tried adding 1/5 teaspoon but still it is sugary. What did I do wrong? 😑
Sam
Hi Kelsey! You should taste the sweetness from the sugar, but do you mean it is gritty?
Cathy
Can I add peppermint extract to this recipe? I’m making chocolate cake for dessert on Christmas and would like a peppermint cream cheese frosting.
Sam
Sure thing! 🙂
Josephine Julian
Was great! I usually have issues with making frosting but it was very easy to make! I’m not a fan of very sugary frosting so it was a good mix of sweetness without being overly sugart
Ellen
I have used lactose free cream cheese and so far, the icing seems a little runny. Will it thicken as it cools?
Sam
Hi Ellen! I’m not sure the lactose free cream cheese will work, but it shouldn’t be warmed up?
Ellen
It actually worked out great! I think it was only a little runny/soft because both the butter and cream cheese had been softened and were at room temperature. I added 2 tablespoons of corn starch and was still a little concerned, but it got much stiffer after I had it in the fridge overnight. It’s delicious! Thanks.