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.
Faith
Have you tried dairy free cream cheese in this recipe (Tofutti brand)?
Sam
Hi Faith! I am not familiar with it so I can’t say for sure how it would work.
Carol from Minnesota
I followed the recipe exactly and it was perfect, creamy consistency and not too sweet.
Heather
Delicious! Definitely My go to for frosting now, thank you!
Nadia
Am i supposed to let the cream cheese and the butter sit til room temp before i mix them?
Sam
Hi Nadia! It’s much easier to get it completely combined if all ingredients are at room temperature. 🙂
Lynnette
Delicious, luscious & creamy frosting! I made it to frost a carrot cake. I highly recommend it. Very beginner friendly! Thank you!
K
I used probably 1/2 the amount of sugar, maybe less, and it was really good. I couldn’t imagine the sweetness of 4 cups. I think it comes down to your preference, so if you’re like me you can start with a cup of sugar and taste, then add as you see fit.
Val
Amazing! Delicious and perfect consistency. I made this to frost a homemade cannoli cake. Thank you for sharing!
raph
does it need to be cooked after mixing or just refrigerated?
Sam
Just refrigerated. 🙂
Barbe
Loved this recipe and it was easy to pipe. Admittedly, I added a tblsp of heavy cream just to thin it a tiny bit and 1/2 tsp of cinnamon as i was using it for carrot cake cupcakes and it added just a hint of flavor.
Dianne B
I could not get it to firm up. I added extra butter and sugar towards the end, and it’s just too thin.
Sam
Hi Dianne! I’m so sorry to hear this! Did you use the brick style cream cheese? I wouldn’t recommend more butter. The sugar will thicken it.
Allison
Hi! Wondering if you used full-fat cream cheese or reduced fat?
Sam
Full fat cream cheese here. 🙂
Mimi
I’m sorry, I hated it 🙁 it tastes heavily of butter
Kayla White
Hi 🙂 cannot wait to try this! Does it colour well? x
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Hi Kayla! Yes it does. We like gel food coloring; just stir it in briefly at the end 🙂
Kelly
How long does this frosting store in the refrigerator? Party planning and want to make ahead of time then pipe on morning of the party.
Sam
Hi Kelly! It’s good in the refrigerator for at least 5 days. Make sure to wrap it tightly. It may need a little bit of time to warm up before it is pipe-able. 🙂
Antonio
Thanks a lot for the recipe. Should I use the flat beater or the whisk of my stand mixer to prepare this frosting? Thank you!
Sam
Hi Antonio! I typically use my paddle attachment not the whisk. 🙂
Nathalie
I actually used the tub cream cheese and it turned out amazingly. What a great recipe ! Thank you.
Caroline Slocum
Can I make this in advance? If so, how do I store it/freeze it to ensure I can pipe the cupcakes the day of the event?
Sam
Hi Caroline! This will store in the refrigerator for 5-7 days. You will want to keep it wrapped tightly. It may need to warm slightly after taking out of the refrigerator before it is pipe-able. 🙂
Rardie
Hi there, it looks amazing. I have not made it yet but wondering if this recipe stable enough to colour and pipe flowers?
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Hi Rardie! This frosting is like a buttercream. You won’t be able to get as detailed as you would with a royal icing though. Hope that helps! 🙂
Ellen
Great and delicious recipe. This was easy to make and went well with my applesauce cake.
Thank you!!