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.
Toni
The absolute best most delicious cream cheese frosting recipe I’ve made. Thank you!
Rosie
Made this tonight. Instead of the Vanilla extract, I used Banana extract for my Banana Pudding cake and it was PERFECT!!!
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
That sounds tasty, Rosie! We’re so happy you enjoyed it 🩷
A.L.
I used 3 cups of powdered sugar. Frosting was a little creamier due to reduced sugar but this was perfect for my needs. I used it for my 9×13 sheet cake (frosting only on top) so I ended up with some leftover. I added natural food coloring and it worked beautifully. Made an Easter themed cake that seemed to be a hit. Thank you.🙌
Marie
How much will this recipe cover if I am making mini cupcakes? I frost them similar to the ones pictured above but I use a little less.
Thanks,
Sam
Hi Marie! I haven’t piped it out on to mini cupcakes before, but I would guess you could get at least 48, of course that depends how much you put on each cupcake. 🙂
Elena
If I do not use the frosting all at once, how long can I store it?
Sam
Hi Elena! It will be good in the refrigerator for about 4 days, longer if frozen. 🙂
tracy
I freeze my leftovers in a sealed tupperware container. lasts a long time.
Sima
Hi There! I plan on making this recipe tomorrow to frost a 6” 3 layer cake that will be about 6” tall. Is this recipe enough and is stable enough for a tall cake? Thanks!
Sam
Hi Sima! I think it will cover your cake. It should be fine to do a 3 layer 6″ cake. 🙂
Murphy
This really is the absolute best cream cheese frosting. No notes, it’s perfect.
Haley Gossett
Hey! I’m making this frosting for a red velvet cake; could I pipe roses using the frosting? I’m new to decorating. Thanks!
Sam
Hi Haley! You can certainly use it for a red velvet cake. It does pipe very well. 🙂
Trinity
Taste as you add the sugar! The recipe calls for 500g and personally that would have been far too sweet for us. I only used 300g instead and it tasted similar to store bought icing so I stopped. Due to using less sugar, the texture was nice and smooth instead of sturdy. Great for home cakes!
Emily W
This is the best recipe I have found for cream cheese frosting. It is a hit every time I make it!
Michelle
Delicious and piped perfectly on my red velvet cupcakes!
Lynn
Hi, I was wondering if I can freeze carrot cupcakes decorated with this icing? It is for a cupcake order and the client will not use them right away. Will the icing on the cupcakes hold their form?
Sam
Hi Lynn! This is a pretty sturdy frosting so you shouldn’t have any issues with this holding it’s shape when frozen and defrosted. 🙂
Johnni
I made your chocolate version of this frosting so delicious! Was curious I can use food colorings in this? And will it still hold up if I do
Sam
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Johnni! You can add food coloring. I prefer to use gel food coloring as it gives a much more vibrant color. 🙂
Kelly
I’ve made cream cheese frosting many times and I have to say this is by far the best recipe. I doubled it as I made a three layer cake and added a dash of light cream to thin it just a bit. I did have extra frosting left over but the kids didn’t mind!!
Lori Stewart
Perfect consistency!
Cassandra
Oh my goodness this is SO GOOD!! I added about 1/2tsp more vanilla and used salted sweet cream butter along with the salt in the recipe and it is PERFECT for the cinnamon roll cake that I made! THANK YOU!!!
Casey @ Sugar Spun Run
We’re so glad this was the perfect topping for your cake, Cassandra!