This classic Cream Cheese Frosting whips up in about five minutes and tastes absolutely amazing on cakes, cupcakes, and cookies. It is super creamy and flavorful with a rich cream cheese taste and right amount of sweetness. It pipes beautifully and is the perfect frosting for carrot cake, red velvet cake, spice cake, hummingbird cake, pumpkin cake, and more.
How to make Cream Cheese Frosting
Start by softening your cream cheese and butter at room temperature. Then using an electric mixer on high beat the cream cheese and butter until they are smooth and creamy with no lumps. Then turn the mixer to medium speed and add the vanilla extract and salt. Gradually add the powdered sugar beating on low until well combined. Use on completely cooled cakes, cupcakes, and cookies.
Recipe tips
- Use full-fat cream cheese in block form (not the spreadable or whipped cream cheese usually packaged in a tub) and unsalted sweet cream butter.
- Soften both your cream cheese and your butter before starting this recipe to ensure a smooth, creamy, and lump free texture.
- This frosting is pipeable, easily dyeable, and by far one of my favorites with more flavor and less sugar per ounce than buttercream.
- This frosting requires refrigeration. Refrigerate any cakes, cupcakes or cookies that are frosted with it.
- If you are not going to pipe this frosting than 3-3 1/2 cups powdered sugar is ample for a good spreadable consistency. However if you are piping the frosting than 4 full cups of powdered sugar is recommenced.
What cream cheese is needed for this frosting
Regular full fat block cream cheese is the way to go for thick creamy full flavored frosting. Do not use spreadable or whipped cream cheese as they have been whipped with too much air to produce good results for this recipe. I have also found that the name brand cream cheese works better and is a more consistent product.
Can cream cheese frosting be piped?
Oh yes it most certainly can but go for the 4 full cups of powdered sugar and if piping with a small tip sift your powdered sugar first.
How do I make my cream cheese frosting thicker?
Simply add more powdered sugar 1 tablespoon at a time beating on low until desired consistency. You don’t want to add too much at once and then have to add more softened butter or a tablespoon of milk to get it to the correct consistency. You can always stop and test it by piping a little bit on a plate and if it is not thick enough put it back in the bowl and beat in a few more tablespoons of powdered sugar 1 tablespoon at a time.
Recipe Variations
- Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting – beat in 1/2 cup cocoa powder after the powdered sugar.
- Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting – add 1/2 tablespoon ground cinnamon at the same time as the vanilla extract and the salt.
- Pumpkin Spice Cream Cheese Frosting – add 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon at the same time as the vanilla extract and the salt.
Ways to use Cream Cheese Frosting
Best Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe
Ingredients
- ½ cup unsalted butter softened
- 8 ounces cream cheese softened
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 3 ½ - 4 cups powdered sugar confectioner’s sugar
Instructions
- Using a stand mixer (with paddle attachment) or hand mixer on high speed beat the cream cheese and butter until it is smooth and creamy with no lumps.
- Turn the mixer to medium and add the vanilla extract and salt. Turn the mixer to low and gradually add the powdered sugar beating until well combined. Use 3 1/2 cups powdered sugar for non-piped frosting and 4 cups powdered sugar for pipeable frosting.
- Use on completely cooled cakes, cupcakes, and cookies.
Notes
- Use full fat block cream cheese (not the spreadable or whipped cream cheese) and unsalted sweet cream butter.
- Soften both your cream cheese and your butter before starting this recipe to ensure a smooth, creamy, and lump free finish.
- This frosting is pipeable, easily dyeable, and by far one of my favorites with more flavor and less sugar per ounce than buttercream.
- Refrigerate cream cheese frosting and any cakes, cupcakes or cookies that are frosted with it.
- If you are not going to pipe this frosting than 3-3 1/2 cups powdered sugar is ample for a good spreadable consistency. However if you are piping the frosting than 4 full cups of powdered sugar is recommenced.
Nutrition
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abzstylz
OMG the texture of the frosting is so divine! I can enjoy it on my cakes or by itself. Thanks for sharing 🙂
Krystle
My go to recipe. We love it on carrot cake and cinnamon rolls.
Rosey
Cream Cheese is thick and delicious, Very tasty. It makes a dessert feel luxurious.
Melanie E
We do love cream cheese frosting, it works with so many different cakes. I must try your recipe and compare with mine x
Tweenselmom
Oh my daughters just love this cream cheese frosting on cupcakes and cakes. Our favorite is the hummingbird cake. Thanks!
Cinny
This was absolutely delicious. I used it to frost banana cupcakes. Such a great combination.
Maureen
Cream cheese frosting you say, yes please! This was so yummy and I love that it doesn’t take long to make!
Stephanie
Cream cheese frosting is my favorite! I’ve been making it like this for years, too, and it’s perfect!
Jennifer Prince
I love this cream cheese frosting – especially on carrot cake. Thanks for the great recipe!
Christine
I love cream cheese frosting! It’s my favorite! I can’t wait to try this recipe. Thank you!
Allyson Zea
I like to eat this with a spoon, but it’s also delicious on cupcakes!
Amanda
This is the perfect cream cheese frosting recipe! I put it on carrot cake cupcakes and it was great.
Beth Pierce
Thanks Amanda! So glad that you like it!
Lesa
What beater on a stand mixer do you recommend? It’s hard to get the little minuscule lumps broken down.
Beth Pierce
The paddle beater should get those lumps out of there.
Sandra
This is really an amazing frosting recipe! Thanks so much for sharing!
Beth Pierce
My pleasure Sandra!
Erin | Dinners, Dishes and Dessert
Omg, this is seriously amazing! You had me on this!
Amanda
The picture alone is making my mouth water! It looks so sweet and fluffy!