The BEST Cream Cheese Frosting + Video
This is the BEST Cream Cheese Frosting recipe that you will ever make! It’s thick, sturdy, pipeable, and lightly sweet with only 1 cup of powdered sugar!
Use it on red velvet cake, carrot cake, any other cake, inside sandwich cookies or cake rolls, or on top of cinnamon rolls. The possibilities are endless!
Why is this the BEST Cream Cheese Frosting?
Okay ya’ll! I’m serious when I say this is the BEST Cream Cheese Frosting recipe out there! I’ve tried so many kinds. Other recipes tend to be soft and stringy. (No thank you!) This has been my go-to recipe since 2014.
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This cream cheese frosting is stiff, sturdy, pipe-able, spreadable, you name it! Plus, it’s NOT overly sweet like the other recipes either.
The beauty of cream cheese frosting is that it should be tangy and and taste like cream cheese. Not be taken over by gobs of powdered sugar like a buttercream frosting. (However my even my buttercream frosting uses far less sugar.)
The Difference from Other Recipes
See the ripples in that frosting? Yep, that’s proof right there that it’s stiff enough to pipe and decorate with. The big difference between this recipe and all those other ones floating around the web, is that this recipe uses more butter and less powdered sugar.
More butter and less powdered sugar gives the cream cheese frosting a buttery, creamy texture, yet still has that tangy cream cheese flavor to it.
Less powdered sugar helps it not be stringy, and the butter helps to lighten and fluff up the frosting.
That’s right! More powdered sugar (can) = stringy frosting!!!
It’s a fine dance. You have to use way less powdered sugar, or use way more powdered sugar to keep the frosting at a good consistency.
In fact, you would have to use 4 cups of powdered sugar to help it go from soft and stringy to thick.
OR — you can use 1 cup of powdered sugar and call it good.
Using only 1 cup of powdered sugar will produce less cream cheese frosting overall, but I’ll take a lightly sweet frosting over a ridiculously sweet frosting any day.
How Much Frosting Will This Make?
This cream cheese frosting recipe yields 1 1/2 cups of frosting. Which is enough to pipe 12-14 cupcakes. You can cover a single round or rectangle cake with it, but double the recipe for a layered cake.
If you want another great option that yields a little more, my whipped cream cheese frosting makes 4 cups. It’s equally tasty, even lighter in texture, and still only slightly sweet.
How to Make Cream Cheese Frosting
Let me show you how easy it is to make this cream cheese frosting.
- Place the cream cheese in a mixing bowl.
- Using a hand mixer, beat until smooth.
- Gradually add the butter 2 Tablespoons at a time, and continue beating until smooth and well blended. (Gradually adding the butter helps it fluff up, creating volume, and blend better with the cream cheese.)
- Add powdered sugar and vanilla all at once.
- Blend until combined and smooth. Use for any recipe that calls for cream cheese frosting.
Tips For Making Cream Cheese Icing
- Which type of cream cheese should I use? I’ve used full-fat and Neufchatel cream cheese for this recipe. Neufchatel will be slightly softer, but still manageable. Brick-style cream cheese is a must. Do NOT use cream cheese tubs/spreads.
- Use COLD cream cheese. This is not a typo. It seems like a big no-no, but it works, I promise. The room temperature cream cheese will help blend the two together without making the frosting soft.
- Use flat beaters, if possible. Honestly, my cheap $20-ish Hamilton Beach hand mixer (affiliate) is my favorite. The flat beaters help mix the frosting in a bowl better than in a stand mixer.
- Beat the cream cheese and butter together as long as you want BEFORE adding the powdered sugar and vanilla. Try and get all the lumps out beforehand. Once the powdered sugar is added, don’t beat it for too long or the frosting will become too soft to pipe. If this happens, place the frosting in the refrigerator or freezer until it firms back up.
- Type of butter to use: Unsalted butter is best, so if you want to add salt, you can control the amount you put in. Make sure that the butter is room temperature for this recipe.
Can I Color this Frosting?
Yes, this cream cheese frosting can be dyed. I recommend food color gels over liquid food coloring to avoid adding too much liquid into the frosting.
How to Store Cream Cheese Frosting
Due to the cream cheese, you will want to store this frosting in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
Any cakes/cupcakes that have been frosted with cream cheese icing can be left out at room temperature for up to 2 hours. If you don’t like cold cake, simply remove the cake/cupcakes from the fridge and bring them to room temperature for 20-30 minutes before consuming.
To Freeze: Place cream cheese frosting in a freezer-safe container or zip-top bag and freeze for up to 2-3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight. You may want to stir/re-whip it gently to freshen it up.
More Cream Cheese Frosting Recipes:
I’ve made many variations of this same recipe! Pick your flavor:
- Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting
- Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting
- Whipped Cream Cheese Frosting
- Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting
- Coconut Cream Cheese Frosting
- Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting
The BEST Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients
- 8 oz (226 g) brick-style cream cheese, COLD
- ½ cup (113 g) unsalted butter, (1 stick) room temperature
- 1 cup (120 g) powdered sugar
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- Place the cream cheese in a mixing bowl.
- Using a hand mixer, beat until smooth.
- Gradually add the butter 2 Tablespoons at a time, and continue beating until smooth and well blended.
- Add powdered sugar and vanilla all at once. Blend until combined and smooth. (Don’t beat too long or the frosting will be too soft to pipe. If this happens, place the frosting in the refrigerator or freezer until it firms back up.) Use for any recipe that calls for cream cheese frosting.
Video
Notes
- YIELD: 1 ½ cups frosting, which will frost about 12-14 cupcakes
- STORAGE: Store this frosting in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
- Any cakes/cupcakes that have been frosted with cream cheese icing can be left out at room temperature for up to 2 hours. If you don’t like cold cake, simply remove the cake/cupcakes from the fridge and bring them to room temperature for 20-30 minutes before consuming.
- TO FREEZE: Place cream cheese frosting in a freezer-safe container or zip-top bag and freeze for up to 2-3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight. You may want to stir/re-whip it gently to freshen it up.
Nutrition
Did you make this?
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Extra pictures and video added 4/1/17. Post updated with step-by-step photos January 2024.
Can I double this just by doubling the ingredients
If you double it all at once just be sure to beat the cream cheese and butter as much as you need to before adding the powdered sugar and vanilla. If you over-mix it, it can become stringy.
First time I have made frosting from scratch
It’s fantastic and I had no idea how easy it is
Patricia
I’m so glad you found this recipe easy and delicious Patricia!
Hi Amber,
I have made this cream cheese frosting many years ago and worked lovely.
I don’t remember if it is COLD cream cheese and ROOM TEMPERATURE butter or both room temperature.
Thank you.
Glad you enjoyed this recipe! It’s cold cream cheese and room temperature butter. Everything you need to know is in the recipe card.
You showed this frosting on a bundt cake. Usually you would drip it on a bundt cake but this frosting sounds too thick to drizzle on. Help please!
You can pipe it to look like drips or add milk 1 Tbsp at a time to get it more of a drip-like consistency.
Would I need to double this recipe for an 8″ layer cake?
Yes, you will want to double the recipe.
Hello,
can I add colouring to this frosting?
Doing a big number cupcake cake for my little girl’s first birthday and woul love to add some colour.
I would use gel food coloring over liquid food coloring and add it when you add the vanilla. If the frosting seems soft after adding the coloring, refrigerate it for 15-20 minutes to firm it back up.
Thanks so much!
The cream chees frosting sounds good, and has few ingredients. Can this be doubled or tripled? When I make cupcakes I usually make 144 at a time.
Thank you
I haven’t tried making a big batch of it before. I think doubling or tripling the would be ok. I wouldn’t mix more than that at once though. If you have lots of cupcakes to frost, you might also like my whipped cream cheese frosting. It makes 4 cups compared to 1 1/2 cups of this frosting. Here’s the link for that recipe if you want to check it out: https://www.dessertnowdinnerlater.com/whipped-cream-cheese-frosting/
Will this recipe be enough to frost a 13 X 9 cake?
It will be about 1/3 to 1/2-inch thick if spread just on top (not the sides). I use it to fill my cake rolls, so I believe it will be sufficiently thick for the top of a 13×9-inch cake. (You can see the frosting in my 15×10-inch cake roll here: https://www.dessertnowdinnerlater.com/red-velvet-cake-roll/)
Hi,
I tried the frosting, it’s delicious but it doesn’t hold so well. I kept it in the fridge last night and took it out this morning and waited about 30mins b4 piping the cupcakes, however, it looks like the frosting is melting. Any ideas on how to hold its shape? I’m writing from Vienna, Austria. It’s not very warm or cold here. My kitchen is also not overly warm.
Thanks,
Sabena
Hi Sabena, I’m not totally sure, but I believe the cream cheese in Europe comes in tubs, not blocks. If this is the case, it is not as firm as the blocks we have in the United States, which could be the reason it seems soft/like it’s melting.
Here are some ideas to thicken/stiffen it:
https://www.wikihow.com/Thicken-Cream-Cheese-Frosting
Yumm. Thank you! I added a bit of lemon and almond extract to the vanilla. 1 capfull of each. Over the top taste! Thank you fir your awesome recipe. I am not a sugary frosting person at all. This one is the best recipe!
I’m so glad you enjoyed this recipe Val! Thanks for sharing!