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.
Hi,
I made this icing today and people really enjoyed it! My issue is that I made way too much and I don’t want to waste it. Is there a way to successfully freeze it?
I personally haven’t frozen it, but from what I am reading online, it should be okay to freeze.
Agar agar also helps to stabilize whipped cream and frostings. I add it to all my buttercreams so they stand up to high heat.
Good to know! Thanks for sharing!
I have found that adding a bit of cornstarch to the powdered sugar before adding to cream cheese allows me to pipe the icing. I start with 1 teaspoon of cornstarch to the 1 cup of confectioners sugar. After blending, allow the mixture to sit for 15-20 mins. Living in Alabama, we are very humid and frequently must add cornstarch to icings. ( I sift together the confectioners sugar and cornstarch for even mixing.) Hope this helps.
Great tip!
I mixed this recipe with 1 regular sized tub of whipped cream and it is stunning. so light and fluffy I would highly recommend trying it
I’ve done that for my Rainbow Cupcakes and it is good!
Hi! This looks absolutely delicious. Would it be possible to add white chocolate to the recipe?
Thanks
I haven’t tried it, but you may need extra powdered sugar. Good luck!
So I’ve had this recipe pinned for a while and finally made it tonight. Oh man it is fabulous! Just the right amounts of everything. A friend at work made carrot cake for some of us tomorrow but she doesn’t use frosting so I made a batch for a couple of us that need it. 😋 After I put it into individual baggies for us I literally licked the bowl clean cuz it tastes so perfect! Thank you! At this point I don’t even need the cake. 👍🏼👍🏼
I’m so glad you got around to making it, and that you loved it so much!
Have you ever added peanut butter?
I haven’t. You could probably substitute some of the butter with peanut butter. You may need to add extra powdered sugar. Good luck!
Ok I think I do have the right attachment. Definitely want to pipe! If too soft, I’ll fridge / freeze for a bit. THANK YOU!
I’ll be making this tomorrow for a co-worker’s bday, & I’ve never done cream cheese frosting before. I’m curious that the recipe calls for “cold” cream cheese. Usually, if I don’t leave cream cheese to get to room temp for other desserts, it will be lumpy. Help? 🙂
If you use a hand mixer like mine (in the video), it will be just fine. If you are still worried, you can let it get to room temperature, but it may not be as pipe-able. If you aren’t piping anything, then you shouldn’t have anything to worry about.
Hi Amber, I had to write to let you know that your recipe is truly the best cream cheese frosting I have ever made or eaten! Everyone loves it! Your instructions were easy enough for me to understand and follow. So a big thank you for this!! I am going to bake my soon-to-be 4 year old granddaughter’s BD cake. She wants strawberry frosting for her chocolate cake so naturally I thought of your recipe. What do you think about me adding some fresh strawberries? I’m thinking about 1/4 cup pureed strawberries, straight up, and adding it to your recipe for color. I thought perhaps of chopping up more strawberries and adding it just before frosting, and setting it in the fridge to stiffen up. Think it would work? Thanks, Amber!
Hi Dawn! Glad to hear it! If you can find freeze dried strawberries, that would be best so it doesn’t add any extra moisture to the frosting and make it runny. Just throw a handful of freeze dried strawberries into the food processor and make a powder with them. You can alternately use strawberry gelatin powder (jello), about 1-2 tsp. I have only ever added orange zest/juice to this recipe, and it did make it softer, so I’m nervous about fresh strawberries. You could try fresh strawberries if you want, but try to make it and then serve it right away so it doesn’t get the chance to macerate and release the juices. Let me know how it goes!
Dear Amber, Thank you for your quick and helpful response. I was afraid the fresh strawberries would make the frosting too wet so I will try the freeze-dried suggestion for sure! I can always put fresh strawberries as a decoration, right? To make the frosting red, powdered strawberries should do it, right? But if not enough color, I could try the gelatin suggestion. I’ll experiment. I will certainly let you know! Thanks, again, so much!