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Cream Cheese Frosting is the rich, tangy, perfectly sweet topping that takes any cake or cupcake over the top, and it comes together in just 10 minutes with four simple ingredients. This is my go to frosting for everything from carrot cake to cinnamon rolls, and the girls always sneak a spoonful straight from the bowl. If you love our carrot cake loaf, this is the only cream cheese frosting recipe you will ever need.
Smooth, creamy, and not too sweet, this whipped cream cheese frosting pipes and spreads like a dream.
Cream Cheese Frosting Quick Look
- 🕒 Prep Time: 10 minutes
- 🌡️ Cook Time: 0 minutes
- ⏳ Total Time: 10 minutes
- 🍽️ Serving: 24 servings
- ⚡ Calories: 67kcal
- 🌶️ Flavor Profile: Rich, tangy, perfectly sweet whipped cream cheese frosting
- ✋ Difficulty: Easy, on par with our chocolate cream cheese frosting
Quick Answer
To make Cream Cheese Frosting, beat softened cream cheese and butter together until smooth. Add sifted powdered sugar a little at a time until fully combined, then stir in vanilla. Whip on medium-high speed for about 3 minutes until the frosting is light and fluffy. Use it right away to frost cakes, cupcakes, cookies, or cinnamon rolls.
Jump to:
- Cream Cheese Frosting Quick Look
- Quick Answer
- Why This Recipe Works
- Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Key Ingredients
- Variations and Substitutions
- How to Make Cream Cheese Frosting
- Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Serving Ideas and Suggestions
- Cream Cheese Frosting FAQs
- Other Recommended Frosting Recipes
- The Best Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe
Why This Recipe Works
Click to see the technique science
- Cream cheese plus butter. The classic combination gives the frosting its signature rich, tangy flavor and smooth, spreadable texture.
- Sifted powdered sugar. Sifting the powdered sugar keeps the frosting silky smooth with no lumps.
- Added a little at a time. Mixing the sugar in gradually prevents a powdery mess and helps it blend in evenly.
- Whipping for volume. A few minutes of whipping on medium-high makes the frosting light, fluffy, and easy to pipe or spread.
- Just a touch of vanilla. A teaspoon of vanilla rounds out the flavor without overpowering the tangy cream cheese.
- The perfect sweetness. Six cups of powdered sugar gives it enough structure to hold its shape while staying balanced, not too sweet.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Rich and tangy. This is the perfect not too sweet frosting for almost any cake or cupcake.
- Quick and easy. It comes together in 10 minutes with just 4 ingredients, like our chocolate cream cheese frosting.
- Pipes and spreads beautifully. Whipped until fluffy, it holds its shape for gorgeous swirls.
- It delivers that same everyone asks for seconds energy as our fresh strawberry cream cheese frosting.
- It delivers that same everyone asks for seconds energy as our lemon blueberry cupcakes with cream cheese frosting.
- It earns a spot in the rotation right next to our old fashioned caramel cake.
- It delivers that same everyone asks for seconds energy as our gingerbread bars with fluffy cream cheese frosting.
Key Ingredients
Here is a look at what goes into this cream cheese frosting. Just four simple ingredients make the creamiest frosting.
- Cream Cheese: Use full fat block cream cheese, softened, for the richest, most stable frosting. Avoid the spreadable tub kind.
- Butter: Softened salted butter adds richness and helps the frosting hold its shape. The little bit of salt balances the sweetness.
- Powdered Sugar: Sifted powdered sugar sweetens and thickens the frosting. Sifting is the key to a smooth, lump free texture.
- Vanilla: A splash of vanilla extract rounds out the flavor, like the vanilla in our lemon buttercream frosting.
See recipe card for exact quantities.
Variations and Substitutions
This cream cheese frosting is easy to customize. Here are a few fun twists.
- Make it chocolate: Beat in a half cup of cocoa powder for chocolate cream cheese frosting.
- Add citrus: Mix in lemon or orange zest for a bright, fresh flavor.
- Spice it up: Add a pinch of cinnamon for spice cakes and carrot cake.
- Make it stiffer: Add a little more powdered sugar if you want a firmer frosting for piping.
- Almond flavor: Swap half the vanilla for almond extract for a bakery style twist.
- If you want to switch things up, our cinnamon cream cheese frosting plays on similar flavors in a whole new way.
- If you want to switch things up, our red velvet sandwich cookies plays on similar flavors in a whole new way.
- In the mood for something different? Our banana cupcakes with cream cheese frosting scratches a similar itch.
- If you want to switch things up, our strawberry cream cheese danish plays on similar flavors in a whole new way.
How to Make Cream Cheese Frosting
- Beat the softened cream cheese and butter in a stand mixer with the paddle attachment until smooth.
- Add the sifted powdered sugar a little at a time, mixing until fully combined.
- Mix until the frosting is creamy and smooth, scraping down the sides as needed.
- Stir in the vanilla, then whip on medium-high for 3 minutes until light and fluffy.
Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Soften the cream cheese and butter. Let them sit at room temperature so they whip together smoothly without lumps.
- Use block cream cheese. Full fat block cream cheese makes a thicker, more stable frosting than the spreadable tub kind.
- Sift the powdered sugar. Sifting is the secret to a silky smooth, lump free frosting.
- Add the sugar slowly. Mixing it in a little at a time keeps it from flying everywhere and blends it evenly.
- Do not overbeat. Whip just until light and fluffy; overbeating can make cream cheese frosting too soft.
- Chill to firm up. If the frosting is too soft to pipe, refrigerate it for 15 to 20 minutes.
- Plan the whole menu. This pairs effortlessly with our red velvet bundt cake when company is coming.
- Make it a full spread. Our spice cupcakes with cream cheese frosting rounds out the table.
Serving Ideas and Suggestions
Still filling out the menu? Readers love pairing this one with our whipped cream cheese frosting and our crescent roll cinnamon rolls.
Cream Cheese Frosting FAQs
Yes, because it contains cream cheese, this frosting should be refrigerated. Anything frosted with it can sit out for a couple of hours for serving, but store leftovers and frosted desserts in the refrigerator for food safety.
Yes. You can make cream cheese frosting up to 3 days ahead and store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Let it come to room temperature and rewhip it briefly before using so it is smooth and spreadable again.
Runny cream cheese frosting usually means the cream cheese or butter was too warm, or you used spreadable tub cream cheese. Use full fat block cream cheese, beat just until fluffy, and chill the frosting for 15 to 20 minutes if it needs to firm up.
Yes, this cream cheese frosting is thick enough to pipe into swirls on cupcakes and cakes. If it feels too soft, add a little more powdered sugar or chill it briefly so it holds its shape better.
This recipe makes enough cream cheese frosting to generously frost 24 cupcakes or one 9×13 sheet cake. For a tall, two layer cake, you may want to make a batch and a half.
Cream cheese frosting is a classic on carrot cake, red velvet cake, spice cake, banana cake, cinnamon rolls, and pumpkin bars. Its tangy sweetness pairs beautifully with warm, spiced, and rich desserts of all kinds.
Need a frosting for chocolate cake? Our Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting is the next one to whip up.
The Best Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe
Ingredients
- 8 ounces cream cheese softened
- ½ cup salted butter softened
- 6 cups sifted powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Whip the cream cheese with the butter until smooth in a stand mixer with the paddle attachment.8 ounces cream cheese, ½ cup salted butter
- Add the powdered sugar a little at a time until mixed in.6 cups sifted powdered sugar
- Stir in the vanilla.1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Turn the mixer on medium-high speed and whip for 3 minutes until light and fluffy. Serve immediately.
Notes
- Use room temperature cream cheese and room temperature butter to avoid lumps.
- Scrape the sides of the bowl often while mixing so everything blends evenly.
- Sift the powdered sugar (or confectioners’ sugar) to make sure your frosting is smooth.
- Don’t overmix once everything is combined—too much air can make it too soft.
- If your frosting is too thick, add a splash of milk. Too thin? Add more icing sugar a little at a time.
- Use a piping bag if you want neat swirls on the top of cupcakes or cookies.
Nutrition
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This is the only recipe you need for cream cheese frosting.