Cream cheese frosting is the perfect balance of sweet and tangy! It’s one of my favorite frostings because it is rich and indulgent but not excessively sweet. It’s also such an easy frosting to make— you only need 5 ingredients and about 10 minutes! After years of making this recipe, I’ve discovered several tricks to achieving a cream cheese frosting that is smooth and spreadable but also stable enough to pipe for decorating. Plus, I retested this recipe with added flavor variations so you can adapt it to match your favorite cake flavors!
A reader, Cally, says: “Amazing recipe! Made the perfect buttercream, and the sugar was just right! Thank you for the amazing recipe. For the longest time, I couldn’t pipe cream cheese frosting! Now I do!” ★★★★★
Cream Cheese Frosting Ingredients
You only need 5 basic ingredients to make the fluffiest cream cheese frosting. You can find the full recipe with measurements in the recipe card below.
Cream Cheese — use a high-quality brick of full-fat cream cheese. I do not recommend using cream cheese that comes in a tub (more on why below) or is labeled as a spread, whipped, or low-fat cream cheese. Generic brands can also be hit or miss on flavor, but if there’s one you like, use it.
Butter — unsalted butter adds richness to the homemade cream cheese buttercream, balancing out the tanginess from the block of cream cheese. You will add a little bit of salt to this recipe for consistency in flavor, so use unsalted butter.
Powdered Sugar — this sugar dissolves very easily, so the frosting turns out ultra-smooth and light when blended with the cream cheese base. It also helps stiffen the frosting, so use the directed amount in the recipe.
Vanilla Extract — use pure vanilla extract for the purest vanilla flavor. You can also use vanilla bean paste or scraped seeds if desired. For a twist, you can replace ½ teaspoon of vanilla with almond extract.
How To Avoid Lumps In Your Frosting
If you’ve ever made a frosting and then served it only to find clumps of sugar or other ingredients in your finished cake, you know how frosting that can be! This can actually happen more easily with this frosting since it uses cream cheese— an ingredient that is quite firm when cold and needs to be soft to whip smoothly. If you follow these tips, you’ll end up with a smooth, lump-free frosting every time:
- Use room temperature ingredients. For the perfect cream cheese frosting, bring the butter and cream cheese to room temperature for at least 2 hours before starting the recipe. If either one is cold when you start mixing, they will not mix together smoothly, and you can end up with tiny lumps in the frosting.
- Scrape down the bowl frequently. This helps the butter and cream cheese blend properly, resulting in a smooth and fluffy frosting.
- Sift the powdered sugar. This will remove any clumps that can make the frosting lumpy. If you don’t have a flour sifter, you can also use a fine mesh sieve. This is especially helpful if you plan to pipe the frosting! Otherwise, tiny clumps of sugar can get stuck in the piping tips.
How To Adjust The Frosting Consistency
This frosting is super smooth and can easily spread onto cakes for a smooth or swooped finish or be thickened for piping decorative designs. For a softer, swoopier frosting, use 4 cups of powdered sugar in the frosting.
For the best piping frosting, use the full 6 cups of powdered sugar. This will stiffen the frosting more so that it holds a decorative shape.
Why Is My Cream Cheese Frosting Runny?
The most common reason is that not enough powdered sugar was used. Be sure to use at least 4 cups of powdered sugar, adding more to make it thicker and firmer if needed.
Additionally, always use block cream cheese. The kind in tubs is softer with additives and more liquid to make it easily spreadable straight from the fridge. I had my team make this frosting with tubs of cream cheese to show you the difference. You can see in the image below that the frosting turns out runny and isn’t stiff enough to hold its shape (even with the full amount of powdered sugar). It was also slightly gummy in texture, which was quite unpleasant to eat!
Flavor Variations
Cream cheese frosting makes an excellent canvas for added flavorings! Here are some ideas for how to easily flavor your cream cheese frosting:
- Maple: Beat in 2 to 4 tablespoons of maple syrup into the frosting to suit your taste. You may want to add another pinch of salt to help balance the sweetness.
- Spiced: Add 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice blend.
- Chocolate: Make half the recipe for chocolate ganache and cool it for 1 hour at room temperature. Once 4 cups of sugar are combined into the frosting, beat the cooled ganache into the frosting. Add more sugar if necessary.
- Fruit: Beat in ½ cup of your favorite fruit jam, like raspberry, blueberry, or strawberry jam. Or, grind 1 cup of freeze-dried strawberries or other fruit into a powder and beat it into the frosting.
- Citrus: Enjoy a burst of citrus by whipping in 1-2 teaspoons of fresh lemon, lime, or orange zest.
Pro Tips For The Best Cream Cheese Frosting
Quickly soften the ingredients to room temperature. If needed, you can quickly bring the butter and cream cheese to room temperature by cutting them into small cubes and spreading them out on a plate in a warm part of the kitchen. Never use the microwave! Learn how to soften butter quickly if you forgot to leave it out. These tricks can also help speed up the softening of cold cream cheese.
What you can frost with this recipe: This recipe makes 5 cups of frosting, enough for 2 dozen cupcakes, 1 (8-inch) two-layer cake, or a 9×13-inch sheet cake. If you are making a 3-layer cake or would like extra for piping decorations, double the recipe.
Chill the frosting to set it. If you frost cakes, especially layer cakes, refrigerate the frosted cake to firm up the icing. Cream cheese frosting is softer by nature, so some chill time will help keep cake layers from sliding, and they will slice more neatly.
How To Make Cream Cheese Frosting
Below, I’ve highlighted portions of the recipe in step-by-step process images along with instructions for making the perfect cream cheese frosting. You can find the full set of instructions in the recipe card below.
1. In a large bowl using an electric mixer or the bowl of a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, beat the room temperature butter at medium speed for about 30 seconds or until it is creamy.
2. Add the room temperature cream cheese, vanilla, and salt. Beat them together at medium speed for about 2 minutes until they are very well combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl a few times during mixing. (I don’t like to beat at a speed higher than medium because you can risk breaking the cream cheese and turning the mixture grainy.)
3. With the mixer on low speed, add 4 cups of the powdered sugar, one cup at a time, mixing until combined. If you would like a thicker frosting, use all 6 cups.
4. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl. Beat it on medium-low speed for about 1 minute or until nice and fluffy. (Don’t overbeat it, though! Stop when it is fluffy; otherwise, the cream cheese can break, and the frosting can turn grainy or runny.) Transfer the cream cheese icing to a piping bag fitted with a decorative tip, or spread it over your favorite cake.
Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe
Video
Equipment
- Stand mixer or handheld electric mixer
Ingredients
- ¾ cup unsalted butter room temperature, (170g)
- 1 (8-ounce/226g) block cream cheese, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 pinch salt
- 4 to 6 cups powdered sugar sifted (480g-720g)
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl with a handheld electric mixer or the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium speed for about 30 seconds until creamy. Add the room temperature cream cheese, vanilla, and salt. Beat together on medium speed for about 2 minutes until very well combined.
- With the mixer on low speed, add 4 cups of the powdered sugar in a cup at a time. Mix until combined. If you would like a thicker frosting, use all 6 cups.
- Stop and scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl. Beat on medium-low speed for 1 minute or until nice and fluffy. Transfer to a piping bag fitted with a decorative tip or spread over your favorite cake. This recipe makes enough frosting for 2 dozen cupcakes, 1 (8-inch) two-layer cake, or a 13×9-inch sheet cake.
Notes
- You can color the frosting with gel food coloring if desired. Add a few drops to the main bowl, or divide the frosting to make multiple colors. I suggest gel food coloring because it has a more concentrated color, and it won’t thin out your frosting.
Nutrition
Ways To Use The Frosting
This easy cream cheese frosting recipe is the perfect complement to many baking recipes. These are some of my favorites:
- Red velvet cake or red velvet cupcakes
- A topping for cinnamon rolls
- Carrot cake or carrot cake cupcakes
- Pumpkin cupcakes or pumpkin cake
- A filling for pumpkin whoopie pies
Make-Ahead and Storage
You can make this frosting up to 3 days in advance by refrigerating it in an airtight container. When you are ready to use it, bring it back to room temperature and beat it at medium speed for about 1 minute, just until it is fluffy again.
You can also store leftover frosting in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
To freeze cream cheese frosting, place it in a freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 3 months. Defrost it overnight in the refrigerator, and bring it back to room temperature, whipping it again before using.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, cream cheese frosting always requires refrigeration. It will be okay at room temperature for a few hours, but for long-term storage, it should be chilled.
Yes, this frosting freezes great! To freeze a decorated cake, place the whole cake or slices of it on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet and freeze for 1-2 hours until the frosting is firm. Wrap the cake or slices in plastic wrap, put them in a freezer-safe container, and freeze for up to 3 months.
Cream cheese icing is typically what is spread on top of cinnamon rolls or baked sweet buns. You can use this frosting on top of those if desired! However, keep in mind that this recipe is actually a bit sweeter than most of those icings. Since the frosting doesn’t need to be stiff to spread on top, you could reduce the sugar in this recipe, if desired.
More Frosting Recipes To Try
For more fluffy frosting options, try one of these recipes:
My simple vanilla buttercream is so delicious and perfect for topping any cake or cupcakes! You only need 4 ingredients to whip up a batch of this classic frosting.
Make a batch of my rich chocolate buttercream to go with chocolate cake layers, or pair it with strawberry cake or cupcakes for a delicious flavor combination.
My strawberry buttercream has two options for flavoring the frosting: a fresh strawberry puree or freeze-dried strawberries. Either way, it’s packed with fruity flavor!
This chocolate cream cheese frosting is the perfect pairing for Devil’s Food Cake or as an unexpected coating on carrot cake!
You might be unfamiliar with this old-fashioned frosting, but ermine frosting is one of the silkiest buttercreams you can whip up. Plus, it’s more stable in warmer temperatures, so it’s great for warm-weather cakes!
If you’ve tried this Cream Cheese Frosting recipe, then don’t forget to rate it and let me know how you got on in the comments below. I love hearing from you!
Gul says
For more firmer frosting; I cream butter by adding icing sugar with paddle attachment on medium -high speed, scrapping couple of times, until fluffy, light in colour and sugar dissolved, then add already beaten, smooth cold cream cheese mixing on medium speed until well combined.
Kasia says
Hi John,
I love your recipes! 🙂
I live in Europe, where it’s hard to get the type of cream cheese usually called for in cream cheese frosting recipes. Can I use Philadelphia cheese (or an equivalent) here?
Thanks!
Cally Paulina says
Amazing recipe! Made the perfect buttercream and the sugar was just right! Thank you for the amazing recipe. For the longest time I couldn’t pipe cream cheese frosting! Now I do!
jkanell says
So happy you liked it Cally! Feel free to leave a rating when you have a chance. Happy baking!!
Monica says
John man, whatta hell. You are awesome. Where did you learn all those things? CONGRATS!! I and the whole world love you. Follow you all over, thanks for sharing. Sharing is love!!!!!
Angel says
Hi John! Have you tried cold cream cheese instead of room temp for cream cheese frosting? It totally works, ends up much thicker, and pipes beautifully!
jkanell says
I’ll have to try that now!!!
Chanpreet says
Hi John, I love the taste of this recipe but I can’t figure out what I’ve done wrong! The frosting fell flat and I wasn’t able to pipe it onto my cupcakes 🙁
jkanell says
Oh no! It is soft but should pipe. I might add more sugar and or sub some of the cheese for butter.
elyse says
This recipe totally gets 5 stars for me. I LOVE cream cheese frosting but lately I feel like it hasnt been tasting very good when you buy it from the store. Its like cheap or something. THIS is how it should be!