Cream Cheese Frostingrn

Name: Cream Cheese Frosting
Prep time: 1 min
Cook time: 3 min
Total time: 4 min
Ingredients: 8 ounces cream cheese, (room temperature); ½ cup unsalted butter, (room temperature); 2 tablespoons heavy cream; ¾ teaspoons vanilla extract; ¼ teaspoon salt; 3 cups powdered sugar, (sifted)

a close up of Cream Cheese Frosting on a cupcake

This tangy cream cheese frosting is the perfect recipe to add to all of your favorite baked confections.

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Prep Time1

Cook Time3

Total Time4

Servings

Table of Contents

Let’s Dish: About This Frosting
Cream Cheese Frosting Ingredients
Easy Cream Cheese Frosting Variations and Add-Ins
How to Make the Best Cream Cheese Frosting for Cakes and Cupcakes
Serving Suggestions for Cream Cheese Frosting
How to Store Cream Cheese Frosting Without Butter
FAQ: Common Questions About Cream Cheese Icing
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This cream cheese frosting delivers a perfectly balanced sweetness with a smooth, velvety texture that’s perfect for any dessert. Whether you’re piping it on cupcakes, cinnamon rolls, or a decadent carrot cake, this frosting offers a luxurious, bakery-quality finish that elevates your creations beyond the ordinary.

Let’s Dish: About This Frosting

Main Ingredients: Cream cheese, butter, heavy cream, vanilla extract, salt, powdered sugar.
Quick Steps: Beat cream cheese and butter, mix in cream, vanilla, and salt, then gradually add powdered sugar until smooth.
Total Time & Yield: 4 minutes; yields 24 servings.

Why This Pipeable Frosting

While many recipes can result in overly sweet or runny frostings due to fewer ingredients or too much powdered sugar, our recipe strikes the perfect middle ground. It guarantees a spreadable or pipeable frosting that holds its shape beautifully.

Using cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract, it creates a stable yet creamy consistency that is perfect for decorating cakes and cupcakes.

In contrast to other recipes that sometimes produce a thin, less pipeable frosting, ours incorporates just the right ratio of butter and cream cheese, making it both rich and sturdy.

For those looking for a cream cheese frosting that isn’t too sugary and still provides a delightful tangy flavor, this recipe is a winner.

Cream Cheese Frosting Ingredients

Cream Cheese Frosting raw ingredients that are labeled

You’ll need:

8-ounce block of cream cheese, room temperature
½ cup of unsalted butter, room temperature
2 tablespoons of heavy cream
¾ teaspoons of vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon of salt
3 cups of powdered sugar, sifted

Easy Cream Cheese Frosting Variations and Add-Ins

CREAM CHEESE: Be sure to use full-fat cream cheese in the block for this easy recipe. You do not want to use the spreadable cream cheese in a tub or fat-free cream cheese as they will give you a looser frosting that is not the intended taste or the right consistency.

How to Make the Best Cream Cheese Frosting for Cakes and Cupcakes

The beauty of this easy cream cheese frosting is that you can make it in advance and store it in the freezer until the day you are ready to use it.

STEP ONE: Add the room-temperature cream cheese block and unsalted butter to a medium-sized mixing bowl.

STEP TWO: Using a hand mixer on medium speed, beat together the cream cheese and room-temperature butter for 2 to 3 minutes or until the mixture is smooth and fluffy.

STEP THREE: Add the heavy cream, vanilla extract, and salt to the butter and cream cheese and beat until fully incorporated.

heavy cream, vanilla, and salt blended together in a bowl

STEP FOUR: Add the sifted powdered sugar, ½ cup at a time, to the cream cheese mixture and beat on low speed.

Continue to add the powdered sugar, ½ cup at a time, until all the powdered sugar has been added and your cream cheese frosting is thick and smooth.

powdered sugar added to the heavy cream mixture and then blended together in a bowl

How to Adjust This Recipe To Make The Perfect Cream Cheese Frosting

If your frosting is a little too loose for your preference, you can add additional powdered sugar, starting with just a ¼ cup at a time until you reach your desired thickness.

If your cream cheese frosting is too stiff, you can loosen it up by adding a little extra heavy cream to it. Start with just a splash (about 1 teaspoon), then mix it, and if that does not get you to your desired consistency, you can add an additional teaspoon.

Serving Suggestions for Cream Cheese Frosting

There is nothing quite as delicious as a fluffy cream cheese frosting, and it’s the perfect complement to your favorite cupcakes and cakes.

For instance, make this frosting to top our carrot cake cupcakes or pumpkin cookies before serving.

Piping the Perfect Cream Cheese Frosting

For a stunning, professional look, here’s how to pipe your cream cheese frosting like a pro:

Cool Your Cupcakes: Ensure your cupcakes are fully cooled before piping to avoid melting the frosting.
Prepare the Bag: Use a large piping tip (Wilton 2A or 1M) in a piping bag or sturdy zip-top bag with the corner snipped off.
Chill for Consistency: Chill the frosting in the fridge for 15–20 minutes for better structure. If too stiff, add a splash of milk or cream.
Apply Consistent Pressure: Apply even pressure as you pipe for uniform swirls.
Piping Techniques:
Rosettes: Use a star tip (Wilton 1M) for elegant flower-like swirls.
Classic Swirl: Use a round tip (Wilton 2A) to create smooth, modern spirals.
Ruffled Edge: Use a petal tip (Wilton 104) for a delicate ruffled effect.
Stars and Dots: A small star tip (Wilton 18) creates texture and accents.

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Our strawberry cream cheese frosting is a variation on this creamy recipe, while our Cool Whip frosting is a lighter and fluffier alternative.

How to Store Cream Cheese Frosting Without Butter

IN THE FRIDGE: You will not want any frosted baked goods to stay at room temperature for more than 1 to 2 hours due to the cream cheese in the frosting.

You can store this frosting for up to 3 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Before reusing, let it soften at room temperature for 20–30 minutes.

Once softened, re-whip the frosting to restore its smooth, creamy texture, ensuring it’s ready for piping or spreading.

IN THE FREEZER: Freeze the homemade frosting for up to 1 month until you are ready to use it on top of cakes or cupcakes. Thaw it overnight in the fridge and then re-whip before use to bring back its consistency and flavor.

If you want to freeze frosted cupcakes or cakes in the freezer, first, freeze them uncovered for about 1 hour to harden the frosting. Then wrap them tightly in plastic wrap and aluminum foil to prevent freezer burn.

Thaw in the fridge overnight, then let them sit at room temperature before serving.

a close up of Cream Cheese Frosting on a cupcake and on a plate with a piping bag

Nothing says “I love you” quite like home-baked goods smothered in creamy, delicious cream cheese frosting. The tangy cream cheese flavor is the perfect balance of flavors and just the right thing to top any dessert you are making from scratch.

FAQ: Common Questions About Cream Cheese Icing

Can I make this basic cream cheese frosting ahead of time?

This homemade cream cheese frosting freezes really well and can be kept in the freezer for up to one month, ready to use when you are.

Can I use low-fat cream cheese?

We would recommend sticking with full-fat cream cheese for this recipe. A low-fat or fat-free version will not give you the creamy and thick consistency you want.

Can I save leftover frosting?

This classic cream cheese frosting can be kept in the fridge for up to three days or up to a month in the freezer.

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Cream Cheese Frosting

5 from 1 vote

This tangy cream cheese frosting is the perfect recipe to add to all of your favorite baked confections.

Prep Time 1

Cook Time 3

Total Time 4

Servings

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Ingredients

8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
½ cup unsalted butter, room temperature
2 tablespoons heavy cream
¾ teaspoons vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon salt
3 cups powdered sugar, sifted

Instructions

You can make your frosting by adding the room-temperature cream cheese block and the room temperature unsalted butter to a medium-sized mixing bowl.
Using a handheld mixer on medium speed, beat together the cream cheese and unsalted butter for 2 to 3 minutes or until the mixture is smooth and fluffy.
Add the heavy cream, vanilla extract, and salt to the butter and cream cheese and beat until fully incorporated.
Add the sifted powdered sugar, ½ cup at a time, to the cream cheese mixture and beat on low speed. Continue to add the powdered sugar, ½ cup at a time, until all the powdered sugar has been added and your cream cheese frosting is thick and smooth.

Notes

If your frosting is a little too loose for your preference, then you can add additional powdered sugar, but I would start with just a ¼ cup at a time until you reach your desired thickness. If it is too stiff, you can loosen it up by adding a little extra heavy cream to it. I would start with just a splash (about 1 teaspoon), then mix it, and if that does not get you to your desired consistency, you can add an additional teaspoon.
The beauty of this easy cream cheese frosting is that you can make it in advance and store it in the freezer until the day you are ready to use it.
Make sure your cream cheese is at room temperature, so you don’t end up with lumps in your creamy frosting.
If your frosting is a little too loose for your preference, you can add additional powdered sugar, starting with just a ¼ cup at a time until you reach your desired thickness. If it is too stiff, you can loosen it up by adding a little extra heavy cream to it. Start with just a splash (about 1 teaspoon), then mix it, and if that does not get you to your desired consistency, you can add an additional teaspoon.
I like to pipe my frosting for my cupcakes. To do so, you can place a large piping tip (I like to use a Wilton 2A tip) into a large piping bag, or a heavy-duty zip-top bag with a corner snipped off of it, then transfer the cream cheese frosting into the piping bag. The cream cheese frosting pipes a little easier if you allow it to firm up just a little bit by placing it in the fridge for about 15 to 20 minutes before decorating your cupcakes. Be sure that your cupcakes are completely cool before frosting them, or your frosting will just melt right off the top of your cupcakes.

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This recipe was developed, tested, cooked and photographed by the Spaceships Kitchen. From our dinner table to yours, we hope you think it's out of this world!

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Best Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe