Name: Cream Cheese Frosting
Prep time: 10 min
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 12 ounces block-style cream cheese (room temperature); ¾ cup unsalted butter (room temperature); 2 teaspoons vanilla extract; ½ teaspoon salt; 6 cups powdered sugar (sifted)

This is the cream cheese frosting I make when I want a piped swirl that actually holds its shape on the cupcake. Not the kind that slumps by the time guests arrive. It has 5 ingredients and takes about 30 minutes start to finish.

A glass bowl filled with luscious Cream Cheese Frosting sits on a marble counter, surrounded by powdered sugar, a patterned towel, a whisk, and freshly baked red velvet cupcakes cooling on a wire rack. — The fix for cream cheese frosting that holds its shape isn’t a different ingredient or a fancier mixer. It’s a 20-minute chill in the fridge between mixing and piping, which almost every cream cheese frosting recipe online either skips or buries in the tips at the bottom of the post.

Read Before You Start

My base recipe here makes about 4.5 cups of finished frosting. That’s enough to frost a 8-inch or 9-inch two-layer cake with extra on the top and sides — or generously frost a 9×13 sheet cake.

A close-up of a sliced, two-layer carrot cake with rich cream cheese frosting, showing moist cake layers with bits of carrot and a generous layer of creamy frosting between and on top.

A slice of two-layer carrot cake with rich cream cheese frosting is served on a white plate. The whole cake, missing one slice, sits in the background on a white platter atop a granite countertop.

For cupcakes, this recipe will do 24 with tall piped swirls. Recipes that yield 3 cups of frosting only account for frosting the cupcakes with a knife. This recipe is for you if you want pretty, decorated cupcakes.

A red velvet cupcake with cream cheese frosting sits on a white plate with black polka dots, on a kitchen counter. More cupcakes are visible on a baking tray in the background.

A tray of red velvet cupcakes with swirled cream cheese frosting sits on a wire rack in a kitchen, surrounded by various kitchen items like bananas and bottles in the background.

Ingredient Notes

A group of baking ingredients on a marble counter, perfect for Cream Cheese Frosting: a 1 kg bag of Redpath icing sugar, Windsor salt shaker, Philadelphia cream cheese, Gay Lea unsalted butter, and a bottle of vanilla extract.

Use full-fat block cream cheese only. A low-fat or fat-free version will not give you the creamy and thick consistency you want. Tub-style cream cheese makes the frosting noticeably softer and harder to pipe cleanly.
A small amount sharpens the cream cheese flavor and keeps the frosting from tasting one-note sweet once fully chilled.
My strawberry cream cheese frosting and blueberry cream cheese frosting are flavor variations on this recipe. I keep more go-to options in my easy frosting and icing recipes.
Both the butter and cream cheese need to be fully at room temperature before mixing. Cold cream cheese leaves small lumps that never completely smooth out later.
Room-temperature means soft enough to dent with a finger but still cool to the touch. Not melty around the edges.

Measure It Correctly

Powdered sugar packs down tight inside the bag, so if you dip your measuring cup straight in, you’ll scoop up more than the recipe calls for. Here’s how to measure the powdered sugar properly:

Before measuring, stir the powdered sugar in the bag with a spoon to loosen it up.
Spoon it gently into your measuring cup without pressing down.
When the cup is heaping over the rim, run the flat edge of a knife across the top to scrape off the extra.
Once measured, sift the powdered sugar before adding it to the frosting to break up any remaining lumps, otherwise they show up as gritty bumps when you pipe a swirl.

Done the wrong way, you’ll pack about ⅓ more sugar into the cup, so 4 cups can turn into closer to 5 in your bowl. That’s the most common reason cream cheese frosting comes out too sweet across every recipe online, not the recipe itself.

Don’t Miss This Step

If you plan to pipe decorative swirls on your cupcakes, plan for chill time.

This was one of the clearest differences during testing. Freshly mixed cream cheese frosting looks thick in the bowl but softens quickly once transferred to a piping bag.

A small glass jar filled with swirled cream cheese frosting sits on a marble surface, with a piping bag, a bowl of powdered sugar, and a cloth nearby. — Chilling for a minimum of 20 to 30 minutes ensures the swirls hold their ridges instead of slowly slumping.

Recipe Tester Tip

My independent recipe tester, Angela, tested the chill time by leaving the frosting in the fridge for several hours before transferring it to the piping bag.

This is longer than the 20-to-30-minute minimum I call for in the recipe card. She found the extended chill gave a slightly firmer swirl with no slumping at all, even on cupcakes left out at room temperature before serving.

If you have the time, mix the frosting first, then chill it while your cupcakes or cake cool. The frosting will be at peak piping consistency by the time everything is ready to assemble.

Make Ahead Instructions

This frosting can be made up to one week ahead and refrigerated in an airtight container. Before using, let it come back closer to room temperature, then beat briefly until fluffy again.

Don’t freeze frosting that’s already on a cake or cupcake. As the surface thaws it releases moisture, which beads on top and breaks the smooth finish you piped in the first place.

Storage Guidelines

Frosted cakes and cupcakes should be refrigerated because of the cream cheese.

For the best texture, let frosted desserts sit at room temperature for about 20 to 30 minutes before serving. Straight from the refrigerator, the frosting will feel firmer and less creamy.

A red velvet cupcake with rich cream cheese frosting sits on a white surface. A large bite reveals its moist red interior, while other cupcakes topped with cream cheese frosting are blurred in the background.

Cupcake Recipes To Use This Frosting On

Recipe Test Notes – Last Updated May 2026

The recipe was originally posted in October 2024. It was updated in May 2026 to create noticeably cleaner swirls with more structure and sharper definition.

My early recipe tests used less powdered sugar and included heavy cream. While the texture tasted good, the frosting was soft.

I increased the powdered sugar ratio to make it stiffer. I also removed the heavy cream after testing confirmed it was unnecessary.

The biggest improvement chilling the frosting before piping. .