Cream Cheese Frosting

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This is the best cream cheese frosting recipe. It’s made with 5 ingredients 5 minutes with the perfect ratio of cream cheese to butter, flavored with vanilla and sweetened with powdered sugar. Delicious served on top of cinnamon rolls, banana cake, pumpkin cake, carrot cake and so much more.

Cream Cheese Frosting piped onto a cake

Frosting is my favorite component of cake, and cream cheese frosting is my all-time favorite frosting flavor (followed closely by chocolate buttercream and peanut butter frosting).

There’s something about the sweet, buttery tangy flavor that keeps me coming back for more. So, over the years I have created the perfect cream cheese frosting recipe.

This recipe for the best cream cheese frosting is made with 5 ingredients 5 minutes. It has the perfect ratio of cream cheese to butter, is flavored with vanilla and sweetened with powdered sugar.

It’s delicious served on top of cinnamon rolls, banana cake, pumpkin cake, carrot cake (or carrot cake cupcakes), hummingbird cake, as a filling for chocolate cake or yellow cake, and so much more.

Cream Cheese Frosting in a bowl with a beater

Cream Cheese Frosting Ingredients & Substitutions

  • Full-fat cream cheese. Lighter cream cheese or dairy-free cream cheese can be used if necessary, but full-fat yields the best results.
  • Salted butter. unsalted butter can be used in place of salted butter.
  • Vanilla extract. the seeds of 1 vanilla bean or vanilla bean paste can replace the extract.
  • Fine sea salt: just a pinch of salt takes this recipe up a notch, I don’t recommend omitting it.
  • Powdered sugar. You can make your own refined-sugar free powdered sugar.
ingredients in this Cream Cheese Frosting recipe

How to Make Cream Cheese Frosting

This recipe comes together in a flash and is pretty simple to make. As always, we’ll walk through the process together, and don’t forget to watch the video.

Begin by beating the butter until light and fluffy, either In the bowl of a standing mixer, or in a large bowl with a handheld mixer. I always prefer to beat the butter alone first to ensure there are no lumps in the frosting.

two photos showing How to Make Cream Cheese Frosting - beating butter

Next, add the room temperature cream cheese and beat until the mixture is smooth and there are no lumps.

two photos showing How to Make Cream Cheese Frosting - beating cream cheese into butter

Then, add the vanilla and sea salt and beat until combined.

two photos showing How to Make Cream Cheese Frosting - beating vanilla and salt into butter cream cheese mixture

Next, it’s time to add the powdered sugar. I prefer to do so 1 cup at a time, beating thoroughly after every addition until 4 cups has been used. This prevents the powdered sugar from flying out of the bowl and making a mess.

For a firmer frosting, add more powdered sugar ยผ cup at a time until you reach the desired consistency.

two photos showing How to Make Cream Cheese Frosting - adding powdered sugar

Serve

Once you’ve reached the desired consistency, use it to frost your favorite cakes, cupcakes, brownies etc. Here are some suggestions:

Cream Cheese Frosting being spread onto a 2-layer cake

Store/Freeze

Store leftover cream cheese frosting in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week or freezer for up to 2 months. Thaw slowly at room temperature before using – do not microwave.

This recipe makes quite a bit of cream cheese frosting, but I almost always make the full batch and freeze half of it for another day (so it’s ready for zucchini bars, cinnamon rolls, banana cake, etc.).

Cream Cheese Frosting in a bowl

Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe FAQs

What is the difference between cream cheese frosting and cream cheese icing?

Frosting is thicker and can be used to pipe decorations onto cakes. Icing is thinner (it usually contains milk to thin it out) and is used more like a glaze.

How do you get cream cheese frosting to set?

Once you have it spread or piped onto your favorite baked goods, chill the frosting in the refrigerator to set.

How do you stiffen runny frosting?

To make a firmer frosting, add more powdered sugar. If your ingredients are too warm and contributing to the frosting being runny, refrigerate it until it firms up.

Will cream cheese frosting harden in the fridge?

Yes, the butter in this recipe helps it harden well when chilled in the refrigerator.

a cake decorated with Cream Cheese Frosting rosettes

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Best Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe

Laura
This is the best cream cheese frosting recipe. It's made with 5 ingredients 5 minutes with the perfect ratio of cream cheese to butter, flavored with vanilla and sweetened with powdered sugar. Delicious served on top of cinnamon rolls, banana cake, pumpkin cake, and so much more.
5 from 6 votes
Course condiment, Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 16 Servings
Calories 282
Prep Time5 minutes
Total Time5 minutes

Ingredients 
 

Instructions 

  • In the bowl of a standing mixer, or in a large bowl with a handheld mixer, beat the butter until light and fluffy.
  • Add cream cheese and beat until mixture is smooth and there are no lumps.
  • Then, add the vanilla and sea salt and beat until combined.
  • Add powdered sugar 1 cup at a time, beating thoroughly after every addition until 4 cups has been used.
  • For a firmer frosting, add more powdered sugar ยผ cup at a time until you reach the desired consistency.
  • Use to frost your favorite cake, cupcakes, cinnamon rolls, etc.

Video

Notes

Ingredient Substitutions
  • Full-fat cream cheese. Lighter cream cheese or dairy-free cream cheese can be used if necessary, but full-fat yields the best results.
  • Salted butter. unsalted butter can be used in place of salted butter.
  • Vanilla extract. the seeds of 1 vanilla bean or vanilla bean paste can replace the extract.
  • Fine sea salt:ย just a pinch of salt takes this recipe up a notch, I don’t recommend omitting it.
  • Powdered sugar. You can make your own refined-sugar free powdered sugar.
Store/Freeze
Store leftover cream cheese frosting in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week or freezer for up to 2 months. Thaw slowly at room temperature before using – do not microwave.
This recipe makes quite a bit of cream cheese frosting, but I almost always make the full batch and freeze half of it for another day (so it’s ready for cinnamon rolls, banana cake, etc.).

Nutrition

Serving: 4Tablespoons | Calories: 282kcal | Carbohydrates: 34g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 46mg | Sodium: 147mg | Potassium: 24mg | Sugar: 34g | Vitamin A: 545IU | Calcium: 18mg | Iron: 1mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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5 from 6 votes (4 ratings without comment)

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4 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    I made this recipe to put on a carrot cake. The frosting was so fluffy like wipped cream, and was difficult to put on the cake (not the recipe’s fault). After putting it in the refrigerator for 30 minutes, it was perfect and tasted beautiful!

    1. I’m so glad you love it. I definitely recommend leaving it at room temperature for easy spreading.