The BEST Cream Cheese Frosting + Video
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The BEST Cream Cheese Frosting – thick, sturdy, and pipeable, plus not overly sweet!
Okay ya’ll! I’m serious when I say this is the BEST Cream Cheese Frosting recipe out there! I’ve tried so many kinds, and they work out okay, but I’ve always struggled with soft, stringy frosting. This cream cheese frosting is stiff, sturdy, pipe-able, spreadable, you name it! It’s not overly sweet like the other recipes either.
See the ripples in that frosting? Yep, that’s proof right there that it’s stiff enough to decorate with. The big difference between this recipe and all those other ones floating around the web, is that this recipe uses more butter and less powdered sugar.
This variation of more butter and less powdered sugar gives the cream cheese frosting a buttery, creamy texture, yet still has that tangy cream cheese flavor to it. Less powdered sugar helps it not be stringy, and the butter helps lighten and fluff up the frosting.
This is seriously my go-to cream cheese frosting recipe now. I will not use any other cream cheese frosting recipe in the future, so I am sharing this recipe, separately, in it’s own post, so you can refer to this post as often as I make this frosting in my culinary creations! Have you tried it this way yet? Make this ASAP!
More Cream Cheese Frosting Recipes:
- Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting
- Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting
- Whipped Cream Cheese Frosting
- Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting
- Coconut Cream Cheese Frosting
The BEST Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients
- 8 ounces brick cream cheese, cold (I typically use Neufchatel cream cheese)
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- Place the cream cheese in a mixing bowl.
- Using a hand mixer, beat until smooth.
- Gradually add the butter 2 Tablespoons at a time, and continue beating until smooth and well blended.
- Add powdered sugar and vanilla all at once. Blend until combined and smooth. (Don't beat too long or the frosting will be too soft to pipe. If this happens, place the frosting in the refrigerator or freezer until it firms back up.) Use for any recipe that calls for cream cheese frosting.
Notes
*You can store this frosting either at room temperature (which is 70 degrees Fahrenheit) or in the refrigerator. Do not go back and forth storing from one to the other, for food safety reasons. Use your own judgement.
YIELD: 1 1/2 cups frosting, which will frost about 12-14 cupcakes
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 12 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 107Total Fat: 7gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 20mgSodium: 63mgCarbohydrates: 10gFiber: 0gSugar: 10gProtein: 1g
This data was provided and calculated by Nutritionix, and is an estimation only.
Recipe from Cookie Baker Lynn via TLC Parentables
Extra pictures and video added 4/1/17.
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Welcome!
Hi, I’m Amber! I am a culinary graduate and dessert lover! This is where I share my favorite sweet and savory recipes alongside my knowledge and skills as a culinary graduate. I hope you find something you like!
354 Comments on “The BEST Cream Cheese Frosting + Video”
You showed this frosting on a bundt cake. Usually you would drip it on a bundt cake but this frosting sounds too thick to drizzle on. Help please!
You can pipe it to look like drips or add milk 1 Tbsp at a time to get it more of a drip-like consistency.
Would I need to double this recipe for an 8″ layer cake?
Yes, you will want to double the recipe.
Hello,
can I add colouring to this frosting?
Doing a big number cupcake cake for my little girl’s first birthday and woul love to add some colour.
I would use gel food coloring over liquid food coloring and add it when you add the vanilla. If the frosting seems soft after adding the coloring, refrigerate it for 15-20 minutes to firm it back up.
Thanks so much!
The cream chees frosting sounds good, and has few ingredients. Can this be doubled or tripled? When I make cupcakes I usually make 144 at a time.
Thank you
I haven’t tried making a big batch of it before. I think doubling or tripling the would be ok. I wouldn’t mix more than that at once though. If you have lots of cupcakes to frost, you might also like my whipped cream cheese frosting. It makes 4 cups compared to 1 1/2 cups of this frosting. Here’s the link for that recipe if you want to check it out: https://www.dessertnowdinnerlater.com/whipped-cream-cheese-frosting/
Will this recipe be enough to frost a 13 X 9 cake?
It will be about 1/3 to 1/2-inch thick if spread just on top (not the sides). I use it to fill my cake rolls, so I believe it will be sufficiently thick for the top of a 13×9-inch cake. (You can see the frosting in my 15×10-inch cake roll here: https://www.dessertnowdinnerlater.com/red-velvet-cake-roll/)
Hi,
I tried the frosting, it’s delicious but it doesn’t hold so well. I kept it in the fridge last night and took it out this morning and waited about 30mins b4 piping the cupcakes, however, it looks like the frosting is melting. Any ideas on how to hold its shape? I’m writing from Vienna, Austria. It’s not very warm or cold here. My kitchen is also not overly warm.
Thanks,
Sabena
Hi Sabena, I’m not totally sure, but I believe the cream cheese in Europe comes in tubs, not blocks. If this is the case, it is not as firm as the blocks we have in the United States, which could be the reason it seems soft/like it’s melting.
Here are some ideas to thicken/stiffen it:
https://www.wikihow.com/Thicken-Cream-Cheese-Frosting
Yumm. Thank you! I added a bit of lemon and almond extract to the vanilla. 1 capfull of each. Over the top taste! Thank you fir your awesome recipe. I am not a sugary frosting person at all. This one is the best recipe!
I’m so glad you enjoyed this recipe Val! Thanks for sharing!