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!
345 Comments on “The BEST Cream Cheese Frosting + Video”
How long can this be stored in the refrigerator? Your recipe b far is the best I have tried. My husband kept sticking his fingers in it before I got it to the cake. I made a zucchini carrot cake with pecans and it was amazing. I made the cake about a month ago and had some me frosting left over. It has been in the refrigerator since then and now I am wanted my to make cinnamon rolls.
Hey Brenda! So glad you are enjoying this recipe! I would store this frosting for 7-10 days in the fridge. About 1 month in the freezer.
Can’t wait to try this! I’ll be frosting 2-3 layer, 9 inch cakes. How much frosting will I need (multiplayer for your cream cheese recipe)?
Thanks!
Ellen
Each batch makes about 1 1/2 cups of frosting. Doubling it would be enough for a thin coating of frosting. Tripling it would provide thicker layers of frosting.
I just made this and it tastes so good but a bit lumpy even tho I’ve mixed a lot! How could I fix this?
It’s best to mix it well before the sugar is added. You can continue to mix it to remove any lumps, but it will get softer, so you might need to refrigerate it to firm it back up; especially if you plan on using it for piping.
Thanks so much for your reply! So looking forward to making this for my flag cake on the 4th!
Can regular bar of cream cheese be used as well?
Yes, this recipe uses the bars of cream cheese, not the kind in the plastic tub.
Is this recipe enough to frost a cake in a 13 x 9 x 2 pan? Thanks in advance.
If it’s in the pan and it’s just the top, yes. This recipe yields about 1 1/2 cups of frosting.
I have a question on this too, (now that’s I’m typing it, it seems silly and obvious) does the butter have to be room temp still? It’s just the cream cheese you use cold?
Yes, I like to have the butter soft, and the cream cheese cold.
Thank you for the recipe Amber, this really is the best cream cheese frosting of all time. Not too sweet, not too cheesy, perfectly smooth and delicious. I have used the recipe dozens of times over the past couple of years and in a world of infinite choice, this will be my forever cream cheese frosting recipe. Many many thanks.
I’m so glad you feel the same way I do about this recipe! Thanks for letting me know your experience with it!
I’ve used this recipe twice and it’s been a huge hit. However, my daughter requested chocolate cream cheese on her birthday cake this year. Would adding cocoa powder be enough? If so, how much?
Yes, anywhere from 1/4 cup to 1/2 cup of cocoa powder can be added. Just keep in mind that cocoa powder is bitter and with the small amount of powdered sugar used in this recipe, you may want to use less over more.
I love cream cheese frosting but I want to be able to pipe some really tall, pretty cupcakes using a 1M Wilton piping tip for an upcoming special event. When you say this recipe is pipable, is it as light and pipable as regular frostings or is it heavier (and possibly better for lower profile piping)? Thanks for sharing your expertise with us!
I am using a Wilton 2D tip in the photos and video. The texture is somewhere in the middle. Not super light, but not dense. It’s definitely pipeable. I piled it on pretty high at the beginning of the video. You’ll have to use your judgement. You could always do a small batch to test it out.
I haven’t tried yet BUT picked your recipe for the rv cupcakes because it’s exactly the same as mine minus the butter which I’ve been wanting but hesitating to use. Why? Because BUTTer 😁 I will def lyk the verdict later. Meanwhile, thanks for the recipe!