Looking to take your desserts to the next level? Look no further than tangy cream cheese buttercream frosting. It’s rich, creamy, tangy, and perfectly sweet on top of cake or straight out of the bowl!
With just a few simple ingredients and a bit of prep time, you will be indulging in the perfect frosting to top off so many desserts!
REAL CREAM CHEESE FROSTING FOR THE WIN!
I grew up eating homemade butter cream cheese frosting on everything from banana cake to carrot cake cupcakes. It is the perfect complement to so many desserts!
I think I was in college the first time I tried cream cheese frosting from a jar, my taste buds were shocked. That stuff doesn’t taste anything like frosting made with fresh cream cheese!
Since it only takes about 10 minutes to whip up a batch of classic cream cheese frosting, why wouldn’t you? I promise it will make a huge difference in the final result of any dessert!
HOW TO MAKE BUTTER CREAM CHEESE FROSTING
- PREP – Let your butter and cream cheese sit at room temperature for several hours until they are completely soft.
- CREAM – Combine the cream cheese and butter in a large bowl. Beat for 2-3 minutes with a hand mixer, scraping the sides of the bowl with a silicone spatula a couple of times. You want the mixture to be completely smooth.
- THICKEN – Add the powdered sugar, vanilla, and salt. Beat again until thick and fluffy.
- FROST – You can either spread the frosting on your cake, or pipe it onto cupcakes.
VARIATIONS:
- If you want a thinner cream cheese icing for drizzling, add milk, cream, or even lemon juice until you get the consistency you need.
- For a thicker frosting, you can add more powdered sugar. Chilling the frosting will also thicken it up, just keep in mind that it will soften as it gets warmer.
- Feel free to experiment with different citrus flavors. Orange, lime, and lemon zest are all tasty additions.
- You can also try adding vanilla bean paste for a boost of vanilla flavor.
- Stir in some toasted coconut. (This only works for spreading, not piping frosting.)
- Ground cinnamon is especially tasty on any desserts that already have cinnamon in them.
PRO TIPS:
- Use full fat cream cheese. Low fat, whipped, and spreadable cream cheese are to thin, and your frosting won’t have the perfect consistency. This is especially important if you are piping the frosting.
- For best results, let both your butter and cream cheese soften completely at room temperature. Trying to speed the process up in the microwave can lead to lumpy frosting.
- If you happen to be using unsalted butter, add an additional 1/8 teaspoon of salt.
- Sift your powdered sugar first if it’s lumpy. It will make for smoother frosting.
Leftover frosting?
If you have any leftover cream cheese frosting, you can store it in the refrigerator in an airtight container for 5-6 days. You can also freeze it for a month or two.
Before using it, let it sit at room temperature until it is soft enough either to pipe or spread.
DESSERTS THAT SCREAM FOR CREAM CHEESE FROSTING:
- Cinnamon Rolls
- Homemade Chocolate Cake
- Lemon Cake
- Zucchini Spice Cake
- Pumpkin Bundt Cake
- Easy Pumpkin Bars
- Red Velvet Cake
- Pumpkin Spice Cinnamon Rolls
- Carrot Cake
- Sugar Cookies
Easy Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 8 oz block of cream cheese not low fat, spreadable, or whipped
- ½ cup salted butter
- 3 cups powdered sugar confectioners’ sugar
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- ⅛ tsp salt
Instructions
- Let your cream cheese and butter come to room temperature.
- In a mixing bowl, beat the softened cream cheese and butter with an electric mixer until very smooth.
- Add the powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and salt. Start beating on low speed just until blended, scraping the sides of the bowl with a silicone spatula.
- Beat on medium speed for 3-5 minutes, or until you have a smooth and fluffy frosting.
- You should have enough frosting for a 2 layer cake, or 24 cupcakes.
Notes
- Makes about 3 cups of frosting.
- For best results, you must use full-fat cream cheese.
- If you have too much frosting, store the leftover frosting in the refrigerator. It will last for a week or two.
Nutrition
This homemade cream cheese frosting is going to elevate all your desserts to the next level!
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