Best Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe
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Make the best cream cheese frosting with just 4 ingredients! This easy, creamy recipe is perfect for cakes, cupcakes, and cinnamon rolls. Ready in 10 minutes, it’s pipeable, spreadable, and loved by all!
Cream Cheese Frosting is one of my family’s favorite frostings and I’ve been making it for many years. This homemade cream cheese frosting is perfect for piping on cupcakes or spreading on a classic carrot cake and cinnamon rolls, delivering a creamy texture every time. Fluffy, creamy, and delicious – you’ll want to make this frosting again and again!

This Cream Cheese Frosting is just perfect for so many cakes and desserts and is so quick and easy to make with just four simple ingredients. It is a great recipe to add to your recipe collection along with my buttercream frosting. While buttercreams are usually a bit sweeter, both are equally useful and versatile. Like buttercream, this cream cheese frosting is sturdy enough to be piped for decorating cakes and cupcakes and can be easily colored. Did I mention it is delicious?!


Let me share how easy it is to make this scrumptious frosting!
Tips for the BEST Cream Cheese Frosting
- Make sure cream cheese and butter are fully softened so that the frosting is lump-free and creamy.
- Use full fat cream cheese. No low fat or reduced fat or it won’t turn out as delicious!
- Desserts topped with this frosting require refrigeration.
- Sift powdered sugar so that it is clump-free. This will make for the creamiest and prettiest frosting as well as reduce the incidence of any problems if you choose to pipe your frosting.
- If you need to make it thinner, use a tablespoon (at a time) of heavy cream. You can make it thicker with an extra tablespoon (at a time)of powdered sugar. Mix after each addition until the frosting reaches the desired consistency.
Ingredients for Cream Cheese Frosting
Be sure to see the recipe card below for the full listing of ingredients, instructions, notes, and estimated nutritional information.
It’s so quick and easy to make with four simple ingredients: cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract.

How to Make the Best Cream Cheese Frosting
This frosting comes together quickly, but there are a few steps to make sure that you make the best cream cheese frosting possible.
Step by Step Instructions

- Cream together softened butter and cream cheese until smooth.

- Add confectioner’s sugar, in batches, until smooth and creamy.

- Mix in the vanilla extract.

- Beat on high until light and fluffy.
Recipe Variations
Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting: Add 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder to the recipe for a rich, chocolatey twist.
Vegan Cream Cheese Frosting: Substitute dairy cream cheese with a plant-based alternative and use vegan butter.
Best Desserts for Cream Cheese Frosting
Carrot Cake: The tangy frosting complements the spiced cake perfectly.
Hummingbird Cake: The sweetness of the fruit cake pairs beautifully with the frosting.
Red Velvet Cake: A classic pairing for a vibrant, festive look.
Pumpkin Cake: Ideal for fall baking with a creamy finish.
Cinnamon Rolls: A classic frosting for these cinnamon and sugar filled rolls.
Cookies: Cream cheese frosting for Christmas cookies (or sugar cookies in general) is a good thing!
Storage Tips
To store: Place frosting in an airtight container in the refrigerator for three to four days, but do not freeze as it will ruin the consistency of the frosting. Desserts topped with cream cheese icing require refrigeration. Store those desserts in airtight container in the refrigerator.
To use after it’s been refrigerated: Remove frosting from the refrigerator and add a tablespoon of heavy cream to the frosting. Then mix with an electric mixer until the frosting returns to a fluffy, spreadable consistency.
Frequently Asked Questions
If you need a thinner frosting, you can add heavy cream a tablespoon at a time to thin it to your desired consistency.
If you need a thicker frosting, you can add confectioner’s sugar a tablespoon at a time to thicken it to your desired consistency.
Yes, absolutely! This frosting spreads and pipes beautifully. It is sturdy and holds it shape well if you wish to pipe it onto cakes or cupcakes.
No, freezing ruins the consistency, but it can be refrigerated for 3–4 days.
I’d love to hear how your cream cheese frosting turns out! Leave a comment, rate the recipe, or tag me on Instagram @addapinch with #addapinchrecipes.

Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients
- 2 (8-ounce) packages (452 g) cream cheese, softened
- 1/2 cup (113 g) butter, softened
- 3 cups (340 g) confectioner’s sugar, sifted
- 1 1/2 teaspoons (7.5 g) vanilla extract
Instructions
- Soften Ingredients: Ensure ingredients are softened to room temperature to prevent lumps.
- Cream together: In a large mixing bowl, beat cream cheese and butter together with a stand or hand mixer on medium speed for 3 minutes until smooth.
- Add sugar: Sift 3 cups of confectioner’s sugar and add 1/2 cup at a time, mixing on low speed to combine. After each cup, increase to high speed for 10 seconds to lighten.
- Incorporate vanilla: Add vanilla extract and beat until fluffy, about 1 minute.
- Adjust Consistency: For thinner frosting, add 1 tablespoon heavy cream; for thicker, add 1 tablespoon powdered sugar, mixing after each addition.
Notes
- Use only full fat block cream cheese. Do not use cream cheese in tub.
- If your frosting is too soft, chill it for 15 minutes before piping
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Enjoy!
Robyn xo
Originally published in 2011, updated in 2025 to include new tips and photos.
Your recipe sound traditional home made and delicious! This question is not-too-smart, but how do I use this frosting recipe as glaze for cookies, brownies, etc.? thanks
Can I apologise for the second half of the comment I just sent, it’s rude. My excuse is I’m frustrated and panicking, it’s lame too.
Hi Sara,
I’m so sorry that it didn’t thicken for you. One thing that could cause problems is if you use reduced fat cream cheese. I’m not sure if you did or not, but that has caused problems with this recipe. xo
Mine will NOT thicken up, its 23.38, it’s my daughter’s 21st birthday tomorrow and all the shops that would sell the ingredients I just wasted and need to replace, are shut.
Can I add that the error regarding the cream is that of Robyn’s not Peggy’s; the grammar that would have made “cream” a verb was missing therefore it read as if “cream” was a noun.
Also, who is Miss Reading?
Do you know in the way of cupcakes how many this would frost? I am doing a wedding in June and have to frost 60 red velvet cupcakes and I am looking for a recipe that is not so sweet and this seems to be one of the best I can find!
The ingredient list does not list cream, only cream cheese. Please include cream, and quantity, in your ingredient list.
Hi Sheri,
Cream is not in the ingredients. I used the term cream for mixing together the ingredients. The term beat or mix might have been clearer. Sorry for any confusion.
AWESOME THANK YOU FOR SHARING
Ha Ha. I had to double check the recipe, but when I read the directions, I understood what was meant instantly. With a picture as good-looking as that cake, I highly doubted the recipe lacked an ingredient. The cooks coming up today are certainly “challenged.”
Hi Robyn
At the foot of your instructions you mentioned add the vanilla and cream. There is on cream listed on the ingredients list. Can you please confirm the exact measurements or was this an error?
Waiting in anticipation ; )
You are just miss reading the instructions, it says add vanilla, cream until well blended.
Totally the best cream cheese frosting. Easy to make, tastes great! I used clear vanilla extract & only 2tsp, sifted confectioners sugar just to be sure. Loved it on the carrot cake! Left over extra frosting is a bonus!
GREAT frosting! It was delcious on the carrot cake I made. Everybody loved!
Thank you?
RAE
Wanted to find a frosting recipe and thought this was the best I could find — how wrong was I . Wasted all the ingredients as it wouldn’t thicken up it stayed as a runny consistency . Not a Happy Bunny as I needed to use it for my cake as I had visitors coming .
AS FAR AS I AM CONCERNED THIS RECIPE WAS A COMPLETE FLOP
VERY DISAPPOINTED
I’m so sorry the frosting didn’t work for you. I’ve not had a problem with it remaining runny and hate that it didn’t turn out perfectly when you tried it.
Maybe Carol should have tried adding more sugar. I made a batch for a hummingbird cake and can’t wait to try it. I only wish I had made a bit more for three 9 inch layers.i added a pinch of salt as I always do to something completely sweet. Thanks for the recipe!
If it didn’t thicken up, you beat it for too long. The longer that it is whipped weakens the stabilizers in the cream cheese and when the powdered sugar is added, it pulls the moisture out of the cream cheese. Adding more sugar to thicken works with regular buttercream, the exact opposite with cream cheese frosting. This recipe works fine if you don’t overmix it
Great recipe! So glad I found it! I modified just a tad because I wanted a little more tangy/cream-cheesy flavor. I added 10 drops of lemon juice, and it was off-the-charts delicious. I only needed a little frosting, so I quartered the recipe. Obviously you’d need more lemon juice for a larger batch.