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.
Looks like a good recipe. I’m using it with your Best Chocolate Cake {Ever} recipe since that’s what my friend wants for her birthday. But before I make the cake and since I need to go to the store anyways, what kind of butter do you use for this recipe? I would assume unsalted, but just want to make sure. Thanks!
Hi Caitlin,
I actually use salted butter. I hope you enjoy the cake and frosting! Thanks!
Made this today for my son’s birthday cake. SO GOOD. Keeping the recipe! Thank you!
Glad to know you enjoyed it Tamie! Happy birthday to your son! Thanks!
very easy and very good.
Thank you so much Marilyn! xo
Do your instructions for beating in the sugar mean to crank up the mixer for each addition of the sugar or just after you have added all of the sugar.
Thanks
Hi Martha,
You’ll mix in with the electric mixer after each addition, then after all additions have been made, then crank it up to highest speed for time noted in recipe. Thanks!
Great recipe for pumpkin/raisin muffins!
Glad you enjoyed it, Celeste! So delicious on so many goodies! Thanks!
I havled the recipe and it came out great. I’m using it to frost a lemon blueberry cake.
This was the absolute best cream cheese frosting I have ever made or had in my life. I used it on a red velvet cake that I took to work and all of my coworkers thought it was divine! Thank you for sharing it!
I’m thrilled to hear that you all enjoyed the frosting Rhonda! It’s so good on red velvet cake! Thanks!
Frosting tasted delicious but it was thin put it in the refrigerator for a while was a little better
Hi Karen,
I’m sorry your frosting was thin. There are a few reasons I can think that could cause this. The cream cheese could have been beaten too much before the butter was added which would cause it to start to separate. The stand mixers are so powerful sometimes they can beat ingredients too hard and you don’t realize it. The butter could have been too soft. It needs to be just at stage where you can barely make a dent in it when you press it with your finger. The butter and the cream cheese both should be full fat. Hope this helps!
Must use full fat cream cheese. I made a different cream cheese frosting and the first time I used a reduced fat cream cheese and it was too soft. Next time I used full fat and it was just right
Hi –
I want to frost the best chocolate cupcakes (your recipe) with this cream cheese frosting.
Couple of questions:
1) do you think this frosting on the chocolate cupcakes would go well together?
2) how many cupcakes will this recipe frost?
Thank you
This will be delicious on the Best Chocolate Cupcakes! I hope you enjoy them – so good! xo
I’m not sure what cream cheese to buy .. I got quark soft cheese but I don’t think that’s right 🙁 is there any brand names to make it easier for me to find? I can’t find philly in a block anywhere
If I wanted to make this an Oreo Cookie Cream cheese frosting, what alterations would you suggest? Thanks!
Substitute some of the cream cheese with oreo cream filling. Take the cookies, put them in a plastic bag, and crush them with a rolling pin until you have crumbs. Then add the oreo cookie crumbs to the frosting! I haven’t made it like this but it seems like that’s how most oreo themed baked goods I’ve seen around make it.