Easily spreadable frosting for your cake recipes (like carrot cake and red velvet cake), and I provide all the tips to make this frosting perfectly pipeable too. Not too sweet, not too buttery, just the way classic cream cheese frosting is meant to taste.
Why this cream cheese frosting recipe works
It’s the most comprehensive recipe for making perfect classic cream cheese frosting. I show you all the pitfalls of classic cream cheese frosting, and how to avoid these issues. I share a secret ingredient that helps with the stability of your cream cheese frosting a little more! This is an easy cream cheese frosting that is BIG on cream cheese flavor AND not too sweet either. I share tips on how to make this classic cream cheese frosting more stable for different applications. If you have trouble with soft and runny cream cheese frosting, this easy recipe gives you tips to help with that. This step by step recipe shows you how to make pipeable classic cream cheese frosting with a little help. I share tips on how to make cream cheese frosting that won’t split. I show you the role of different ingredients, so that you can ensure perfect results!
What is cream cheese frosting?
It’s a classic and well-loved frosting recipe. This tangy frosting gets its characteristic flavor and creaminess from cream cheese (as opposed to classic buttercream frosting that is heavy on butter), hence the name. The combination of cream cheese, butter, and confectioner’s sugar creates a super creamy frosting that is perfect on red velvet cake, carrot cake, banana cake, and so many other types of cake. Classic cream cheese frosting is made with a higher ratio of cream cheese to butter, so that the flavor of cream cheese is more prominent. It can be a creamy light buttercream, but it’s usually a little more dense and soft. The flavor of cream cheese icing is more tangy than that of buttercream frosting, but it still contains a lovely creaminess that is similar to buttercream frosting as well.
Recipe ingredients
The ingredients to make homemade cream cheese frosting are,
Cream cheese (block cream cheese) Butter Confectioner’s sugar (icing sugar) Salt Vanilla Lemon juice Optional ingredients (but recommended!) Instant custard powder Milk powder / cream cheese powder
Cream cheese
It’s crucial to use the right kind of cream cheese. Usually you can purchase cream cheese as a block or in tubs. You absolutely need to use the block cream cheese instead of the tub here. Specifically, Philadelphia block cream cheese which is the best and most stable of all cream cheese brands. There are other brands that can work too, but I usually stick with the Philadelphia brand. So make sure to use,
Block cream cheese, preferably Philadelphia cream cheese. Do not use spreadable tub cream cheese. Full fat cream cheese. Do not use low fat cream cheese blocks. Make sure the cream cheese is cold and straight from the fridge.
Block cream cheese contains about 55% water and 33% fat. This is a low fat content, especially compared to butter (which is a minimum of 80% fat). Tub cream cheese contains even more water and less fat (to make it spreadable). Cream cheese remains firm and solid due to the emulsifiers in the mixture such as carob bean gum or other types of gum. The issue however is that these gums lose their ability to keep the cream cheese firm when agitated (or whisked) at high speeds and for longer periods of time. This is why cream cheese frosting becomes very runny and soft if over-beaten. Due to the low fat content, cream cheese is also very soft at room temperature which also results in a softer frosting. This is why I recommend using cream cheese straight from the fridge.
Butter
I use unsalted butter, but you can use salted butter as well. However, make sure to adjust the salt level to your taste. The butter will add stability to the frosting, so it’s important to use good quality butter! I usually use standard 80% MF butter, but higher the fat content, better the frosting will be. It should be room temperature butter (about 72 – 75 F). The ratio between cream cheese to butter can vary from 1 : 2 to 1 :1. The lower the butter content, the softer the cream cheese frosting. I prefer to use a minimum of 1.5 : 2 ratio of butter : cream cheese for the perfect cream cheese frosting. But, if I want a little extra stability, I increase the butter content to a 1:1 ratio.
Confectioner’s sugar
Also known as powdered sugar or icing sugar. This adds sweetness to the frosting, but also helps to stiffen the cream cheese frosting. Usually cream cheese icing contains double the amount of confectioner’s sugar to cream cheese. But I find this needlessly too sweet. So, in this recipe we will only use the same amount of confectioners sugar as cream cheese. This makes the frosting far less sweet, and helps to highlight the characteristic tangy flavor of cream cheese.
Salt, vanilla, and lemon juice
These 3 ingredients are added to the frosting to enhance the flavor. Salt enhances all the flavors, and prevents the frosting from tasting bland. Vanilla adds another depth of flavor to the sweetness. Just a little fresh lemon juice adds some acidity to enhance the tangy flavor from the cream cheese.
Ingredients to enhance flavor and stability of cream cheese frosting
While these are optional ingredients, I do highly recommend adding them if you can, for the best cream cheese frosting recipe.
Instant vanilla pudding powder
Jello instant vanilla pudding powder is definitely an ingredient that I love to add to my cream cheese frosting. I also add this to whipped cream, as it helps to thicken and stabilize whipped cream. In cream cheese frosting, this helps to thicken and absorb some of that excess water. The frosting will still be fairly soft, but will be slightly thickened, helping to provide a little extra stability to the frosting. Plus, the flavors in the vanilla pudding mixture also contribute to the frosting flavor.
Milk powder or cream cheese powder
Between the two, I prefer to add cream cheese powder, but it’s harder to find cream cheese powder in some parts of the world. Here in Canada, I’ve found it at bulk barn. In the US, I used to purchase the Hoosier brand cream cheese powder. The milk powder and cream cheese powder also help with absorbing any excess moisture in the cream cheese frosting. But especially with cream cheese powder, it adds extra cream cheese flavor as well.
Tools to make cream cheese frosting
Stand mixer with whisk attachment – This makes it much easier to make cream cheese frosting. However, you can also use a hand mixer. But it’ll take longer to make cream cheese frosting with a handheld mixer. Kitchen scale – As with all my recipes, I highly recommend using a kitchen scale to weigh the ingredients for better consistency. Bowls – Apart from the bowl of the mixer, you will also need other bowls to measure and store the other ingredients. Spatula – A silicone spatula (or rubber spatula) is a must to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowls. This will ensure that your ingredients whip better and mix properly. Sieve – To sift the confectioners sugar to prevent lumps.
How to make cream cheese frosting (step by step guide for perfect results)
Step one – Prepare all the ingredients
Make sure the butter is softened to room temperature. It shouldn’t be too soft, but still firm and you can easily press the butter and leave an indentation. Sift the confectioner’s sugar.
Step two – Cream the butter
Place the butter and salt in the mixing bowl and cream the butter with the whisk attachment (images 1 and 2). Just like with my perfect vanilla buttercream recipe, the butter needs to be whipped until it’s soft, light, and fluffy. This can take anywhere from 5 – 15 minutes. In summer, it takes much less time, because the butter is relatively warmer and softer, but in winter it takes me longer because the butter is cooler and harder. This is a very important step, as the butter will incorporate the air needed for the cream cheese frosting. Make sure to scrape the bowl during this process to ensure the butter mixing evenly (images 3 and 4). When the butter looks super fluffy, and feels very soft and airy, the butter has been whipped sufficiently (image 5).
Step three – Add the flavoring
After the butter is properly creamed, add the vanilla, lemon juice, and the custard powder and cream cheese powder (if using). Whisk the mixture again and remember to scrape the bowl to ensure everything is properly mixed (image 6).
Step four – Add the confectioner’s sugar
Add the confectioners sugar in a few additions, and mix it in on low speed (image 7). This is to prevent the sugar from flying out of the bowl. Once all the sugar is added and mostly mixed in with the butter, increase the speed and whip the mixture well (image 8). Remember to scrape down the bowl to ensure everything gets mixed very well. Make sure the butter and confectioners sugar mix is light and fluffy. Then scrape the whole mixture into a bowl and set aside (image 9).
Step five – Whisk the cream cheese. A very important step!
Cut the cold cream cheese into cubes and place in the mixing bowl (image 10). With the whisk attachment, whisk the cream cheese for a few seconds at a time until the cream cheese is smooth with no lumps (image 11). Scrape down the bowl to ensure that the cream cheese is getting mixed properly. Make sure not to whisk the cream cheese for more than 1 minute. The cream cheese should be fairly smooth. This step will ensure that you have a smooth cream cheese frosting with no cream cheese lumps.
Step six – Whisk and butter mix and cream cheese together
Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl so that the cream cheese is at the bottom of the bowl and can mix in well with the butter. Next, add the whipped butter and sugar mixture into the bowl and whisk on low speed to combine the two mixtures (image 12). The frosting temperature should be about 60 F. Then increase the speed to high and whisk for about 30 – 60 seconds until the mixture is completely mixed together. The cream cheese frosting should look fluffy and creamy. Due to the temperature of the frosting, it should also be spreadable and pipeable. If the frosting is warm, then it will be runny. In this case, place the frosting in the fridge until it reaches a temp. of about 62 – 65 F. Use the frosting immediately.
Common recipe fails and pitfalls
Cream cheese frosting is one of my favorite frosting recipes! The cream cheese adds so much flavor, and makes the flavor profile of any dessert more interesting. The tanginess helps with the sweetness as well. However, there are some differences with this homemade frosting that can make it hard to work with.
Cream cheese frosting can be very runny
Due to the water content in cream cheese, the frosting is much softer and runnier than buttercream. This is why cream cheese frosting is supplemented with butter to prevent the frosting from being too runny. Most recipe uses half the amount of butter to cream cheese, but I like to use about 2/3 the amount of butter to cream cheese. This helps with the thickness of the frosting. Since cream cheese is more of a solid at colder temperatures, I also recommend using cold cream cheese in this recipe, so that the frosting will remain cold and therefore not become too runny.
Cream cheese can split
While brick cream cheese is creamy and solid due to the stabilizers in it, when agitated too much, the cream cheese can ultimately become runny and then split. The stabilizers are unable to keep the cream cheese emulsified when it has been agitated too much, and the water separates from the fat. In this recipe, I recommend adding instant pudding powder and cream cheese / milk powder to help absorb some of that extra water. While this won’t prevent the cream cheese from being runny or splitting, it helps to keep the frosting thicker for longer.
Cream cheese frosting that is too sweet
To make the cream cheese frosting firmer and pipeable, many recipes add extra confectioners sugar. But unfortunately this makes the frosting sickly sweet. This drowns out the distinct tangy flavor of cream cheese. In this recipe, I use much less sugar than other classic cream cheese frosting recipes. That’s why this is the perfect cream cheese frosting recipe! It’s not too sweet, it has the best tangy flavor profile, plus you can still ensure that it’s spreadable and even pipeable.
Tips to make the best cream cheese frosting
Start with room temperature softened butter. It should still be a little firm, with enough softness to leave an indentation with your finger when pressed. This will whip the air you need for a light fluffy cream cheese frosting. Make sure the cream cheese is chilled. This will keep the frosting cold at the end, and aid in keeping the frosting pipeable and spreadable. Using instant vanilla pudding powder or cream cheese powder (or both) helps to absorb extra water from the cream cheese. However, it will not stop the cream cheese from being runny if it’s warm or agitated too much. If you want to make a more stable cream cheese, then you can add up to the same amount of butter as cream cheese. This will reduce the cream cheese flavor slightly, but adding cream cheese powder can help with that too. After testing this recipe many many times, it became very clear that this is the least amount of sugar you can add to the frosting. The cream cheese frosting is not too sweet because of that. But you can add more confectioners sugar if you prefer a sweeter cream cheese frosting. To make cream cheese frosting pipeable, thick, and not too sweet at the same time, keep it cold. To make the frosting runny, or softer, allow the frosting to come to room temperature and re-whisk it to make it softer. Make sure not to overwhip the cream cheese. This will make it soft and runny and turn the frosting soft. Whisk the cream cheese on its own first. This will eliminate the lumps in the cream cheese frosting.
Storage instructions
Cream cheese frosting can be made in advance, but I do highly recommend using it as soon as you make it. This is because if you store the cream cheese frosting in the fridge, it needs to be re-whisked again. The more you re-whisk or whip the cream cheese frosting, the more fluid it becomes. However, I have stored the cream cheese frosting in the fridge and re whisked it before using again too. Just make sure you re-whisk it only as much as you need so that it still stays thick and pipeable. This perfect cream cheese frosting will last in the fridge for about 5 days. While it can be stored in the freezer in theory, the cream cheese is more likely to split when thawing out. So I do not recommend storing the cream cheese frosting in the freezer. Once the cream cheese frosting is used on your cakes, they will last for about 5 days. Allow the cake to come to room temperature before serving, so that the frosting has the soft and creamy cream cheese flavor and texture.
Best ways to use this delicious frosting
This frosting is perfect for all kinds of cakes (including layer cake) and cupcakes. It’s the perfect frosting for,
Carrot cake Red velvet cake Banana cake or banana cupcakes Chocolate cake, chocolate sheet cake, chocolate cupcakes, or devil’s food chocolate cake My maple pecan cake Gingerbread cupcakes Even vanilla cake or vanilla cupcakes For cinnamon rolls and brioche cinnamon rolls Pumpkin cake
Adding color to the frosting
You can even add color to this frosting to make colored cream cheese frosting. Use gel food coloring or powder food coloring for best results. Avoid using water-based food coloring because more of this food coloring is needed for saturated colors. This can lead to the frosting being softer. Gel food coloring is more saturated and only a little is needed for vibrant colors.
Adding flavor to the frosting
You can absolutely add flavor to your cream cheese frosting too. But, some care must be taken so that the consistency of the cream cheese frosting remains the same. This means liquid additions such as fruit juices and fruit purees should be avoided. If fruit purees are added to cream cheese, this will make the cream cheese more runny. However, you can add,
Lemon zest or any citrus zest Flavor extracts or emulsions Instant coffee, dissolved in a little vanilla extract for a coffee flavored cream cheese Melted chocolate or cocoa powder for a chocolate cream cheese frosting. Since melted chocolate hardens at room temperature, it will also help to stabilize the frosting. Freeze dried fruit powders to make fruit flavored cream cheese frosting
Frequently asked questions
