Today, I’d like to share a recipe with you. Not just any recipe… a cream cheese frosting recipe I have used dozens (maybe even hundreds) of times, and I love it each time!
There are two reasons I love this recipe… one is that it’s really, really easy, and the second is that it’s really delicious!
While I do also enjoy other styles of frosting, like Swiss Meringue Buttercream, Fluffy 7 Minute Frosting, or Whipped Ganache, this cream cheese frosting recipe is easier than any other. This is basically American style buttercream (which is butter, powdered sugar, milk), but with the addition of cream cheese.
The cream cheese is really the key ingredient, since it helps off-set the sweetness of the powdered sugar, and adds to the creaminess of the butter while also removing the greasy, pure butter flavor.
Another thing I really like about this recipe is that if you use these proportions, the frosting is not over powered by the cream cheese, it takes on the flavor of whatever extract or additional flavorings are added.
Vanilla Cream Cheese Frosting
½ cup (1 stick/8 Tablespoons) unsalted butter (set at room temp about 10 minutes, but should still be cool)
8 oz. Challenge cream cheese (directly from fridge)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract (always use pure vanilla extract if possible)
4 cups powdered confectioners sugar
1 to 4 Tablespoons heavy cream, heavy whipping cream (or milk- although I do like the richness that cream adds)
Directions:
*Place butter in a large mixing bowl and beat until smooth. Add cream cheese and blend until fully combined and smooth, about 30 seconds.
*Add vanilla extract and powdered sugar and blend on low speed until combined. Increase to medium speed and beat until it begins to get fluffy.
*Slowly add the heavy cream, a little bit at a time until desired consistency is met. (Don’t add too much if you want the frosting to stay in place when piped on cupcakes.)
*Beat until fluffy, about 1 minute.
*Use at once or keep refrigerated. (This frosting will keep well in the refrigerator for several days, but you may need to re-beat it for the best texture.)
The recipe above will produce a delicious VANILLA flavored frosting, here are a couple of other options to try…
For a Stronger Cream Cheese Flavor: Use an additional 4 oz. (½ block) of cream cheese. This is good for any cake/cupcake recipe that is traditionally topped with Cream Cheese Frosting, like Carrot Cake, or Red Velvet Cake.
For Chocolate Frosting: (my favorite!) add ½ cup unsweetened cocoa (I use Ghirardelli brand, it’s really good). Add the cocoa powder before adding the powdered sugar, so it gets fully incorporated into the butter and cream cheese.
Strawberry, Blackberry, etc: Add 2-4 tablespoons of preserves. Depending on how chunky or seedy the preserves are, you may want to blend it in the food processor, and/or strain it through a fine strainer before adding it to the frosting. Add the preserves to the frosting mixture before adding the heavy cream. Depending on the amount of preserves you add you may need very little or no cream, especially if you want the frosting thick enough to pipe. A final option would be to add a drop of food coloring to add to the color of the preserves (for example, pink coloring for the Strawberry flavor).
* This recipe will frost about 22-24 cupcakes if you are piping a nice swirl, or even more if you just spread it on. If you’re making a cake, this will frost and fill a two layer 9″ cake.
How To Make Cream Cheese Frosting
Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients
- ½ cup unsalted butter set at room temp about 10 minutes, but should still be cool
- 8 oz. cream cheese directly from fridge
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract always use pure vanilla extract if possible
- 4 cups powdered confectioners sugar
- 1 to 4 tablespoons heavy cream heavy whipping cream (or milk- although I do like the richness that cream adds)
Instructions
- Place butter in a large mixing bowl and beat until smooth. Add cream cheese and blend until fully combined and smooth, about 30 seconds.
- Add vanilla extract and powdered sugar and blend on low speed until combined. Increase to medium speed and beat until it begins to get fluffy.
- Slowly add the heavy cream, a little bit at a time until desired consistency is met. (Don't add too much if you want the frosting to stay in place when piped on cupcakes.)
- Beat until fluffy, about 1 minute.
- Use at once or keep refrigerated. (This frosting will keep well in the refrigerator for several days, but you may need to re-beat it for the best texture.)
Notes
Nutrition
I absolutely love love love your blog:)…great tutorials and superb recipes:)..just wanted to check what the shelf life of cream cheese frosting was?
If you are not going to frost the cupcakes right away, I would put the frosting in the fridge, then bring back up to room temperature before frosting. Once frosted on cupcakes, the cupcakes will be fine at room temperature 1-2 days.
I just found your website and I love it!! I am trying your vanilla cupcakes and this frosting but today. My issue with cream cheese frosting is that the cream cheese sometimes doesn’t break up evenly and I find little chunks of it in my frosting. Also should I use the paddle or whisk attachment?
Jackie, Make sure to beat the butter fullly first, then add the cream cheese and beat it until fully smooth before adding other ingredients. I usually use the whisk attachement for any frosting.
Happy Baking!
Do you have to refrigerate the cupcakes after using the cream cheese frosting?
As long as you home is not too warm, I would leave the frosted cupcakes (loosly covered) out at room temperature 1-2 days. Sugar acts as a preservative, and the frosting will form a slight crust and be perfectly delicious! =)
I made your frosting recipes, yesterday, for my seven-year old daughter’s birthday party–it was fantastic! Thank you so much for sharing!
Made this wonderful recipe and they turned out just like the picture. I even found the cupcake papers at Hobby Lobby. I had no difficulty with the frosting as written . Used cold, right out of the refrigerator , cream cheese. Gently beat butter and cream cheese. Used a food processor to turn Oreos into “dirt”. Very nice. Glad I found this site! Nicely detailed, great ideas 😀
I’m totally with you on LOVING cream cheese frosting. I feel like I always add some amount of cream cheese to every frosting I come up with. However I have so much trouble figuring out a fool-proof way to keep it thick enough for piping. I live in Texas and it’s hot and humid (almost all year round) – obviously I’m not baking outside but you can never escape it (especially during the summer). Could the climate have anything to do with my frosting troubles? I’ve tried adding shortening, more powdered sugar, more butter, cold ingredients, less liquid…. the list goes on. Any suggestions for a sure fire way to firm up without compromising taste?
It all comes down to the amount of liquid, and the temperature of the ingredients. You may just always have to plan to put the finished frosting in the fridge for an hour or so after you make it, before you can use it.
Hi! I tried to make this cream cheese frosting, but it wasn’t firm enough for piping. When I used it, it was way too soft! What can I have done wrong? I followed the recipe carefully. ): Thanks for your help and for having such a beautiful blog! ^^
If the frosting is not holding it’s shape…. either the butter and cream cheese were too warm, or two much liquid (milk or cream) was added (for the temperature). If the frosting it not firm enough, place the whole bowl in the fridge for 15-20 minutes and it should firm up quite a bit. Additionally, you could add a bit more powdered sugar.
Hi Glory
I have been using this recipe for over a year and everyone loves it ! They keep asking me for the recipe and I send them to your website every time.
However they keep complaining about the cups measurements because here in the UK we use grams… So I have decided to publish your recipe (giving you full credit) on my blog in grams…
http://thatcutelittlecake.blogspot.co.uk/2012/06/recipe-cream-cheese-frosting.html
thank you so much for sharing.
I adore cream cheese frosting! I’m excited to try your recipe. But I’m very curious about using cool butter and cream cheese! I thought leaving them out at room temperature was what allowed for a smooth consistency. How will I avoid little chunks of cream cheese?? Thanks for any advice! I’ve got a bunch of cupcakes to make on Saturday!
Using cold butter and cream cheese helps keep the frosting nice an firm, so it will hold it’s shape when being piped on cupcakes. Although, this only works well if you have a large, electic mixer (Kitchen Aid type). As the recipe describes, if you fully beat the butter, then fully beat the cream cheese before adding the sugar, you frosting should be perfectly smooth. If you do not have a large electic mixer, then the butter and cream cheese will likely have to be room temperatue for you to be able to cream them.
Best vanilla frosting ever! Just made the vanilla cupcakes and frosted them… I never got past the frosting 😉 LOVE IT!