Frosting, Cream Cheese

Cream cheese frosting falls under the beaten butter buttercream frosting category, but with a twist - it replaces a significant portion of the butter with rich and creamy cream cheese. The unique combination of cream cheese and butter creates a velvety texture that spreads smoothly over cakes, cupcakes, and cookies. The cream cheese adds a tangy note that balances out the sweetness. It is the classic frosting for carrot cake, red velvet cake, and frosted cinnamon rolls.

Flavor of Cream Cheese Frosting:

Tangy and sweet

Color of Cream Cheese Frosting:

White

Texture of Cream Cheese Frosting:

Smooth and creamy

Stiffness of Cream Cheese Frosting:

Pipable and soft; can begin to melt and become runny in warmer conditions; frosting should be refrigerated when not in use

Uses of Cream Cheese Frosting:

Usually paired with moist sponges like red velvet cupcakes, carrot cake, and hummingbird cake

Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe Difficulty:

Easy; requires few ingredients and supplies

Ingredients

½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter softened (113g)

8 oz cream cheese softened (brick-style, not spreadable) (226g)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

¼ teaspoon salt

4 cups powdered sugar* (500g)

Directions

Combine butter and cream cheese in the bowl of a stand mixer (or you may use an electric mixer) and beat until creamy, well-combined, and lump-free.
Add vanilla extract and salt and stir well to combine.
With mixer on low, gradually add powdered sugar until completely combined.
Use to frost completely cooled cake or cupcakes.

Notes

As mentioned in the post, this is a sturdy and pipe-able frosting that will hold its shape and is comparable to buttercream in texture. It’s wonderful for decorating! Many cream cheese recipes use less sugar and are far looser because of it; this icing as-written is less sweet than buttercream, but if you want an even less sweet frosting you can use less sugar and just add to taste (you’ll need at least two cups).

Frosting that is too thick and too sweet is often caused by accidentally over-measuring the powdered sugar, it should be weighed or measured the same way that flour is measured. If you accidentally make your frosting too thick, you can thin it by adding a splash of heavy cream or milk at a time until the desired consistency is reached.

*If you plan to pipe the frosting with a small tip, I recommend sifting the powdered sugar (after measuring).

The cupcakes in these photos were frosted using an Ateco 848 tip.

Nutrition