Discover ways to make cream cheese frosting with simply 4 components! Candy, creamy, wealthy, and tangy, it is scrumptious on muffins, cupcakes, and extra.
Who doesn’t love cream cheese frosting?! This candy, tangy topping is the proper complement to only about any cake or cupcake, to not point out cookies, bars, and fast breads. I’ve it on repeat round right here within the spring, when we’ve carrot cake cupcakes for Easter, an precise carrot cake for Jack’s birthday, after which carrot cake cookies, effectively, simply because I like them. 🙂
My cream cheese frosting recipe requires 4 fundamental components, and it comes collectively in lower than 10 minutes. The following time you need to make a home made baked good style extra-decadent and particular, all it’s a must to do is whip it up!
Recipe Components
You solely want 4 components to make this recipe:
- Cream cheese, in fact! Skip the whipped or low-fat stuff and search out block-style, full-fat cream cheese. It provides this frosting the most effective wealthy texture and tangy taste. Let it come to room temperature or soften it barely within the microwave earlier than making the frosting.
- Unsalted butter – It provides the frosting buttery taste and a texture that’s thick sufficient for piping. Permit the butter to melt to room temperature earlier than mixing up the frosting. If it’s too agency, the frosting shall be lumpy.
- Powdered sugar – Aka confectioner’s sugar. It thickens and sweetens the frosting. Make home made powdered sugar, or use store-bought.
- And vanilla extract – For heat depth of taste.
Elective: season to style with a splash of salt!
Discover the whole recipe with measurements beneath.
How you can Make Cream Cheese Frosting
My technique for the best way to make cream cheese frosting couldn’t be easier! Right here’s the way it goes:
First, mix the cream cheese and butter. Place them in a big bowl and use an electrical mixer to beat till easy. I like to make use of an electrical hand mixer to make this recipe, as a result of as written, it’s a bit small for my stand mixer. If you happen to choose to make use of a stand mixer, it’s possible you’ll must double the recipe.
If you happen to don’t have a mixer, you may make this recipe by hand with a whisk. It’ll simply take some elbow grease!
Then, add the powdered sugar and vanilla. Combine till the frosting is easy and creamy (try that texture above!!). Cease and scrape down the edges of the bowl with a spatula as wanted. Tip: in case your powdered sugar is lumpy, sift it earlier than including it to the cream cheese combination.
Style and modify, including a pinch of salt if wanted. That’s it!
How you can Thicken Cream Cheese Frosting
In case your frosting is runnier than you’d like, you will have a couple of choices for the best way to thicken it.
- Add extra powdered sugar. Beat in a tablespoon at a time till the frosting reaches your required consistency. Understand that including extra sugar will make the frosting sweeter.
- Stick it within the fridge. The frosting will agency up because it chills.
Observe:Â Full-fat, brick-style cream cheese is crucial for thick frosting. Whipped, low-fat, or spreadable cream cheese will make the frosting runny. When unsure, select cream cheese that is available in a field, not a plastic tub.
How you can Use Cream Cheese Frosting
This recipe yields about 1 1/2 cups of frosting. That’s sufficient for an 8- or 9-inch cake, a loaf cake, or a batch of 12 cupcakes. I like to apply it to these treats:
Double the recipe for a 9Ă—13-inch sheet cake, or triple it for a layer cake.
Storage
Cream cheese frosting shouldn’t sit at room temperature for various hours. Retailer leftover frosting in an hermetic container within the fridge for as much as 3 days. Baked items topped with cream cheese frosting also needs to be refrigerated.
Are you able to freeze cream cheese frosting?
Sure! Cream cheese frosting freezes effectively for as much as a month and thaws properly within the fridge.
Its texture will change barely after freezing and thawing, so I like to recommend re-whipping it earlier than use. If needed, add little milk to the frosting to loosen it up.
Extra Frostings, Glazes, and Whips
If you happen to love this recipe, attempt certainly one of these candy toppings subsequent:
Craving extra treats? Take a look at these 25 Tremendous Enjoyable Baking Recipes!

Cream Cheese Frosting
Serves 8
Our favourite cream cheese frosting recipe! It is SO straightforward to make, and it is the proper candy and tangy topping for desserts like muffins, cupcakes, cookies, bars, and extra.
- 4 ounces cream cheese, full-fat, block-style, softened barely
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 2 cups powdered sugar, extra for a stiffer frosting, sifted if lumpy
- â…› teaspoon vanilla extract
- Sea salt, to style
Forestall your display from going darkish
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In a big bowl, beat the cream cheese and butter with an electrical mixer till easy.
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Add the powdered sugar and vanilla and blend till easy, stopping and scraping down the edges of the bowl with a spatula as wanted. For a stiffer frosting, beat in further powdered sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, till it reaches your required consistency. Style and modify, including a pinch of salt if wanted.
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Retailer in an hermetic container within the fridge for as much as 3 days.