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Cream Cheese Frosting

Cream Cheese Frosting

Quick and easy cream cheese frosting brought to you by guest author Garrett McCord, the cupcake king. ~Elise

Cream cheese frosting is a baking basic. It's perfect for practically any cake and any leftovers are great dolloped onto some freshly cut fruit. This is the basic recipe, you can reduce the amount of butter if you want a bit more tang, and increase or decrease the sugar according to your taste. Dress up with ginger, vanilla bean, or coconut flakes. I've listed some of my favorite variations at the end of the recipe.

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Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe

  • Prep time: 5 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup of butter (1 stick), room temperature
  • 8 oz of Philly cream cheese (1 package), room temperature
  • 2 - 3 cups of powdered sugar
  • 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

Method

1 With an electric mixer, mix the butter and cream cheese together, about 3 minutes on medium speed until very smooth. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl to ensure even mixing.

2 Add the vanilla extract and mix. Slowly add the powdered sugar. Keep adding until you get to desired sweetness and thickness.

3 Either spread on with a blunt knife or spatula, or spoon into a piping bag to decorate your cake or cupcake.

Variations:

  • Adding a teaspoon of Chinese Five Spice is always great for exotic chocolate cakes.
  • Adding freshly ground ginger helps spice up a carrot cake.
  • Freshly ground chai spice or even the contents of a bag of earl grey tea are heady and aromatic.
  • The scrapings from a vanilla bean can be very sweet and heavenly for red velvet or dark chocolate cakes.
  • Freshly grated or dried, flaked coconut mixed in makes it perfect for a coconut cake.

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57 Comments

OK, this is just flat-out weird.

Five minutes ago I pulled out these exact ingredients to make frosting for some carrot cake bars for tonight's Super Bowl party.

I think I need to call the bookie and up my bet on tonight's game ;-)

Kidding. Remember kids - NEVER gamble. Even on office football pools.

Posted by: jonathan on February 3, 2008 5:56 AM

I particularly like white chocolate cream cheese frosting. It tastes quite good on white chocolate cakes with fruit in the middle. Delish!

Posted by: Delilah Hinman on February 3, 2008 10:09 AM

I like adding grated orange or lemon peel to cream cheese frosting, with a little of the juice. Good on banana muffins, lemon cake, etc.

Posted by: Barbara Hillmer on February 3, 2008 1:03 PM

I love making cream cheese frosting with freshly grated ginger...elevates it to a whole new level of goodness!

Posted by: jennbec on February 4, 2008 6:56 AM

I made something just like this yesterday! We dont have cream cheese anywhere near me. (It's hard to find in France.) So I used yogurt cheese that I made by straining yogurt and some salt in cheesecloth. Then I added the butter and powdered sugar as normal. In a pinch I have been known to use a soft fresh goat cheese in place of cream cheese too. Both work wonderfully.

Posted by: Riana on February 4, 2008 10:04 PM

I love carrot cake with cream cheese icing but always find the icing too sweet, this is because when I lived in South Africa the cream cheese icing was always slightly sharp and 'cheesy' and a lovely contrast to the sweetness of the cake, but I have never been able to replicate it. Any ideas?

Well, having no idea what South African cream cheese is like, I would suggest reducing the amount of sugar and butter to your own taste which sould up the cheese and tang flavors. Cheese heavily depends on the animal producing the milk and what they are feeding on (which is then further based on the geography and terroir). Based on that, I am not sure if an American cream cheese will ever be as spot on the to the South African cheese taste you want. ~Garrett

Posted by: Lulu on February 5, 2008 4:31 AM

I have an easy cream cheese frosting recipe. The twist to this recipe is that although it is simple cream cheese frosting, it is sweetened with agave rather than sugar.

Elana

Posted by: Elana on February 5, 2008 5:35 PM

I just made the Red Velvet cupcakes last night and put my twist on them (and the frosting). I added a tsp. of almond extract along with the vanilla in the cakes and frosting both. I also doubled the cocoa in the cupcakes (more chocolate is always better, isn't it?).

Great recipe!
Jody

Posted by: Jody on February 6, 2008 9:11 PM

Another great way to flavor a classic cream cheese recipe up is to add lemon juice and lemon rind or orange.

Posted by: Ashley on February 7, 2008 1:27 PM

Elise, love this site.

I have made the cream cheese frosting many times but have always wondered if I have to refrigerate the cake with the cream cheese frosting on it!!
Can it stay at room temperature for several days?

Thank you, Fran.

Cream cheese has dairy. It needs to be refigerated, but the sugar will allow it to stand out for a few hours, but not extended periods of time. ~Garrett

Posted by: fran cowan on February 8, 2008 7:56 AM

Does it matter if you use reduced fat or fat free cream cheese?

Not at all. Neufchâtel is also a fine cheese to use. It's like cream cheese, but lower in fat and without the tangy flavor. ~Garrett

Posted by: Mary Russell on February 8, 2008 11:00 AM

Elise and Garrett, I like to add a bit of liliko'i (passion fruit) syrup to my cream cheese frosting when I make a very rich chocolate cake recipe using Hershey's chocolate. I also drizzle some of the syrup over the cake itself first, so it can penetrate down into the cake.

Posted by: Sonia on February 11, 2008 12:02 PM

Add: 1/3 cup sour cream
1/3 cup sweetened whipped cream
unsweetened cocoa powder to taste
dissolved in boiled cream cooled

Add to cream cheese icing and whip on high for a beautiful pearl like chocolate icing.

Posted by: Jan on February 17, 2008 7:17 PM

It definitely does matter if you use nonfat cream cheese. When you use it the consistency is too and I mean way too thin. I tried refrigerating it overnight and it turned into the consistency of a yeast dough. So--fat free cream cheese makes more of a fat free stringy glaze. UGH.

Posted by: Judy on March 6, 2008 10:19 AM

Tonight, after baking a cake for tomorrow's Senior Center Easter Dinner, I discovered I was low on ingredients for frosting the cake. I quickly turned to the internet. Luck was with me as your Cream Cheese recipe required only 4 ingredients--and I had all of them! The recipe was very easy to fix, the frosting spread very nicely without thinning it any (green frosting on a dark red velvet cake!). It also worked perfectly for doing shells around the edges of the cake. (I decorated the cake top with bunnies and green coconut "grass", along with flat bunnies on the cake sides.) Thank you so much for a great recipe! I plan on using this recipe regularly in the future! Have a great Easter Holiday!

Posted by: Teddi on March 19, 2008 9:17 PM

This has to be the easiest, best-tasting, fluffiest cream cheese frosting recipe I've ever seen. I realize I've never been out of the U.S., but this is perfect for use on wedding cakes or just to congratulate someone on a promotion or new home. It's stiff enough to hold a peak, but not hard like some buttercreams get after a bit. Thank you so much.

Posted by: Karla on May 26, 2008 5:31 AM

This cream cheese recipe looks and sounds delicious. Garrett, I wonder if i can add food color to the cream cheese frosting without changing its taste and consistency. Any advice? Thank you.

Using dry food coloring is easiest, but a few drops of the liquid stuff should be fine. ~Garrett

Posted by: Faith on December 2, 2008 8:06 PM

How much frosting will this make? Will it be enough to frost and fill a 8in 3 layer cake? (or just frost?)

Thanks!

Posted by: Christy on December 22, 2008 10:44 AM

This is an awsome recipe, I just added a little more vanilla and it is awsome!

Posted by: cj barr on February 24, 2009 5:14 PM

This recipie is the best. I made a cake for my parent's anniversary and they loved it!

Posted by: i love pedroia on May 24, 2009 1:42 PM

Cream cheese frosting is the best. Trying it using half cream cheese & half mascarpone. SUPERB!!! The mascarpone maybe a little expensive but it makes all the difference.

Posted by: Kerri on May 31, 2009 7:33 AM

Thank you for this fast and easy recipe! Super good frosting, easy to make! Fluffy and thick, easy to spread, and holds its shape, but isn't excessively hard like some other frostings that I have made! THANK YOU!

Posted by: Brooklyn on October 19, 2009 8:28 PM

I wonder how long can I refrigerate this frosting if I'll prepare more than I need? Is it possible to freeze it, too?

You can fridge it for about a week or two, and yes you can pop it in the freezer too. Just be sure it is in an air tight container in both cases. ~Garrett

Posted by: Sofia on January 20, 2010 8:02 AM

Thank you so much for this recipe! I didn't need that much frosting, so I downsized the portions in half (such as using a 1/4 cup of butter, 4 oz. cream cheese, etc., with the exception of the vanilla extract) and it still worked! I was tired of seeing frosting with hydrogenated oils and trans fat (yuck!) in almost all the grocery stores, and thanks to your recipe, I'm glad I now have frosting that's both "healthy" and delicious!

Posted by: Dee on April 8, 2010 11:46 PM

I turned onto making home-made frosting because store-bought frostings are loaded in TransFat which is the number cause of heart disease. Yuck!

So I found this recipe, followed directions as directed and WOW this came out great!

Thanks for posting this easy to make frosting. Truly tasted wonderful without all those crazy manufactured ingredients!

Cheers!

Posted by: BM on May 16, 2010 11:13 AM

Try with orange zest for a treat! :)

Posted by: becca on May 24, 2010 8:55 AM

This is an awesome recipe. Thanks bunches!

Posted by: Christine on June 1, 2010 10:42 PM

Love this recipe! Like the ideas for variations too. I once added in some Captain Morgan's spiced rum (it's kind of vanilla flavored) to a cream cheese frosting recipe once that went on a carrot cake, and it was awesome. I'm going to try that with your recipe next, wish me luck.

Posted by: Elle on July 10, 2010 9:37 PM

I am making red velvet cupcakes for my husbands birthday and this looks like the perfect icing for them! I can't wait to see his reaction, he is going to flip... Hopefully I don't eat all the frosting before it gets on the cupcakes..hehe. Kudos.

Posted by: Kenzie on August 27, 2010 3:17 PM

Hello, I am making a cake for my sons 1st birthday, and I am super excited, 2 weeks away. This will be the first time I make frosting from scratch. His birthday is Pooh themed and I am going to make a 4 layer two tier cake. The bottom will be an 8x8" square (two layers of spice cake) and the top will be a 5x5" square (two layers of red velvet) (I am coloring the frosting too, the bottom will be Pooh yellow and the top Pooh's shirt red with Pooh written in yellow on one side) Anyway, obviously I plan on frosting between the layers but how much frosting does this receipe make? (and I plan on making seperate batches, two different colors, but the layered frosting will not be colored and sweeter then the outside frosting, so that it isn't too sweet) How much should I make for the 3 different (outside bottom, outside top, & the 2 inside layers) batches? Hope that all makes sense! =) Thank you!!

Double the batch at least. Triple to be safe. Freeze for later what you don't use. ~Garrett

Posted by: Amberlee on September 2, 2010 8:23 PM

Could I add cocoa powder to make it chocolate flavoured? If so, how much do you think I need? Thanks.

Yes, you could. As for how much, just start with a tablespoon and keep tasting and adding until you are happy with the results. ~Garrett

Posted by: CJ on October 24, 2010 12:00 AM

We used mascarpone and lots of icing sugar. Is it meant to taste cheesy? Because ours tastes really cheesey. Is this right? How do you reduce the cheesyness? Thanks.

The main ingredient is cheese. I'm not sure what else to say. You can always add more sugar to sweeten it. ~Garrett

Posted by: ellejay on October 25, 2010 8:17 AM

I love this recipe and have noticed that it can be frozen if unused. What is the best way to thaw it back to it's original consistency?

Just bring it to room temperature and then beat it until fluffy again. ~Garrett

Posted by: Stacie on November 24, 2010 9:11 PM

Hi, can this be used to ice a cake that will be delivered in four days?

Cake usually lasts about 2-3 tops. This frosting isn't a stabilized buttercream and will go funky if left out for a long time. Frost the cake the day of. ~Garrett

Posted by: Maudy on December 14, 2010 7:32 AM

Can I use the frosting as a glaze as well and would it affect the flavor it I was to do so?

I am not sure I understand the question, Jerry. I would just use a glaze recipe as that would be easiest. ~Garrett

Posted by: Jerry on December 23, 2010 3:07 PM

I just made the most perfect dark chocolate cupcakes with this frosting on top. They were great! A cake is in the oven right now! This is the best frosting! Thanks!

Posted by: maggie on December 27, 2010 3:26 PM

I have recently tried this recipe and it is awesome and delicious!!!!

Posted by: sara on December 29, 2010 12:09 PM

Absolutely love this recipe on my infamous Red Velvet Cupcakes. But now I need your assistance. My father in law is turning 60 and he LOVES the frosting and feels that there's never enough on the cupcakes and suggested that I make the Red Velvet Cream Cheese Frosting "Parfait" for his b-day celebration. I'm ok with the cake part, but how would I make the cream cheese frosting mousse-like without changing the taste? I was thinking of adding whipping cream to the recipe maybe? Any suggestions would be great! Thanks.

That might work well. Give it a shot and let us know how it goes. =) ~Garrett

Posted by: Kathleen on January 10, 2011 1:19 PM

I am making red velvet cupcakes with cream cheese frosting, however, I am decorating the cupcakes for a baby shower can I color the icing without altering the cream cheese taste and if so what kind of coloring should I use. I currently use Wilton's icing color to color fondant is this ok to use?

Any coloring is just fine. ~Garrett

Posted by: Adrienne on February 20, 2011 11:59 AM

Could I add strawberries/raspberries to this recipe or would it ruin the consistency?

Puree them, then pass the juice through a fine mesh sieve to get out the pulp and seeds. Just add a little at a time until you get the proper flavor and consistency. Keep in mind the more you add the less stiff it will be. If you want, you can always put the juice in a sauce pan and softly reduce it to concentrate the flavor. Just be sure to let it cool before adding. ~Garrett

Posted by: Emily on February 21, 2011 2:58 PM

This is my favorite cream cheese frosting recipe. I know it's not like it's rocket science, but this one has the proportions (for my tastes) spot on.

I've been playing with adding cinnamon. I think it works well with carrot cake and imagine it would be good (with or without cocoa) with chocolate cake for that Mexican chocolate vibe.

Posted by: Sarah on March 2, 2011 7:23 AM

I made this icing for a red velvet cake & cupcakes. It has a slight tangy taste to it. Is there something I can add to get the tanginess out?

More sugar can be added, but it will become much thicker. However, the point of cream cheese frosting as opposed to basic buttercream is to have that tang from the cream cheese. Getting rid of the tang would defeat the primary prupose of the recipe. ~Garrett

Posted by: butterluv on March 12, 2011 9:39 AM

I just made the delicious red velvet cupcakes and put cream cheese frosting on already, but I won't be eating them until tomorrow. Do I need to refrigerate it because of the icing? If so, would it dry out the cupcakes?

I would just keep them all at room temperature. The frosting may crust, but putting the cupcakes in the cold will dry them out. It's your call on which to do. (Generally, try not to frost until the last minute.) ~Garrett

Posted by: melissa on April 15, 2011 11:45 AM

I am making carrot cake cupcakes for a birthday party and plan to use this recipe to top them. My question is can I do this the night before and refridgerate the cupcakes or should i wait till morning? I was planning on decorating them as well so Im worrried about time. Thanks in advance!

Chilling baked goods makes them hard and dry. I honestly suggest keep them overnight at room temperature. Then frost them the day of. ~Garrett

Posted by: Margo on April 16, 2011 5:34 PM

The creamcheese icing I make is just too sweet, but if I don't put a lot of confectioners' sugar, then the icing doesn't get as thick and creamy. Any ideas on how to solve this?

That's really the tradeoff with simple buttercream. It has to be sweet or thin. Some people add more cream cheese or chill it first, which may help. ~Garrett

Posted by: Theresa on May 14, 2011 6:27 PM

I add some cocoa powder to the icing for white cake that need more flavor or to chocolate cakes. Another nice touch is lemon rind and then puree some fresh raspberries! It makes a heavenly topping for lemon poppyseed cake. For carrot cakes I usually add nutmeg, cinnamon and grated ginger,after I spread it on i make designs with raisins or chocolate chips. :)
Great recipe!

Posted by: Sunny on May 22, 2011 10:07 AM

I am baking a red velvet cake with this cream cheese icing. Does the icing need to be room temperature or refrigerated before I put the icing on the cake? I plan to put shell piping around the top and bottom of the cake. Should I put some liquid in the icing so it will be thinner for the piping?

No, do not alter the recipe and keep it at room temperature. If you make it thinner then it won't pipe at all. It will just ooze everywhere. ~Garrett

Posted by: Rita on May 26, 2011 12:26 PM

This recipe is very good when put on a spiced cake. Cake comes out of the oven smelling something like pumpkin pie and the icing is a perfect pairing.

Posted by: shannon on July 13, 2011 10:29 PM

We used smart balance and it made it creamier and fewer calories!

Posted by: Mariah on August 3, 2011 11:15 AM

This cream cheese frosting is AMAZING!

Posted by: anna on October 22, 2011 3:38 PM

How many cupcakes can I frost with this frosting? Thanks :)

Depends how much frosting you put on each one. You should have enough for a dozen easy. ~Garrett

Posted by: Yesenia on October 24, 2011 6:12 PM

What is the weight of the butter used as we dont buy our butter in sticks? Also can this recipe be coloured and piped?

A stick of butter is 4 ounces. And, yes, you can color and pipe this. ~Garrett

Posted by: sue on October 30, 2011 8:14 AM

Delicious recipe -- beats the canned stuff hands down! One question: whenever I make this frosting, it always turns out just a bit runny. Any suggestions for thickening it up without adding more sugar? I like the sweetness level as-is.

Kitchen temperature, honestly, makes a world of difference. ~Garrett

Posted by: Molly on November 25, 2011 10:21 PM

Does the frosting have to go in the refrigator?

Depends how long you need it to keep. If you want it to stick around for a few days yes. If under 24 hours then no. ~Garrett

Posted by: amber on December 3, 2011 6:00 PM

Great recipe.
I used cream cheese spread (plain), since I had a mostly full 8oz tub laying around, and it still tasted great.
I like that it wasn't as sweet as maufactured icing (I am the odd person who doesn't like really sweet deserts) and that it's very light. And it's a bit tangier.

Posted by: LK on January 24, 2012 8:32 PM

How do I make it thicker? It was way to runny to pipe. Did I do something wrong? This is my first time making frosting.

Did you add more liquid? ~Garrett

Posted by: jo on January 25, 2012 5:48 PM

I just bought two canes of Duncan Hines Creamy Homestyle Cream Cheese frosting. Yuck! I stuck my finger to taste before spreading on my carrot cake and it tasted like animal fat!

Need to run to the store to pick-up cream cheese for this recipe. I'll keep you updated.

That'll learn ya'. ~Garrett

Posted by: Tamara on January 26, 2012 1:10 PM

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