The Best Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe (Tangy, Creamy & Impossibly Good)

Prep Time: 10 minutes | Cook Time: 0 minutes | Total Time: 10 minutes | Servings: Enough to frost a 2-layer 9-inch cake or 24 cupcakes | Calories: 310 kcal per serving (about ¼ cup)

Cream cheese frosting is the only frosting that matters on red velvet cake, carrot cake, or cinnamon rolls. It is tangy, it is creamy, and it has that perfect balance of sweet and sharp that makes everything it touches taste better.

This is the classic recipe. No weird ingredients, no shortcuts, no compromises. Just butter, cream cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla. That is all you need to make frosting that people actually remember.

Ten minutes of work and you have frosting that is better than anything you can buy. Every single time.

Why You Will Love This Recipe

Cream cheese frosting is not just another frosting. It is the frosting. Here is what makes this recipe the one to keep.

The texture is perfect. Not too thick, not too thin, not too sweet, not too tangy. It spreads like butter and holds its shape beautifully when piped.

It is genuinely easy. No cooking, no heating, no beating for twenty minutes. Mix it up and it is ready to use immediately.

The flavour is balanced. The cream cheese cuts through the sweetness of the powdered sugar in a way that regular buttercream cannot. You get rich sweetness with a subtle tangy edge that keeps it interesting.

It works on everything. Red velvet cake, carrot cake, pumpkin cake, banana bread, cinnamon rolls, cupcakes, cookies — if it needs frosting, this is the one you want.

It pipes beautifully. Whether you are doing simple swirls or intricate designs, this frosting holds every detail and photographs like a dream.

Ingredients

• 8 oz (225g / 1 block) full-fat cream cheese, at room temperature
• ½ cup (115g / 1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 3½ cups (420g) powdered sugar, sifted
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Pinch of salt

Equipment Needed

• Stand mixer with a paddle attachment (or hand mixer with beaters)
• Large mixing bowl
• Measuring cups and spoons
• Fine mesh sieve or sifter (for the powdered sugar)
• Rubber spatula (for scraping down the sides)
• Piping bags and tips (optional, for decorating)

Instructions

Step 1: Make sure your cream cheese and butter are at proper room temperature. They should both be soft enough to leave an indent when you press them with your finger, but not greasy or melted. This is absolutely essential for smooth frosting.

Step 2: Add the softened cream cheese to your mixing bowl. Beat it on medium speed for 1–2 minutes until it is smooth and fluffy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.

Step 3: Add the softened butter. Beat for another 1–2 minutes until the cream cheese and butter are completely combined and fluffy.

Step 4: Add the sifted powdered sugar one cup at a time, beating on low speed after each addition. This stops the sugar cloud from coating your entire kitchen.

Step 5: Once all the sugar is incorporated, add the vanilla extract and a pinch of salt.

Step 6: Beat on medium speed for 2–3 minutes until the frosting is light, fluffy, and completely smooth. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl to make sure everything is evenly mixed.

Step 7: Taste it. Adjust the sweetness or vanilla to your preference if needed.

Step 8: Use immediately or cover tightly and refrigerate for up to 3 days. Bring it back to room temperature and re-whip for a minute before using if it has been chilled.

@/tasteofhome

Substitutes & Swaps

Full-fat cream cheese: Do not use low-fat or whipped cream cheese. They are too thin and will give you runny frosting. Full-fat brick-style cream cheese is non-negotiable.

Unsalted butter: Salted butter works but skip the pinch of salt in the recipe or it will be too salty. European-style butter has a higher fat content and gives an even richer flavour.

Powdered sugar: There is no real substitute. If you are out, blitz granulated sugar in a high-speed blender until it is a fine powder, but it will never be quite as smooth as proper icing sugar.

Vanilla extract: Vanilla bean paste is even better if you have it. Almond extract or lemon extract are lovely alternatives that change the flavour profile slightly.

Variations

Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting: Add 1 tablespoon of fresh lemon juice and 1 teaspoon of lemon zest. Reduce the vanilla to ½ teaspoon. Bright, fresh, and perfect for spring cakes.

Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting: Add 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon. Gorgeous on carrot cake, pumpkin cake, or cinnamon rolls.

Brown Butter Cream Cheese Frosting: Brown the butter in a pan until nutty and golden, let it cool and solidify, then use it in the recipe. Deeply flavourful and absolutely stunning.

Maple Cream Cheese Frosting: Replace ½ cup of the powdered sugar with ¼ cup of pure maple syrup. Add a pinch of cinnamon. Perfect for autumn cakes.

Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting: Add ½ cup of unsweetened cocoa powder (sifted) after the powdered sugar. You may need an extra tablespoon or two of cream to get the right consistency.

Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting: Add 2–3 tablespoons of freeze-dried strawberry powder. Natural pink colour and real strawberry flavour without any liquid to thin the frosting.

Tips & Tricks

Get the temperatures right. Room temperature cream cheese and butter are the most important thing. Too cold and you will have lumps. Too warm and the frosting will be runny and greasy. Aim for cool but soft.

Beat the cream cheese alone first. Spending a minute or two whipping the cream cheese on its own before adding the butter makes the final frosting noticeably smoother.

Sift the powdered sugar. Skipping this is the fastest way to get lumpy frosting. Always sift it. No exceptions.

Do not over-beat. Once the frosting is smooth and fluffy, stop. Over-mixing incorporates too much air and can make it too soft and difficult to work with.

Chill it if it is too soft. If your frosting is too runny to spread or pipe, refrigerate it for 15–20 minutes until it firms up slightly. Give it a quick re-whip before using.

Bring it to room temperature before using. If you have stored it in the fridge, let it come to room temperature for at least 30 minutes. Beat it for a minute to bring back the fluffy texture.

Make it ahead. This frosting keeps beautifully in the fridge for up to 3 days in an airtight container. It also freezes well for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge and re-whip before using.

Nutrition Information (Per Serving)

Nutrient	Amount
Calories	310 kcal
Total Fat	17g
Saturated Fat	11g
Carbohydrates	38g
Fibre	0g
Sugars	37g
Protein	1g
Sodium	90mg

Nutrition is approximate and based on 1 serving (roughly ¼ cup of frosting). Made with full-fat cream cheese, unsalted butter, and powdered sugar. A standard 2-layer cake uses about 8 servings of frosting.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Why is my cream cheese frosting runny? The cream cheese or butter was too warm, or you over-beat it. Refrigerate it for 20 minutes to firm it up. If it is still too runny, beat in a little more powdered sugar.

Can I use low-fat cream cheese? No. Low-fat cream cheese has too much water and not enough fat. The frosting will be thin and runny and will not hold its shape.

Why is my frosting lumpy? The cream cheese or butter was not at proper room temperature, or the powdered sugar was not sifted. Make sure both are soft before you start, and always sift the sugar.

How much frosting does this recipe make? Enough to generously frost a 2-layer 9-inch round cake, 24 standard cupcakes, or about 12 heavily frosted cupcakes.

Can I pipe this frosting? Absolutely. It holds its shape beautifully when piped. If it feels too soft, refrigerate it for 15 minutes to firm it up slightly before piping.

Does cream cheese frosting need to be refrigerated? Yes. Because it contains cream cheese, it should be refrigerated if it is not being served within 2 hours. A frosted cake can sit at room temperature for a few hours but should be refrigerated for longer storage.

Can I make this dairy-free? Yes. Use dairy-free cream cheese and vegan butter. The texture will be slightly different but still delicious. Make sure both are at room temperature before mixing.

The Frosting That Makes Everything Better

Some frostings are just sweet. This one is sweet, tangy, creamy, and has actual flavour beyond sugar. It is the frosting that turns a good cake into a great one and makes people ask for the recipe.

Make it once. Put it on everything. Watch it disappear.

Made this recipe? Tell me in the comments what you put it on. I am convinced this frosting improves literally everything it touches.