Cream Cheese Frosting

Cream Cheese Frosting is a sweet-tart homemade frosting with the perfect consistency for filling or topping cakes, sweet rolls, and cookies. This frosting is easy to make but even easier when you double the recipe and freeze some for later.

What Is Cream Cheese Frosting?

Cream cheese frosting is a sweet-tart creamy topping of softened cream cheese, butter, and shortening whipped until fluffy with powdered sugar and flavorings like vanilla extract and lemon juice. Most cream cheese frostings are softer than American buttercream (shortening mixed with powdered sugar). Cream cheese is soft, even when it’s cold, so a frosting made with it will also be softer. The addition of butter and shortening in this recipe makes the cream cheese firmer and allows it to emulsify better.

Once upon a time, I owned a cake-decorating business. This recipe was my go-to when clients asked for a cream cheese frosting for their cakes. It’s firm enough to hold a piped border and withstand warmer temperatures. This version takes the frustration out of the normally soft frosting without compromising its flavor.

What Do I Need To Make This Recipe?

Cream Cheese Frosting is made with full-fat cream cheese, unsalted butter, vegetable shortening, powdered sugar, lemon juice, vanilla extract, and kosher salt. 

You’ll also need an electric hand mixer or a stand mixer and a sifter.

Why Do I Need To Sift The Powdered Sugar?

Cream cheese frosting comes out lumpy because the powdered sugar wasn’t sifted before it was added to the mixing bowl. Powdered sugar comes out of the bag full of clumps, so failing to sift it before you use it means those clumps will stay in your frosting. You can mix the bejeezus out of it, but the smaller lumps will still remain. In addition to still having lumpy frosting, you’re heating up the frosting unnecessarily. That means you’re left with a very soft frosting.  

Use a sifter to sift the powdered sugar in a large bowl. I sift my sugar twice, but that’s not a must. Sift 2 additional cups if you make this recipe on a hot or humid day. This will save you some time if you need to stiffen up the frosting later. Set aside the bowl of powdered sugar once you’ve sifted it.

Another reason cream cheese frosting is lumpy is because the fats weren’t blended until smooth. Cold cream cheese and butter won’t blend smoothly, so bring them to room temperature before mixing them.

Add the cream cheese, butter, shortening, and kosher salt to a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer. Mixing the kosher salt with the fats allows the crystals to dissolve. Use an electric mixer to blend the fats and salt on low speed for 1 minute or until the fats are combined. Use the paddle attachment if you’re mixing this in a stand mixer. 

Increase the mixing speed to medium-high after the fats are combined and whip them until creamy, which usually takes 1-2 minutes. Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl and the beaters. 

How Long Do I Whip The Fats and Sugar?

Gradually add the sugar to the mixing bowl once the fats are creamy.

Don’t add the powdered sugar all at once, or you’ll be baptized in it. Instead, add the powdered sugar to the bowl 2 cups at a time with the mixer running at low speed. Blend the sugar into the fats before adding the next 2 cups. Stop the mixer and scrape down the bowl and beaters once all the sugar is added. 

Whip the powdered sugar and cream cheese mixture for 3 minutes at high speed. The mixture will look fluffy and white. 

What Flavors Go Well With Cream Cheese?

Vanilla extract and fresh lemon juice are the best flavors for cream cheese frosting. You can add 1 to 2 tablespoons of lemon juice, depending on how tart you like your frosting. My family loves tart frosting, so I add 2 tablespoons of lemon juice. Don’t add anymore than 2 tablespoons, or the frosting will be too loose.

Other flavors you can add to cream cheese frosting are:

• almond extract
• lime juice
• orange juice or orange liqueur
• rum or rum extract

Blend the flavorings into the cream cheese and powdered sugar mixture on low speed for 30 seconds. Finally, increase the mixer’s speed to high and whip the frosting for 3 to 4 minutes or until fluffy.

The cream cheese frosting will be thick and fluffy and hold a stiff peak when the beaters are lifted from the bowl.

Chill cream cheese frosting for 30 minutes before using it for the best results. 

How Do I Store It?

Transfer the cream cheese frosting to an airtight container if you’re not planning to use it immediately. Avoid storing it in an open container for longer periods, or the cream cheese frosting will develop a crust on it, preventing it from spreading smoothly. 

Remove the frosting from the refrigerator after 30 minutes of chilling. For frosting that’s been in the fridge for longer than 30 minutes, allow it to warm up at room temperature for 10-15 minutes before using it. 

Can I Freeze Cream Cheese Frosting?

You can freeze cream cheese frosting for up to two months after mixing it. Transfer the frosting to a freezer storage bag and press out any excess air.

Allow the frosting to thaw in the fridge overnight the day before using it. After thawing, blend the frosting at low speed after thawing to mix it together again.  

How Do I Use It?

This cream cheese frosting is perfect for topping any cake, cupcake, cookie, or sweet roll recipe. The texture of this recipe makes it stiff enough to use for piping borders. If you thin the frosting with whole milk, you can also use it as a glaze for coffee cakes, pound cakes, or breads.

Use this cream cheese frosting to fill and decorate a layered 9-inch Carrot Cake, Coconut Cake, or top these Brownies with it.

This recipe makes enough to fill, cover, and decorate a 2-layer 10″ cake. You can fill and decorate an 8- or 9-inch multi-layered cake up to 4 layers with one batch of this recipe. Obviously, a smaller, 2-layered cake will leave you with some frosting to squirt in your mouth.

You’re welcome.

Use this recipe for piping onto these Soft Sugar Cookies with Cream Cheese Frosting.

Using it as a glaze for Flaky Cinnamon Rolls is another great way to use it. 

This easy Cream Cheese Frosting recipe is literally the icing on the cake when it comes to amazing dessert recipes. Your cakes will never be the same once you’ve frosted them in this. Be sure to pin this recipe to your desserts board and let me know what think of it in the comments below. 

Cream Cheese Frosting

Marta Rivera at Sense & Edibility

5 from 1 vote

Cream Cheese Frosting is a sweet-tart homemade frosting with the perfect consistency for filling or topping cakes, sweet rolls, and cookies.

A full recipe fills and covers a 2-layer 10-inch cake.

Servings: 22 ounces (5 cups or 640 grams)

Print Pin Recipe SaveSaved!

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Total Time 15 minutes mins

Equipment

• electric hand or stand mixer
• sifter

Ingredients

  

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• 8 ounce package (226g) cream cheese room temperature (not softened)
• 4 ounces (113g) unsalted butter (1 stick) room temperature (not softened)
• 1/2 cup (95g) vegetable shortening
• 1/2 teaspoon (3 grams) kosher salt
• 2 pounds (905g) powdered sugar sifted, plus more as needed to thicken
• 1 large lemon juiced (1 to 2 tablespoons or 15 to 30 milliliters)
• 1 teaspoon (5 milliliters) vanilla extract
• milk as needed to thin the icing

Instructions 

Blend The Fats Until Smooth

• Add the cream cheese, butter, shortening, and kosher salt to a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer.

  Use an electric mixer to blend the fats and salt on low speed for 1 minute or until the fats are combined. Use the paddle attachment if you're mixing this in a stand mixer. 
• Increase the mixing speed to medium-high after the fats are combined and whip them until creamy, which usually takes 1-2 minutes.

  Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl and the beaters. 

Gradually Blend In The Sifted Sugar

• Add the powdered sugar to the bowl 2 cups at a time with the mixer running at low speed.

  Blend the sugar into the fats before adding the next 2 cups.
• Stop the mixer and scrape down the bowl and beaters once all the sugar is added. 

  Whip the powdered sugar and cream cheese mixture for 3 minutes at high speed until the mixture is fluffy and white. 

Add The Flavorings And Whip Until Fluffy

• Blend the lemon juice and vanilla extract into the cream cheese and powdered sugar mixture on low speed for 30 seconds.

  Finally, increase the mixer's speed to high and whip the frosting for 3 to 4 minutes or until fluffy.
• The cream cheese frosting will be thick and fluffy and hold a stiff peak when the beaters are lifted from the bowl.

  Chill cream cheese frosting for 30 minutes before using it for the best results. 

Notes

Swaps and Substitutions: 

• Replace the vegetable shortening with 1 stick of unsalted butter. 
• Replace the lemon juice with lime juice or orange juice.  
• Instead of vanilla extract, use almond or rum extract.

Tips and Techniques:

• Sift 2 additional cups if you make this recipe on a hot or humid day. This will save you some time if you need to stiffen up the frosting later.
• Cold cream cheese and butter won't blend smoothly, so bring them to room temperature before mixing them.
• Don't add anymore than 2 tablespoons of lemon juice, or the frosting will be too loose.
• This cream cheese frosting is perfect for topping any cake, cupcake, cookie, or sweet roll recipe.
• The texture of this recipe makes it stiff enough to use for piping borders. If you thin the frosting with whole milk, you can also use it as a glaze for coffee cakes, pound cakes, or breads.
• This recipe makes enough to fill, cover, and decorate a 2-layer 10" cake, one 8- or 9-inch multi-layered cake up to 4 layers, or 2 dozen cupcakes. 

Storage Instructions:

• Transfer the cream cheese frosting to an airtight container if you're not planning to use it immediately.
• Avoid storing it in an open container for longer periods, or the cream cheese frosting will develop a crust on it, preventing it from spreading smoothly. 
• Remove the frosting from the refrigerator after 30 minutes of chilling.
• For frosting that's been in the fridge for longer than 30 minutes, allow it to warm up at room temperature for 10-15 minutes before using it. 

Freezing Instructions:

1. Transfer the cream cheese frosting to a freezer storage bag and press out any excess air.
2. Freeze the frosting for up to 2 months.
3. Allow the frosting to thaw in the fridge overnight the day before using it.
4. After thawing, blend the frosting at low speed after thawing to mix it together again.  

Nutrition

Calories: 283kcalCarbohydrates: 42gProtein: 1gFat: 13gSaturated Fat: 6gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 21mgSodium: 99mgPotassium: 23mgFiber: 0.1gSugar: 41gVitamin A: 268IUVitamin C: 3mgCalcium: 13mgIron: 0.1mg

Course Breads, Desserts

Cuisine North American

Keyword cream cheese icing, frosting

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