Cream Cheese Frosting

Course: Breads, Desserts

Cuisine: North American

Keyword: cream cheese icing, frosting

Prep Time: 15

Total Time: 15

Servings: ounces (5 cups or 640 grams)

Calories: 283kcal

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Transfer the cream cheese frosting to a freezer storage bag and press out any excess air.
Freeze the frosting for up to 2 months.
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.