Cream Cheese Frosting made from scratch with all of the taste in less than 15 minutes. Thick frosting recipe that is perfect for cupcakes and tastes amazing!
Cream Cheese Frosting is the go-to frosting for cakes and cupcakes in this house. Last year, I took this basic frosting recipe and made Oreo Cream Cheese Frosting with it, and it has been a hit with readers ever since. The variations you can make with this are endless, and I have a few more frosting recipes planned for future posts. If you have any requests, please leave comments below and I would be happy to try it out!
This recipe is a favorite of mine, because I am not a huge fan of overly sweet frostings. Believe me it is definitely still very sweet, but the cream cheese frosting base seems to cut out just a bit of the sweetness compared to other frostings that I have made. I have used this recipe successfully dozens of times. It’s the perfect whipped frosting for my carrot cake recipe.
Frequently asked questions:
A good mixer: Mixers are not created equal. I cannot tell you how glad I am that I purchased my commercial grade mixer 15 years ago.
The perfect cupcake Piping Tips: Ever wondered how they frost those beautifully high cupcakes. These are how it’s done!
These tips are essential for making any frosting recipe. First, make sure to let the butter and cream cheese come to room temperature on it’s own. Melting it in the microwave will produce some uneven results. The biggest difference in creating a thicker frosting is to whip it longer. Much like making whip cream, the frosting will stiffen and thicken the longer you mix it. If you find the frosting to be thin, try whipping it longer. If that doesn’t work, add more powdered sugar, ¼ cup at a time. The last tip is that a cold mixing bowl is essential. When you put out the cream cheese/butter to come to room temp, put your mixing bowl in the refrigerator.
Cream cheese frosting should be refrigerated after two hours to prevent spoiling. Keep it in an airtight container so that it does not dry out. You can make it ahead of time if you prefer. Just pull from the refrigerator and allow to come to room temperature to pipe onto cupcakes. It may need to be gently stirred before piping.
Sure you can! Add whatever food coloring you would like and mix well for colorful themed parties. You can also use this as a base for Oreo frosting, mix in candies like mini M&M’s, or toss in some colorful sprinkles for funfetti cupcakes for the kiddos!
Looking for More Delicious Cake and Cupcakes? Check these out:
- 20 of the Best Homemade Cupcake Recipes
- Bailey’s White Chocolate Cake
- Carrot Cake Cupcakes
- Oreo Cream Cheese Frosting
The Best Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe
Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe
Ingredients
- 8 oz cream cheese room temperature or soft
- 6 Tbsp Butter softened to room temperature
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- In a stand mixer, cream together cream cheese and butter. Add the vanilla extract and mix. At med-low speed, mix in the powdered sugar. Bump the speed up to medium or medium-high and whip until a firm consistency, about 2-5 minutes. It will thicken as you whip. Chill in refrigerator before piping if creating high topped cupcakes.
Notes
Nutrition
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Rose Martine says
YUMMY!!!!! Thanks for sharing your recipe! I’ve heard about your blog a couple of times and will now spend my afternoon reading 🙂
Diana Lopes says
This must be so delicious! I’ve always wanted to make my own cream cheese frosting, so I’m definitely going to try this recipe. Thank you!
Rachel says
It’s my favorite frosting for sure. Enjoy!
Roxanne says
This looks SO delicious, I have to try this one!