Learn how to make sweet and tangy cream cheese frosting with this easy recipe. This favorite frosting is creamy and thick, holds its shape when piped, and tastes incredible on carrot cake, spice cake, and so much more. You only need 5 ingredients, but make sure you use a brick of cream cheese, not cream cheese spread.
Do you need that little something *extra* for your desserts?
And are you tired of vanilla buttercream all the time?
Cream cheese frosting is my #1 favorite frosting for cakes, cupcakes, quick breads, and more. In fact, it’s the most common frosting used in my kitchen. I use it on everything from spice cake and carrot cake cupcakes to banana cake, red velvet cake, pumpkin cake, and more.
It’s smooth, creamy, and spreads onto baked goods with ease. Its flavor is the perfect balance of sweet and tangy and you only need 5 ingredients total!
This Perfect Cream Cheese Frosting:
- Isn’t as cloyingly sweet as buttercream
- Is smooth as silk
- Isn’t runny (thank goodness!)
- Has a tangy, yet sweet flavor
- Is my creamiest frosting ever
- Can be piped with piping tips!
How to Prevent Runny Cream Cheese Frosting
Cream cheese frosting will be thin and runny if you’re not careful about the type of cream cheese you use. Make sure you use an 8 ounce (226g) brick of full-fat cream cheese, not low-fat cream cheese and not cream cheese spread sold in a tub. Save cream cheese spread for bagels and low fat cream cheese for cooking.
The #1 reason bakers end up with runny frosting is because they’re accidentally using cream cheese spread instead of a brick. There’s a HUGE difference! For the best, thickest, and most successful frosting, use the bricks of real cream cheese.
Only 5 Ingredients
- brick cream cheese
- butter
- confectioners’ sugar
- vanilla extract
- salt
You will want room temperature butter and room temperature cream cheese before beginning.
Can This Cream Cheese Frosting Be Piped?
Cream cheese frosting is difficult to pipe because it’s so creamy. However, I learned a little trick a few years ago and feel free to borrow it. Cream cheese frosting will hold its decorative piped shape if you refrigerate it prior to piping. Fit your piping bag with a piping tip, fill your bag with the frosting, then refrigerate it for 20-30 minutes before piping.
However, don’t expect it to be as sturdy as buttercream. Cream cheese isn’t super stable, so save intricate piped designs for vanilla buttercream. Instead, stick with a basic round tip.
Cream Cheese Frosting Flavors
Flavor spruces everything up, so feel free to have fun with this recipe. A dash of cinnamon (like the frosting on these banana cupcakes) or brown butter (like the brown butter cream cheese frosting on this banana layer cake and zucchini cake) are excellent, but chocolate cream cheese frosting might be my very favorite. You can even add some “strawberry dust” as shown in my strawberry cake.
Other flavor ideas:
- Pumpkin Spice: 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice (depends how much spice flavor you want!)
- Lemon: 1 teaspoon lemon extract
- Chai Spice: 3/4 teaspoon chai spice mix (just like chai latte cupcakes)
- Coconut: 1 teaspoon coconut extract
Simply add these ingredients to the recipe below.
For something lighter and less sweet that still pipes amazingly well, I recommend my whipped frosting. It’s the same frosting we used on this cookies and cream cake with the addition of Oreos!
Uses for Cream Cheese Frosting
It tastes phenomenal with spiced cakes and cupcakes, but don’t limit yourself. This stuff is so versatile! Here’s plenty of recipe inspiration for your next batch:
- Spice Cake or Apple Cake
- Banana Bread
- Homemade Brownies
- Zucchini Bread or Zucchini Cake
- Banana Cake
- Carrot Cake Cupcakes
- Pumpkin Cupcakes
- Sugar Cookies
- Blueberry Cupcakes (pictured above)
- Pumpkin Cake (pictured above)
For taller layer cakes, I usually add a little milk, extra cream cheese, and extra confectioners’ sugar to produce more volume. My carrot cake and red velvet cake recipes show this higher ratio of frosting. And sometimes I add extra butter for a stronger, more buttercream-like frosting. My lemon cake and coconut cake show the buttercream variation.
Print
Favorite Cream Cheese Frosting
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Total Time: 5 minutes
- Yield: about 3 cups
- Category: Frosting
- Method: Mixing
- Cuisine: American
Description
Homemade cream cheese frosting is super creamy, soft, smooth, and tangy. It’s so easy to make and the uses are endless!
Ingredients
- 8 ounces (226g) full-fat brick cream cheese, softened to room temperature
- 1/2 cup (8 Tbsp; 113g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 3 cups (360g) confectioners’ sugar, plus an extra 1/4 cup (30g) if needed
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- In a large bowl using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle or whisk attachment, beat the cream cheese and butter together on high speed until smooth and creamy. Add 3 cups confectioners’ sugar, the vanilla, and salt. Beat on low speed for 30 seconds, then switch to high speed and beat for 2 minutes. If you want the frosting a little thicker, add the extra 1/4 cup of confectioners sugar (I add it).
- Cover and store leftover frosting for up to 5 days in the refrigerator or up to 3 months in the freezer. After freezing, thaw in the refrigerator then beat the frosting for a few seconds so it’s creamy again.
Notes
- Special Tools (affiliate links): Electric Mixer (Handheld or Stand)
- Quantity: This recipe is enough to frost 12-18 cupcakes or one 9×13 quarter sheet cake. 1.5x the recipe for a double layer cake or add extra cream cheese, confectioners’ sugar, and a splash of milk or cream as shown in my carrot cake and red velvet cake recipes. (Doubling the recipe would be far too much.)
- Chocolate: Here is my chocolate cream cheese frosting recipe.
Reader Comments and Reviews
Obviously operator error here. I’ve tried it twice, and I still have lumps in it. I’ve tried beating the cream cheese (brick only) longer, and it seemed fine, but the butter does not cream well into the cream cheese, leaving lumps. Not sure what else I can do to make it right.
Hi Anna! Are you starting with proper room temperature butter and cream cheese? That’s essential to making sure that combine smoothly.
Can I use salted butter instead of unsalted butter if not available?
Hi Denise, You can use salted butter instead of unsalted in this recipe. Leave out the added salt. But taste the frosting after it’s prepared– if you think it still needs a pinch of salt, add it.
To avoid runny frosting, combine the confectioners sugar with the butter first. THEN add in the cream cheese. This will coat the sugar in fat and it will not pull as much water out of the cream cheese. This allows thick frosting without having to add more confectioners sugar to try to thicken it. Try it, you will be pleasantly surprised.
I wish I’d read this comment earlier. I have runny, but delicious frosting.
What can you do if you don’t have access to brick cream cheese. All I can get is the spreadable tub stuff. Is it possible?
Hi Danielle, are you outside of the US? We know this is an issue and it’s very frustrating! Look for a soft white cheese with around 33% fat content. Also, some people have reported that they strain off excess liquid from the tub type of cream cheese before using or even have had success subbing half mascarpone for half the cream cheese. If you try any of these, please let us know how it turns out!
Currently making the pistachio cupcakes! I was going to try and make a “strawberry cream cheese frosting.” Could I do this recipe but add the dried strawberries from the strawberry buttercream recipe?
Hi Hope! You can find our strawberry cream cheese frosting with our strawberry cake recipe 🙂
Is this recipe sturdy enough to be considered a buttercream? I’d like to use it with your raspberry filling in a 3 layer cake. Thanks
Hi Rebekah, While this frosting is great on layer cakes, don’t expect it to be as sturdy as buttercream. Cream cheese isn’t super stable, so if you are piping it, save intricate piped designs for regular vanilla buttercream. Instead, stick with a basic round tip for piping.
So good and simple to make.
From the UK. Love your recipes and the grams option( I do round up). I made this as the original recipe: didn’t work for me.
This recipe only works for me when I do the method ‘in reverse’ otherwise it’s too soft.
I use 115g unsalted butter with a pinch of salt
360g icing sugar
2 tsp vanilla
250g tub of Mascapone
When I make it: I beat the sugar and icing sugar first, then add vanilla and gradually beat in the Mascapone – never fails now!
Thanks for all your hard work.
Hi Sally, Me and my family loves making your recipe specially your red velvet cupcake. I was wondering if there is a way for the cream chesse frosting to stay frosted on top of the cupcakes when we travel?
Hi Jeno, How long is it traveling for? We don’t recommend leaving cream cheese frosting at room temperature for more than 1-2 hours or so, or it will start to get quite soft. Make sure the cupcakes and frosting are coming cold from the refrigerator before traveling to help with longevity. Hope this helps!
Hi Sally,
me and my family loves your cream cheese frosting, I want to ask what can I do to prevent it from melting on top of my cupcake when travelling?
Hi Jae, we’re so glad it is a favorite! How long is it traveling for? We don’t recommend leaving cream cheese frosting at room temperature for more than 1-2 hours or so, or it will start to get quite soft. Make sure the cupcakes and frosting are coming cold from the refrigerator before traveling to help with longevity.
I used cream cheese and butter out of the freezer. Sat out for maybe 45mins so it was still cold and hard. I put butter and cream cheese in microwave safe bowl. Microwaved it for 30 seconds. When it came out of was perfect consistency for mashing with a whisk. Came out better and thicker then when I left out all day
Hi Sally,
Can I add a few drops of colouring without hurting the integrity of the icing?
Definitely! We recommend gel food coloring for best results.
Perfectly yummy
I tried this frosting recipe, but unfortunately it kind of dripped off the sides of my cupcakes, even when they were cooled down completely. Tastes good though lol
Hi Nicole, what kind of cream cheese did you use? Make sure to use the block kind, not the spreadable kind that comes in a tub. If the frosting is still too runny, we recommend adding a little more confectioners’ sugar to help thicken it, and refrigerating it for a little while to help it firm up. Hope this helps for next time!
I made your best banana cake with this cream cheese frosting. Best I’ve ever had. My husband is raving about it and he’s a hard sweet tooth to please. Thanks so much for the wonderful recipe!
This is a 5 star cream cheese icing,thank you so much for sharing your recipe. It’s perfect..
Looks good
Could you add meringue powder to help keep the shape when pipping?
Hi Annette, we haven’t tested that here, but you can certainly give it a try. Let us know if you do.
Hi Sally,
Your sour cream coffee cake doesn’t have coffee, did I miss any ingredient or this cake is without coffee?
Hi Kanta, we get this question a lot. There is no coffee IN the sour cream coffee cake cake. “Coffee cake” gets its name not because of the ingredients in the cake, but because it’s a breakfast cake to be enjoyed WITH coffee.
I’ve learned so much from you! Should the confectioner sugar be sifted to measure?
Hi Alice, no need to sift it here, unless you’d like to. Enjoy!
Looks good! I was wondering if I can substitute brown butter for the butter and if there would be any structural difference (it’s for a layer cake with your white cake base). Thanks!
Hi Briana, we’d recommend following the brown butter cream cheese frosting from this zucchini cake. It’s a favorite!
Hi sally
Could you help me with this.
I live in the uk and we don’t have block cheese only spreadable tubs.
It’s always come out running.
It was a disaster when I made the Hummingbird cake.
The frosting was like a landslide … ran off the cake !
Can I use a substitute cheese or anything I can put in the cheese frosting?
Thank you
Kind regards
Suki
Hi Suki, Yes, we know this is an issue and it’s very frustrating! Look for a soft white cheese with around 33% fat content. Not sure how easy it is to get, but you could try this one, or look for something similar: https://longleyfarm.com/collections/cream-cheese. We haven’t tested it personally, so aren’t sure of the result. Also, some people have reported that they strain off excess liquid from the tub type of cream cheese before using. And we’ve also had UK readers report that they’ve had success subbing half mascarpone for half the cream cheese. If you try any of these, please let us know how it turns out!
Can this be frozen after being made? Has anyone ever tried it
Hi Kristin, freeze for up to 3 months in the freezer. After freezing, thaw in the refrigerator then beat the frosting for a few seconds so it’s creamy again.
Great recipe, turns out great
Lumpy cream cheese
I have made this recipe so many times and it’s hit or miss on the texture…the last 3 times it was a big miss. The cream cheese didn’t fully incorporate despite being at room temperature…both the butter and cream cheese were left out all day or all night and it was a bit thin. I’m not sure if the house needs to be a specific temperature or what recommendations but I make it the same way each time. I thought maybe it was a cheaper brand that messed it up but this morning I used the normal Philly and still chunky and thin. Help!
Hi Lisa! All day or night is too long to leave out cream cheese or butter to come to room temperature. We usually leave it out for about an hour – here’s more information on proper room temperature butter!
I love all your recipes. I’m planning to try this frosting for a butterscotch cake. Does this work well to cover a two tier cake where each tier will likely by 8-9 inches tall? How much do I need to cover a 3 layer, 9 inch square cake?
Hi Grace, this should work well for a tiered cake with proper supports. You’ll need at least a double batch for one 3 layer 9 inch square cake, but we’re unsure of the exact quantity needed.
I absolutely love this recipe!! Am I able to double or even triple this recipe to make a larger batch?
Hi Arlene, sure can!
Can I use 8oz cream cheese spread in this recipe instead of a brick?
Hi Jennifer, In the U.S. block cream cheese is very different than the tubs and is the only cream cheese that will work for frosting. We have been told by readers outside the U.S. that cream cheese in a tub is different from ours and can work, but we have not tested it.
This is my favourite cream frosting recipe! I get compliments every time I make it.
I add the extra 1/4 cup of icing sugar and also a couple tbsp of corn starch to help stabilise it since I live in Australia and icing tends to run in the heat.
Made this cream cheese frosting as per the Pancake Princess carrot cake recipe. I had to come hear and say that this is the best frosting I’ve made. And I’m a person who typically doesn’t love frosting. Very simple and delicious, perfect ratios, feels and tastes well balanced on the tongue. Thank you for this recipe!
Hi Sally, I have tried this recipe a couple of times. but everytime the frosting when completed is great, however after piping onto my cupcakes and staying on the cupcakes for some time they become sugary and grainy. I used icing sugar but still i can feel the sugar granules under my teeth. please help, what am I doing wrong. I have followed the recipe to the T and used philadelphia original cream cheese block and icing sugar and all room temp ingredients.
Hi Faiha, it sounds like the frosting may need a few extra minutes of creaming to ensure that the sugar has been fully incorporated into the frosting. If you’re still finding that the frosting tastes grainy, you may want to try another brand of sugar to see if that helps. And are they sitting at room temperature for a long time after frosting? The frosting can start to “melt” and become grainy if they sit in warmer temperatures for too long. Let us know if we can help to troubleshoot further!
I made the lemon/blueberry cake. All looked ok and tasted good but frosting was frustrating,. I put a very thin layer of cream cheese between the layers and still came up short when frosting the outside. Crumbs came through and the only way I could cover up would be to make more frosting. Please let me know if refrigerating the layers would have helped. Also making a crumb coat? I def think the frosting recipe should be 1.5 to help.
Hi Pamela, we’re so sorry you can troubles with the frosting. A crumb coat can definitely help if you want to take extra precautions against the crumbs coming through. You can also scale the recipe up as needed for more frosting. Thanks for giving it a try!
Hi, wonderful frosting! I want to make it again using mascarpone cheese. Would you sub all the regular cream cheese or do 1/2 n 1/2? And what else in recipe would change? Thank you for all the great recipes you share.
Hi Janio, we haven’t tested that particular substitution, but a few readers have done so and liked the results. We’re unsure of the exact texture—it may be a bit on the softer side, so may want to tinker with the amount of confectioners’ sugar. Let us know if you do any experimenting.