Can I make this frosting without cream cheese?

No. Instead, try a different recipe, like my regular whipped cream , lightly sweetened Swiss meringue buttercream , or the whipped buttercream from this vanilla sheet cake .

Can I make whipped frosting ahead of time?

Yes, but whipped frosting is really best used the same day. You can prepare and store the whipped frosting in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. If needed, re-whip the frosting to smooth it out before using.

Why isn't my whipped frosting thickening?

If your frosting is soupy and not thickening, the likely culprits are that your heavy cream is not cold enough, you poured in the cream too quickly/all at once, and/or that it hasn't been whipped long enough. Also, be sure you're using cream that's at least 36% milkfat, as well as full-fat cream cheese.

Can I pipe with whipped frosting?

Absolutely! When whipped to stiff peaks, this whipped frosting holds its shape well for piping .

Is whipped frosting stable?

Whipped frosting is less stable than traditional American-style buttercream and therefore should be refrigerated.

Not-So-Sweet Whipped Frosting

Name: Not-So-Sweet Whipped Frosting
Prep time: 8 min
Total time: 8 min
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 6 ounces (170g) full-fat brick cream cheese, softened to room temperature; 3/4 cup (90g) confectioners’ sugar; 1 and 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract; 1 and 1/2 cups (360g/ml) cold heavy cream or heavy whipping cream (very cold!)

Description

Made from only 4 ingredients, this lightly sweetened whipped frosting is creamy and fluffy, yet holds its shape when piped with a piping tip. For best results, review the success tips above and recipe Notes below before you begin.

Ingredients

6 ounces (170g) full-fat brick cream cheese, softened to room temperature
3/4 cup (90g) confectioners’ sugar
1 and 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 and 1/2 cups (360g/ml) cold heavy cream or heavy whipping cream (very cold!)

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Instructions

In a large bowl using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, beat the cream cheese on medium speed until creamy, about 1 minute. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl and beat again as needed until completely smooth (no lumps). Add the confectioners’ sugar and vanilla extract, and beat on medium speed until combined and completely smooth, at least 2 full minutes. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl and beat again as needed.
Add a few Tablespoons of the cold heavy cream, and beat until the mixture smooths and thins out. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed. Then, with the mixer running on low speed, pour in the remaining cream in a very slow and steady stream. After all of the cream has been added, increase the speed to medium-high and whip until stiff peaks form, about 2–4 minutes. This time can vary depending on exact temperature of ingredients, temperature in the kitchen, and even the humidity. Do not walk away during this time and do not be concerned if your frosting takes less or more time to whip. You’re looking for a thick, airy consistency with stiff peaks. If you were to shimmy and shake your bowl, the frosting would hardly move. If your frosting appears curdled, it’s over-whipped. To fix, stir 1 Tablespoon of heavy cream into the frosting by hand with a spatula to smooth out again.
After you make the whipped frosting, it’s ready to frost your cupcakes, cake, or other confections. After frosting a cake or cupcakes with this frosting, I strongly recommend refrigerating them uncovered for at least 30 minutes to help “set” the frosting (especially when using on a layer cake). Then you can serve or set out for a couple hours before serving. And note that you’ll notice the frosting becomes thicker and airier the longer it sits in your mixing bowl. This is not a problem and can easily be fixed by gently stirring it to pop any air bubbles. Likewise, if you notice the frosting is really airy and looking over-whipped as you pipe it with piping tips, either “massage” the frosting while it’s in the piping bag to help deflate air bubbles, or pipe back into the mixing bowl and gently stir it with a spatula. You can stir in a splash of cold heavy cream to smooth out if needed.
Serve or Make Ahead: After the 30 minutes of refrigerating to “set” the frosting as instructed in step 3, frosted confections are fine to serve or sit out at room temperature for a couple hours. If you plan to serve later than that, such as the next day, I recommend storing in the refrigerator. Lightly cover as best you can (a cake carrier/cupcake carrier works great for storing). Confections topped with this frosting can be made ahead and refrigerated for up to 2 days.

Notes

Freezing Instructions: This whipped frosting freezes and thaws surprisingly well. For best results, I recommend freezing the frosting after you’ve already frosted your cake or cupcakes—as opposed to freezing the frosting in your mixing bowl or other container. Frost your baked good(s), refrigerate for at least 1 hour to set the frosting, and then cover and freeze for up to 3 months. (Note that covering this frosting can get messy and I haven’t found a workaround for that.) Thaw your frosted baked good(s) at room temperature or in the refrigerator.
Special Tools (affiliate links): Electric Mixer (Handheld or Stand) | Piping Bag (Disposable or Reusable) | Wilton 1M Piping Tip
Can this frosting sit out at room temperature or in a warm environment? A couple hours at room temperature is fine. If you’re serving your frosted confections outside on a hot day (I’ve done this a few times), refrigerate your frosted cake/cupcakes for up to 1 day. Remove from the refrigerator 30–60 minutes before serving them. This way they start out a little colder and can last longer in the heat.
Can I leave out or replace the cream cheese? No. See notes above. Instead, I would try a different recipe like regular whipped cream, Swiss meringue buttercream, or this whipped buttercream.
Can I tint this frosting a color? Yes. This frosting holds onto food coloring nicely and I strongly recommend using gel food coloring or natural food coloring powder. If you plan to tint the frosting, it’s best to add the food coloring when you add the heavy cream. If you need to add more food coloring after the frosting is done, gently stir it in by hand. If the frosting becomes too thick, stir in a splash of heavy cream to thin out again.
Can I flavor this frosting? Yes. Feel free to replace up to 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract with another extract of choice such as lemon or coconut extract. If it’s a potent extract such as peppermint extract, I would only use 1/2 teaspoon. You can also turn this into a whipped strawberry frosting by replacing 1/4 cup (30g) confectioners’ sugar with 1/4 cup freeze-dried strawberry crumbs/dust. See strawberry frosting for how to do that.
If your frosting begins losing shape: If your frosting becomes unstable or thins out/loses shape overtime, whip it on high speed until stiff peaks form to reintroduce more air.
Quantity: This recipe yields about 4–5 cups of frosting. This is enough to heavily frost 12–16 cupcakes (as pictured), a 9×13-inch quarter sheet cake, or a 2-layer cake. For a 3-layer cake, I recommend slightly scaling up the recipe by using 8 ounces (226g) of cream cheese, 1 cup (120g) confectioners’ sugar, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, and 2 cups (480g/ml) heavy cream. After adding the heavy cream, you may need to whip the mixture for slightly longer.
Piping Tip: I used (affiliate link) Wilton 1M piping tip in the photos above. This is one of my favorite piping tips and you can see how to use it in this piping tips tutorial video.