• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Recipes
    • Recipe Search
    • Recipe Index
    • Bars & Brownies
    • Breakfast
    • Cakes
    • Cookies
    • Cupcakes
    • Frosting
    • Fruit Desserts
    • Muffins
    • One Bowl Desserts
    • Pies & Tarts
  • About Me
  • Food Photography
    • Work with Me
    • Classes and Workshops
  • Shop

Frosting & Fettuccine

Home » Recipe Search » Frosting

Jan 24, 2022(last updated December 17, 2022)

Ultimate Versatile Cream Cheese Frosting

5 from 1 vote
BySam Adler
Jump to Recipe

This post might have affiliate links, please check out my full disclosure policy.

This cream cheese buttercream frosting is the perfect icing for cakes, cupcakes, and cookie sandwiches. It isn’t runny at all and can even hold still while piped on cupcakes. There are only a few simple ingredients in this versatile recipe, it will be your new go to!

Cream cheese frosting in a bowl on a blue surface with spoons next to it.

I love that tangy taste from a good cream cheese frosting. It’s delicious on red velvet cake, or on top of pumpkin cupcakes. Honestly you cant go wrong. Iv’e also put this cream cheese frosting as a topping on this easy chocolate cake and it’s absolute heaven.

The only thing that did bother me with this kind of frosting was that it always seemed too runny and didn’t pipe very well like other buttercream recipes did.

As a trained pastry chef, I am super used to playing around and tweaking recipes. I thought even if it didn’t work out, there was no way any cream cheese was going to waste; so I got to work to make a super versatile cream cheese frosting recipe that would be great for piping.

Most of my frosting recipes are made with about 3 cups of confectioners sugar. This one is made with 4 so that it is more stable! If you want something chocolatey, try this chocolate cream cheese frosting or if you dont have any butter you can make this cream cheese frosting without butter.

Lastly, for this and most baking recipes that call for cream cheese, youll need to use it at room temperature. If you forgot to leave it out you can learn how to soften cream cheese quickly!

Ingredients you need

  • Cream cheese – well duh. You need 1 8oz block for this recipe
  • Unsalted Butter – this helps with hardening and stabilizing the frosting
  • Confectioners Sugar– the bulk of the frosting
  • Vanilla Extract– flavor!
  • Milk or cream– to thin it out.
Ingredients for stable cream cheese frosting

How to make this recipe

Make sure that your cream cheese and butter are at room temperature before creaming. This will make the frosting much smoother and it will be easier to mix. Learn how to soften butter quickly!

  1. Combine the cream cheese and butter in a stand or hand mixing bowl fitted with the paddle attachment. Whip on medium speed for 2 minutes until incorporated.
  2. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add in the confectioners sugar.
  3. Mix on low speed working up to medium for 2-3 minutes.
  4. With the mixer on low add in the vanilla, and milk.
  5. Gradually lift to medium speed and beat 2-3 minutes more.

Seriously this is so easy to make!

Piping and Frosting Instructions

Before you pipe or frost, chill the buttercream in the fridge for 20 minutes. It will help harden it up a bit and will pipe much better!

A cupcales with cream cheese frosting piped on top

Storing

I like to store my frosting in plastic wrap instead of bowls because bowls take up too much space and plus I dont want to wash them!

All I do is dump the icing onto a square of frosting and close up it on all sides. Store it in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.

Keep your desserts that are frosted in the fridge otherwise the cream cheese can spoil.

Ways to use this frosting

  • Make sandwiches with brownie cookies
  • Slather it onto these phyllo cinnamon buns
  • Frost a lemon cake

Recipe tips and faq’s

  • Why is my frosting runny? Because it doesnt have butter or enough powdered sugar to stabilize it. You can put it in the fridge to help harden it up but it might need more sugar or less milk and vanilla to keep it thicker.
  • Whats the difference between cream cheese frosting and cream cheese icing? To me icing is more of a glaze so that is going to be super runny and something you put over these cookies. A frosting is going to be thicker and is better for cakes and cupcakes.
  • Add lemon zest for an extra zing!
  • Color the frosting with food coloring for a pretty color.
  • This recipe makes enough frosting for 12 cupcakes or to fill and ice an 8″ 2 layer cake.
Cream cheese frosting in a bowl on a blue surface with spoons next to it.

Ultimate Versatile Cream Cheese Frosting

This cream cheese frosting is stable enough to pipe onto cakes and cupcakes making it super versatile. Not runny at all, it's fluffy and light, and made with only a few simple ingredients.
5 from 1 vote
Print Pin SaveSaved! Rate
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Diet: Kosher
Keyword: cream cheese buttercream frosting, easy cream cheese frosting, homemade cream cheese frosting
Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes
chill: 20 minutes minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes minutes
Servings: 12 cupcakes
Calories: 224kcal
Author: Sam Adler

Equipment

  • 1 Stand or Hand mixer

Ingredients

  • 1 8 oz cream cheese block at room temperature
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
  • 4 cups confectioners sugar
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/2 tbsp milk

Instructions

Cream Cheese Buttercream Frosting

  • Make sure your cream cheese and butter are at room temperature for easy mixing.
  • In the bowl of a hand or stand mixer, add the 1 block cream cheese and the 1/2 cup unsalted butter and mix on low- medium speed for 2-3 minutes until fully creamed.
  • Stop and scrape down the mixer. Add in the confectioners sugar. Mix on low speed working your way up to medium speed as the sugar mixes in. Mix for 2-3 mins more until fully mixed.
  • Turn the mixer to low and add in the 1/2 tsp vanilla and 1/2 tbsp milk. Mix again on medium speed for 2-3 more minutes until super light and fluffy.
  • Pour the cream cheese out onto a sheet of plastic wrap and chill for 20 minutes before using.

Notes

This recipe makes enough to frost 12 cupcakes or to fill and frost a 2 layer 8 inch cake. 

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts
Ultimate Versatile Cream Cheese Frosting
Amount Per Serving (1 portion)
Calories 224 Calories from Fat 72
% Daily Value*
Fat 8g12%
Saturated Fat 5g31%
Trans Fat 1g
Polyunsaturated Fat 1g
Monounsaturated Fat 2g
Cholesterol 20mg7%
Sodium 3mg0%
Potassium 4mg0%
Carbohydrates 40g13%
Sugar 39g43%
Protein 1g2%
Vitamin A 237IU5%
Calcium 4mg0%
Iron 1mg6%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

I love when you share my recipes!!

59 shares

Filed Under: Frosting Tagged With: Cheese

About Sam Adler

Sam Adler is a Le Cordon Bleu professionally trained pastry chef, Saveur Blog Award winner, food photographer, and food blogger over on FrostingandFettuccine.com. She has been featured in numerous online and in-print publications including Taste of Home Magazine, Saveur Magazine, The Feed Feed, and Food Blogger Pro. Sam lives in Hollywood florida with her husband, two young kids, and french bulldog. When she’s not baking and dancing in her kitchen you can find her at her favorite yoga spot.

Reader Interactions

Leave a comment & rate this recipe Cancel reply

Do you love this recipe? If so, I would be so grateful if you left a star rating with your comment! Star ratings help other people find my recipes so they can make them too. Thank you for your support!

XO, Sam

Recipe Rating




Primary Sidebar

Search

Hi! Im Sam Adler,

I'm a professionally trained pastry chef and food photographer.
This is a place where you will find easy yet impressive looking desserts. I also share a ton of food photography resources too! What can I say, I love pretty & delicious baked goods! Learn more about me!

As Featured In:

Logo images of media places Sam Adler has been featured in
Saveur Blog award winner for best food Instagram

samadlerphotography

Sam Adler | Food Photography & Styling
Save this Live with @foodbloggerbossco and watch i Save this Live with @foodbloggerbossco and watch it later! Inside we talked about how I grew my traffic 5x over a year- things that worked and things that didn’t! Bottom line- don’t give up! My traffic was at 15k a little over a year ago and now hovering around 165k!! If I can do it so can you! 🎉
Going LIVE at 1pm EST today with @foodbloggerbossc Going LIVE at 1pm EST today with @foodbloggerbossco to talk about how i set up my baking food blog frostingandfettuccine.com to run on its own during maternity leave and how it’s been has been bringing me my highest income to date! 

🚨spoiler alert*🚨this did not happen overnight!

Success with anything is really about consistency, strategy, and implementation. Excited to share all the juicy details with you so soon! 

#foodblogger #foodphotographer #foodblogging #foodphotographyandstyling #foodstyling #bakingrecipes
My latest, most delicious recipe- meet ✨💚Aver My latest, most delicious recipe- meet ✨💚Avery Silas 💚✨ 2 months old now! Needless to say our lives have changed a lot recently and we are all still adjusting! Chase has basically turned into a teenager 🤯🥹 and Adrienne is a full blown hippy, flower child, and mini #swiftie - lol to her fake hair, braid that stayed in for 6 weeks and the tattoo on her arm (🆘 😂). And bc not everyday is all perfect photos and happy kids I threw one screaming pic in there for good measure 😂. 

I literally have no idea how to use this app anymore so my only plan is to have fun on it bc if im not having fun then what’s the point. Thanks for all your messages and congratulations and giving me the break and space I needed. It’s good to be back! 

#maternityleave #workingmoms #newmom #2monthsold #southfloridafoodphotographer #floridafoodphotographer #newbaby #babyboy
👋🏻 2022! Will be celebrating this year on th 👋🏻 2022! Will be celebrating this year on the couch with this in my lap. No sharing allowed! Those 3 spoons are all mine 😂😂 

🍾🥂HAPPY NEW YEAR 🍾🥂
.
.
.
#newyearseve #2023goals #cookieskillet #skilletcookie #giantchocolatechipcookie #chocolatechipcookies #chocolatechipcookie #cookiephotography #foodphotographyandstyling #foodstylingandphotography #foodphotographer #foodstylist #foodstylists #castironbaking #castironskillet #castiron @lodgecastiron
Recap of all the cookie boxes!!! This year’s @ta Recap of all the cookie boxes!!! This year’s @taylorswift theme has got to be my fave (see my last reel for the explanation of each cookie!) but I have so much fun every year making these! Which one is your fave?! 

#cookieboxes #cookiebox #cookiegifts #cookiegiftbox #holidaycookies #taylorswift #TaylorSwiftcookies #homemadecookies #customcookies #cookiedecorating #cookiesofinstagram #cookiedesign #cookiephotography #holidaycookiebox #holidaygiftsets #holidaygifts #ediblegifts #swiftie #swiftiesforever #taylornation @taylornation
ARE YOU READY FOR IT?! 2022 Cookie Box is @taylors ARE YOU READY FOR IT?! 2022 Cookie Box is @taylorswift themed!! 
1. “Like a rainbow with all of the colors” sprinkle cookies 
2. “Lover” heart sugar cookies 
3. “Lavender Haze” shortbread (made with lavender and a pearly shimmer powder)
4. “Midnight” cookies AKA my chocolate brownie cookies 
5. “Red lip classic” sugar cookies 
6. More midnight cookies- (dusted with powdered sugar to look like the midnight cloudy sky)
7. “Bejeweled” sugar cookies (Navy bc black fondant was out of stock)
8. @taylorswift famous chai cookies 

Merry Christmas if you’re celebrating and hope you have a happy New Year’s Day!
.
.
.

#cookiebox #taylorswift #taylorswiftcookies #holidaycookiebox #swifties #swiftie #swiftieforever #holidaycookies #cookieseason #cookiedecorating #cookiebox #cookieboxes #taylorswiftlover #taylorswiftlyrics #taylorswiftvideo #sugarcookies #shortbread #browniecookies #christmascookies #christmascookiebox #lavenderhaze
Load more please Follow me on Instagram!

Categories

Archives

Privacy Policy  | Disclosure Policy

 

Support by Foodie Digital

Footer

↑ back to top

About

  • About
  • Web Stories
  • Privacy Policy

Disclosure

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Disclosure Policy

Contact

  • Contact
  • Work with me

Copyright © 2023 Samantha Adler | Frosting & Fettuccine | Support by Foodie Digital

59 shares