Easy Cream Cheese Frosting
Every baker needs an easy cream cheese frosting recipe as a basic tool for making delicious desserts. Pair it with everything from chocolate cakes to carrot cake, easy cupcakes for kids, topping homemade brownies and so much more!
Cream cheese frosting is hands-down the most requested dessert topping in our family.
Whether or not a birthday cake calls for cream cheese frosting, my kids and husband will often beg me to swap it in as their favorite substitute.
I never mind that request because homemade cream cheese frosting is so easy to make from scratch. I often have everything I need in the pantry.
Once you've tasted the tangy sweetness of real cream cheese frosting and discover how quick it is to make, you'll never be able to go back to canned frosting again.
Why This is the Best Recipe
- Essential Party Frosting: This is THE frosting I make for every single birthday cake in our family. It is the most requested frosting for all our treats.
- Tangy and Creamy: We love how the cream cheese adds a little tang to cut the overall sweetness of desserts.
- Easy to Make: Even on my busiest party prep days, this homemade frosting is so quick to whip together.
Ingredients
You've got to love the short list of real foods that go into homemade frosting. However, with so few ingredients, you'll want to make sure they're the best:
- Cream Cheese: I usually use Philadelphia brand original but have had success with store brands and low-fat cream cheese bricks, too.
- Powdered Sugar: Buy a big bag at the store, it keeps well in the pantry and has a million uses.
- Salted Butter: I'm picky about my butter. I've been using Land o'Lakes butter in my frosting for years. I haven't had as much luck with store brand butters in frosting because their formulas tend to be more watery. For a special occasion, splurge on the better butter.
- Vanilla Extract: I LOVE Mexican vanilla extract but homemade vanilla extract works or any nice quality vanilla you love. If a bright white frosting is important to you, you'll want to buy clear vanilla extract because regular can give the frosting a mild yellow hue.
What You Can Frost
One batch of this homemade frosting is enough to frost one of the following desserts:
- One Two-Layer Cake: I use one batch of frosting for a simple 2-layer birthday cake but it will spread fairly thinly. If you like really thick frosting layers, you'll want to make a double batch.
- One 9x13-inch Cake
- One Dozen Cupcakes
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How to Make Homemade Frosting
Add the cream cheese and butter to the mixing bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.
Beat on medium speed until they are combined and smooth. Pause to scrape the sides of the bowl a couple times as it mixes.
Add the vanilla to the mixing bowl and blend it in on medium speed.
Add the powdered sugar to the mixer. Blend on low speed until most of the dry powder has been incorporated.
Scrape the sides of the bowl and then mix on medium-high speed until the frosting is light and fluffy, about 4 - 5 minutes.
Variations
To mix things up, you can add whatever color food dye or gel to make your frosting a pretty color for your design.
However, if you find you need brown frosting, I highly recommend making this easy chocolate cream cheese frosting instead! So yummy!
Make Ahead Tips
I usually prep the frosting right before using it on my cakes so it is soft and easy to spread.
However, you can make cream cheese frosting in advance and keep it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days or freeze it up to 6 months.
You'll want to let frozen frosting thaw in the fridge overnight and let chilled frosting come to room temperature on the counter for 1 hour before spreading on a cake.
Serving Suggestions
When I want to do a fun birthday cake design, I love using cream cheese frosting because it holds the shape well and is even more delicious when served chilled from the fridge.
However, you can also use cream cheese frosting for so many other baked goodies and desserts!
Here are some of my favorites ways to use cream cheese frosting for desserts:
- Frost a Cake: Cream cheese frosting pairs really well with carrot cake especially.
- Decorate Cookies: I spread this frosting on gingerbread cookies or soft sugar cookies.
- Pipe on Biscuits: I use this thick frosting to pipe crosses on my hot cross biscuits.
- Frost Brownies and Cookie Bars: You can use it to add a fun festive flair to a pan of homemade brownies or sugar cookie bars by tinting it a color and adding sprinkles.
More Cake Tips
Are you baking a special homemade cake for someone you love? Here are some of my best tips:
📖 Recipe
Easy Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients
- 1 (8 oz) brick of cream cheese at room temperature
- 8 tablespoons (1 stick) salted butter softened
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 3/4 cups powdered sugar
Instructions
- Add the cream cheese and butter to the mixing bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat on medium speed until they are combined and smooth. Pause to scrape the sides of the bowl a couple times as it mixes.
- Add the vanilla to the mixing bowl and blend it in on medium speed.
- Add the powdered sugar to the mixer. Blend on low speed until most of the dry powder has been incorporated.
- Scrape the sides of the bowl and then mix on medium-high speed until the frosting is light and fluffy, about 4 - 5 minutes.
Recipe Notes
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Fun Baking with Kids
Cream cheese frosting is one of the essential recipes I included in The Ultimate Kids' Baking Book.
There are tons of delicious, easy recipes for kids included that the cream cheese frosting would be just perfect with:
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