This delicious cinnamon cream cheese frosting adds a cozy, tangy flavor to all kinds of desserts. With the perfect balance of creaminess and spice, it's the best homemade frosting for everything from chocolate cupcakes to pumpkin cake. With just a few ingredients, you'll have a luscious frosting that takes any dessert to the next level.
This cinnamon cream cheese frosting couldn't be easier to make! Just a few ingredients and a quick mix, and you'll have a thick, creamy frosting ready to go. It's smooth, perfectly sweet, and that hint of cinnamon makes it delicious with just about any dessert.
Cream cheese frosting is a classic favorite for a reason. It's rich, tangy, and has a flavor that complements both warm spices and chocolate.
Use as a topping for pumpkin bread, gingerbread cake, cinnamon rolls, or apple cupcakes for an instant flavor boost!
If you love frosting recipes, try this brown butter cream cheese frosting, chocolate cream cheese frosting, honey cream cheese frosting, or pumpkin cream cheese frosting!
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Easy to make- Like this white chocolate cream cheese frosting and peanut butter cream cheese frosting, you can make this recipe in just 5 minutes with 5 simple ingredients!
- Thick and creamy frosting- The cream cheese adds a little tang while the powdered sugar helps sweeten and make it at thick, rich consistency. It's the perfect frosting, especially for Fall desserts!
- Perfect amount of cinnamon- The warmth of cinnamon perfectly complements the tangy cream cheese. You can add more or less cinnamon depending on your taste!
Key Ingredients
- Cream cheese- For this frosting, you need to use full-fat cream cheese that comes in a brick. Low-fat cream cheese or any cream cheese spread that comes in a tub will make the frosting soupy and runny.
- Butter- Salted or unsalted butter work in this recipe depending on your taste preference. I personally like salted butter because it offsets the sweetness.
- Powdered sugar- Also called icing sugar, this acts as a sweetener and a thickener. Since it contains a bit of cornstarch, powdered sugar helps the frosting become more stable, giving it a smooth, spreadable texture that holds its shape. Plus, it dissolves more easily than granulated sugar, preventing a gritty texture!
- Ground cinnamon- You can use any variety of cinnamon. Freshly ground cinnamon has the most intense flavor, but pre-ground will do.
Substitutions and Variations
- Heavy cream- If the frosting is too thick, add heavy cream 1 teaspoon at a time to thin it out. You could also use milk to make it even thinner, turning it into cream cheese icing perfect for homemade cinnamon rolls.
- Maple extract- Add ยผ teaspoon maple extract for a warm, cozy flavor. Make sure to use extract, not maple syrup because the flavor isn't strong enough.
- Add other spices- You can make this recipe with pumpkin pie spice instead of cinnamon. You can also add ยผ teaspoon nutmeg, ginger, or allspice to deepen the flavor.
Step by Step Instructions
Step 1: Add softened cream cheese and butter to the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment or an electric hand mixer. Cream on medium-high speed until there are no lumps.
Step 2: Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Gradually mix in powdered sugar on 1 cup at a time.
Step 3: Mix in the cinnamon and vanilla on low, then increase to medium speed until the frosting is light and creamy.
For fluffy cupcake frosting, you can increase to medium-high speed.
For cakes, bring the speed back down to low to get all the air bubbles out for a smooth frosting.
Expert Baking Tips
- Use room temperature butter and cream cheese. If you use cold cream cheese and butter, they won't blend smoothly, leaving you with a lumpy cream cheese frosting. Pull them out of the fridge 1-2 hours in advance.
- Mix in the sugar on low speed. When adding powdered sugar, mix the frosting on low speed to avoid it a sugar cloud and creating a mess! This also helps keep air bubbles at bay, which makes for a smoother finish.
- Adjust the cinnamon. This recipe has 2 teaspoons of cinnamon, but if that's not enough, feel free to add a full tablespoon. A lot of people find a whole tablespoon too cinnamon-y, so that's why I wrote the recipe only using 2 teaspoons.
How to Use
- Add the frosting to a piping bag with a star tip to frost coffee cupcakes, pumpkin cupcakes, or brown sugar cupcakes.
- Use an offset spatula to smooth the frosting over this chai cake, banana cake, or mini carrot cake.
- Frost a pan of brownies with cream cheese frosting or spread between 2 pumpkin cookies for a cookie sandwich!
Storage and Freezing
Store cinnamon cream cheese frosting in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Before using, bring the frosting to room temperature on the counter for a few hours. Mix it up to get a smooth, creamy texture again.
Freezing
Freeze the leftover frosting in a sealed container for up to 3 months. You can also wrap frosting in plastic wrap to prevent freezer-burn and store in a zip-top bag.
Let thaw overnight in the fridge before using. You might need to whip it with your mixer again to return it to a creamy consistency.
Don't thaw at room temperature because the quick temperature change might ruin the texture.
Frequently Asked Questions
This recipe makes enough frosting for a 6-inch or 8-inch layer cake with 2-3 layers. It's plenty for a 9X13-inch sheet cake, 9X9-inch snack cake or pan of brownies, and 24 cupcakes.
Yes, you can! Store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-5 days. When you're ready to use it, let it sit at room temperature for about 15 minutes, then give it a quick stir or re-whip for a smooth consistency.
If your cream cheese and butter are too soft, the frosting can turn out runny. It can also get thin when overmixed. Add more powdered sugar 1 tablespoon at a time to thicken it up.
Cream cheese frosting can sit out by itself or on baked goods at room temperature forย up to 2 hours. After that, it should be refrigerated. Make sure your desserts frosted with it are out of the sun so the frosting doesn't get warm and go bad more quickly.
More Frosting Recipes to Try
๐ Recipe
5-Minute Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting
Equipment
- 1 Electric hand mixer or stand mixer with the paddle attachment
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Ingredients
- 227 grams full-fat cream cheese room temperature
- 114 grams unsalted butter room temperature
- 480 grams powdered sugar
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Instructions
- Add room temperature cream cheese and butter to the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment or hand mixer. Cream on medium-high speed for 2-3 minutes until there are no lumps.227 grams full-fat cream cheese, 114 grams unsalted butter
- Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Gradually mix in powdered sugar on low speed 1 cup at a time until combined.480 grams powdered sugar
- Scrape the sides of the bowl again. Mix in the cinnamon and vanilla on low, then increase to medium speed until the frosting is light and creamy.2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- For airy cupcake frosting, increase to medium-high speed for 1 minute. For smooth frosting for cakes, bring the speed down to low to get the air bubbles out.
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