This easy strawberry cream cheese frosting is creamy, thick, and bursting with strawberry flavor! Its pretty pink color and flavor comes from real freeze-dried strawberries- no artificial colors or flavors. It's perfect piped on cupcakes or slathered on cake layers.
If you're a fan of cream cheese frosting and strawberries, you're going to love this strawberry cream cheese frosting! It has a rich, creamy texture and tangy flavor that compliments the tart and fruity strawberries.
This frosting is thick and easy to pipe on strawberry cupcakes or spread on layer cakes, cookies, and brownies. It goes perfectly with strawberry red velvet cake, strawberry prosecco cupcakes, and more!
For more cream cheese frosting recipes, check out this coffee cream cheese frosting, Oreo cream cheese frosting, cream cheese frosting with cinnamon, and brown butter cream cheese frosting.
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Freeze-dried strawberries- Using fresh strawberry puree or jam can make frosting thin and soupy. The best way to get an authentic strawberry flavor in this strawberry frosting recipeย is by using crushed freeze-dried strawberries!
- 10 minute recipe- This frosting only takes 10 minutes to make from start to finish.
- Perfect for beginner bakers- This recipe is perfect for beginners because it has only a few basic ingredients.
Key Ingredients
- Butter- You can use salted or unsalted butter depending on your flavor preference. I tested this recipe with a stick of each.
- Cream cheese- Opt for softened full-fat cream cheese in a brick. Reduced-fat cream cheese or any cream cheese spread in a tub creates runny frosting. Philadelphia cream cheese tastes the best!
- Powdered sugar- Sweetens and thickens the frosting by drawing water out of the cream cheese. You don't have to sift it.
- Freeze-dried strawberries- These are crushed into a fine powder to flavor the frosting and give it a pale pink color. Make sure to use freeze-dried fruit, NOT dried fruit (which is chewy and won't blend well).
Ingredient Variations
- No butter frosting- You can make cream cheese frosting without butter and add freeze-dried strawberries to it.
- Chocolate- You can swap about ยผ cup of powdered sugar for cocoa powder to make a fruity chocolate cream cheese frosting.
- Different fruit- If you can't find strawberries, you can use other freeze-dried berries like blueberries (I used them in this blueberry frosting), raspberries, or blackberries.
How to Make It
Step 1: Beat the butter.ย Use a stand mixer with the paddle attachment or an electric mixer on medium-high speed until the butter is creamy and pale.
Step 2: Add the cream cheese. Beat them together on medium speed until smooth and creamy.
Step 3: Add powdered sugar. Gradually beat it in on low speed 1 cup at a time. I pulse the mixer until the sugar is slightly combined so it doesn't fly out of the bowl.
Step 4: Mix in the crushed freeze-dried strawberries and vanilla extract. For cakes, mix the frosting on low to pop air bubbles. For a light, airy frosting for cupcakes, switch to the whisk attachment and whip on medium-high speed.
Top Tips
- Check the strawberry powder texture. When blending the freeze-dried strawberries, pulse a few times and then check on the texture. If it's still chunky, pulse a few more times until the desired powdery consistency is reached.
- Use room temperature butter and cream cheese. This is key for making cream cheese frosting! Butter and cream cheese need to be room temperature so they don't get clumpy. Pull them out of the fridge 1-2 before you start mixing.
- If your frosting is too thick, mix in milk, half and half, or heavy cream 1 teaspoon at a time to thin it out.
Storage Instructions
Refrigerate the frosting for up to 5 days in an airtight container or wrapped in plastic wrap. Let the frosting sit on the counter for 30 minutes before using, then re-whip it for a creamy consistency.
Frequently Asked Questions
This recipe makes about 4 cups of frosting. This is enough to frost a 6 or 8 inch cake with 2-3 layers or 24 cupcakes. It's plenty for an 8X8, 9X9, or 9X13-inch sheet cake.
Overmixing the cream cheese and butter can make the water separate from them, causing thin and runny icing. To thicken the frosting, try chilling it in the refrigerator for 30 minutes first. If that doesn't work, mix in more powdered sugar 1 tablespoon at a time.
Because of the cream cheese, this frosting can only sit at room temperature for 2 hours before it needs to be moved to the refrigerator.
More Frosting Recipes to Try
๐ Recipe
Easy Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting
Equipment
- 1 food processor or blender
- 1 Electric hand mixer or stand mixer with the paddle attachment
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Ingredients
- 226 grams unsalted butter room temperature
- 454 grams full fat cream cheese room temperature
- 800 grams powdered sugar
- 28 grams freeze dried strawberries crushed
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Before you start, pour freeze-dried strawberries into a food processor or blender. Pulse until crushed into a fine powder and set aside.
- Add the softened butter to the bowl of a stand mixer or hand mixer. Beat on medium high speed until fluffy and pale.226 grams unsalted butter
- Beat in the cream cheese until smooth and creamy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula to get any clumps.454 grams full fat cream cheese
- Gradually beat in the powdered sugar on low speed 1 cup at a time until combined.800 grams powdered sugar
- Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add the strawberry powder and vanilla extract. Mix on low until combined. Increase the speed to medium high for a fluffy, whipped frosting.28 grams freeze dried strawberries, 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Use your strawberry cream cheese frosting on cakes, cupcakes, cookies, and more. Enjoy!
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