This thick and fluffy cream cheese frosting is a classic, versatile buttercream perfect for cakes, cupcakes, and sandwich cookies. It's sweet, slightly tangy, sturdy, and holds its shape when piped. With only 4 simple ingredients, this icing will be your go-to for years to come.
Every baker needs a classic cream cheese frosting recipe in their repertoire, and this thick and fluffy cream cheese frosting is absolutely perfect! With just 4 simple ingredients, you can whip up a batch of this deliciously tangy frosting in just 5 minutes. It goes with almost every cake and cupcake flavor imaginable.
There's (almost) nothing I love more than a cupcake slathered with cream cheese frosting. American buttercream has a lot of sugar to make it stable and can sometimes be too sweet. The tanginess of the cream cheese cuts through the sugar here, resulting in a thick, pipeable, sturdy, scrumptious frosting.
This frosting is both thick and fluffy thanks to beating the ingredients on a higher speed. It's delicious on carrot cake, pumpkin bread, naked red velvet cake, cherry cinnamon rolls, and, frankly, almost everything!
If you're a cream cheese lover (like me), make brownies with cream cheese frosting, banana bread with cream cheese frosting, banana bars with cream cheese frosting, or this strawberry cream cheese icebox cake next.
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Ingredient Notes
Here are notes about some of the ingredients used. For quantities and full instructions, see the recipe card below.
- Unsalted butter- Butter makes the frosting airy and adds a rich, buttery flavor. Use high quality butter like Kerrygold for the best flavor. It seriously makes a huge difference! If you only have salted butter, that works too. Make sure it's room temperature so it mixes easily. Take it (and the cream cheese) out of the refrigerator an hour or so before you start.
- Cream cheese- Use a full-fat brick of cream cheese, not low-fat cream cheese or anything that comes in a tub. Cream cheese in a tub (or cream cheese spread) has less fat and more water, which will make the frosting too runny. Also make sure the cream cheese is room temperature so it's easy to cream.
- Powdered sugar- Also called icing sugar or confectioners sugar, this sweetens the frosting and also helps it become thick and sturdy. It does this by drawing the water out of the cream cheese. Don't reduce the amount of sugar or your frosting will be too soft and won't hold its shape.
- Vanilla extract- Use a high quality, pure vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste for the best taste. Two of my favorite brands are Rodelle and Nielsen-Massey.
Substitutions and Variations
- Use dairy free butter sticks and cream cheese to make vegan cream cheese frosting.
- Out of butter? No worries! Make this cream cheese frosting without butter instead. Warning though, it's less thick and pipeable.
- Brown the butter to make brown butter cream cheese frosting!
- Use mascarpone cheese instead of cream cheese for a more subtle flavor like in this chocolate mascarpone frosting recipe.
- Swap 30 grams (ยผ cup) of powdered sugar for 30 grams of freeze-dried fruit ground into a powder to make fruity cream cheese frosting. You can use freeze-dried strawberries (or follow this strawberry cream cheese frosting recipe), blueberries, raspberries, or whatever you like.
- Mix about ยฝ teaspoon of instant coffee crystals into your vanilla before adding it to the frosting to make coffee cream cheese frosting. It's so good on these coffee cupcakes!
- Add a teaspoon of ground cinnamon for cinnamon cream cheese frosting.
- Add crushed Oreos to make Oreo cream cheese frosting.
Helpful Equipment and Tools
You need a 5-quart stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (also called a flat beater) or an electric handheld mixer with a large mixing bowl.
The process photos below are specifically for a stand mixer, but this recipe works with a hand mixer too.
Step by Step Instructions
Make sure your butter and cream cheese are room temperature before you start!
Step 1: First, add the softened butter and cream cheese to a large mixing bowl. Cream them together on medium-high speed with a stand mixer or handheld mixer until smooth and creamy. Make sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl to incorporate any clumps.
Step 2: Next, gradually mix in the powdered sugar on low 1 cup at a time until fully combined. I like to start by pulsing the mixer, turning it on and off until the sugar is mostly incorporated. This keeps the powdered sugar from jumping out of the bowl. Stop to scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
Step 3: Once the powdered sugar is fully mixed in, beat in the vanilla extract on low. Scrape the sides of the bowl and then increase the speed to medium, mixing until the frosting is thick and fluffy. The longer you beat, the fluffier it'll be, but don't overmix because it'll get runny!
Step 4: Now your frosting is done! Use it to frost cakes, cupcakes, cookies, or whatever you like.
Expert Baking Tips
- Use room temperature butter and cream cheese. Cold dairy ingredients will make the frosting too thick and won't mix well with the other ingredients.
- Remember to use a block of cream cheese. Cream cheese in a tub is too runny!
- You don't have to sift the powdered sugar. Most powdered sugar (in the United States) has cornstarch that helps keep it from caking and sticking together. Because of this, you don't need to worry about sifting it in!
- Start the mixer on low speed before increasing it. This helps prevent a sugar cloud and a huge mess on your counter.
Storage and Freezing
Cream cheese frosting will last in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Make sure to store it in an airtight container. Bring the frosting to room temperature and re-whip it with an electric or stand mixer before serving.
Freezing
Transfer the frosting to an airtight container and freeze for up to 3 months. Make sure your container is truly airtight. If not, the fat molecules can separate from the water and turn your thawed frosting into a runny mess!
To defrost, transfer the frozen frosting to the refrigerator and let it thaw overnight. You might need to whip it again for a fluffy, creamy consistency. Don't thaw it at room temperature because the sudden temperature change can ruin the texture.
Frequently Asked Questions
If you happen to overmix the frosting and it gets liquidy, don't worry! You can easily thicken cream cheese frosting by adding ยผ cup (30 grams) of powdered sugar or cornstarch. Simply add it to the frosting and whip on high speed until the desired consistency is reached.
Yes, it does. The frosting can sit at room temperature for 2 hours before it needs to be refrigerated. Keep it out of the sun or it might melt!
This recipe makes about 3 cups of frosting, which is enough to generously frost 12 cupcakes or frost 24 cupcakes with a knife. I used it to frost a 6-inch cake but it definitely had a semi-naked look. You can double or triple the recipe to make enough to pipe mountains of frosting on 24 cupcakes or frost an 8 or 10-inch cake.
More Frostings & Fillings to Try
๐ Recipe
Thick & Fluffy Cream Cheese Frosting
Equipment
- 1 5-quart stand mixer or electric handheld mixer
Need Metric or US Customary Measurements?
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Ingredients
- 114 grams unsalted butter room temperature
- 227 grams full-fat cream cheese room temperature
- 480 grams powdered sugar
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Beat softened butter and cream cheese together with a stand mixer or hand mixer on medium-high speed until smooth and creamy.114 grams unsalted butter, 227 grams full-fat cream cheese
- Gradually add the powdered sugar 1 cup at a time, mixing on low until completely combined and smooth. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.480 grams powdered sugar
- Mix in the vanilla extract on low until fully combined. Increase the speed to medium-high and whip until the frosting is light and fluffy.2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Use your cream cheese frosting to decorate cakes, cupcakes, cookies, brownies, and more!
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