Perfect Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe

I’m sharing my Best Cream Cheese Frosting, a rich, tangy four-ingredient Homemade Frosting that stays perfectly pipeable, freezes beautifully, and pairs with carrot cake, red velvet, or chocolate cupcakes.

I’ll be honest, this Perfect Cream Cheese Frosting is dangerously good. Centered on cream cheese and unsalted butter, it somehow becomes the spoon-lickable, tangy frosting you hide from guests.

It’s silky enough to pipe, but still thick and holds shape, so carrot cake, red velvet or chocolate cupcakes all suddenly feel special. I almost always make extra and stash it in the freezer for emergencies, then pretend I didn’t.

Call it Easy Frosting if you like, but once you try it you won’t believe how few things can taste this rich and yet still feel light. Try it and tell me I’m wrong.

Ingredients

• Full fat cream cheese: Full fat, tangy and creamy, adds body and some protein its higher in saturated fat.
• Unsalted butter: Gives rich mouthfeel, mostly fat calories, little protein, boosts overall creaminess.
• Confectioners sugar: Powdered sugar makes it sweet and smooth, almost pure carbs and quick energy.
• Vanilla extract: Tiny amount adds deep aroma and perceived sweetness, no real nutrition worth noting.
• Pinch fine salt: Balances sweetness and enhances flavors, negligible calories but adds sodium, use sparingly.
• Heavy cream or whole milk: Loosens frosting texture, adds fat and silkiness, small increase in calories and dairy.
• Combo note: Cream cheese and butter together give tangy sweet balance and spreadable texture its true.

Ingredient Quantities

• 8 oz (226 g) full fat cream cheese, softened to room temp
• 1/2 cup (113 g) unsalted butter softened
• 3 cups (360 g) confectioners sugar
• 1 tsp (5 ml) pure vanilla extract
• pinch fine salt (optional)
• 1 to 2 tbsp (15–30 ml) heavy cream or whole milk (optional)

How to Make this

1. Make sure 8 oz room temperature full fat cream cheese and 1/2 cup room temperature unsalted butter are truly soft, not cold, or you’ll get lumps; if theyre fridge cold let them sit 30 to 60 minutes.

2. In a mixing bowl beat the cream cheese and butter together on medium speed until smooth and fully combined, about 1 to 2 minutes; scrape the sides once or twice.

3. Sift or lightly whisk 3 cups confectioners sugar first if you want ultra smooth frosting, then add it gradually to the bowl on low speed so you dont get a sugar cloud, stopping to scrape the bowl.

4. Add 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract and a pinch of fine salt if you like the tang more balanced, then increase speed to medium and beat until the sugar is incorporated and mostly smooth.

5. Check consistency now; for spreadable frosting leave it like this, for pipeable frosting add 1 to 2 tablespoons heavy cream or whole milk one tablespoon at a time while beating until you reach the texture you want.

6. Beat just until light and fluffy, about 30 to 60 seconds more; dont overbeat for too long or it can become too soft and lose structure, especially on warm days.

7. Taste and adjust: if too tangy add a little more powdered sugar, if too sweet add another tiny pinch of salt, if too stiff add a splash more cream or milk.

8. Use immediately to frost cakes or cupcakes, or chill in the fridge for 20 to 30 minutes to firm up for cleaner piping; if chilled soften for a few minutes and re-whip briefly before using.

9. To store: refrigerate in an airtight container up to 5 days, or freeze up to 3 months; thaw in the fridge overnight and rewhip to revive the texture before using.

Equipment Needed

1. Stand mixer or electric hand mixer with beaters, they save time and make super smooth frosting
2. Large mixing bowl (metal or glass) for beating everything together
3. Rubber spatula or flexible scraper to scrape the sides, dont waste any frosting
4. Fine mesh sieve or sifter for the confectioners sugar so its extra smooth
5. Measuring cups and spoons for sugar vanilla and cream
6. Offset spatula or butter knife for spreading and smoothing on cakes or cupcakes
7. Piping bag and round or star piping tip for piping (optional if you want swirls)
8. Airtight container for storing leftovers and space in the fridge to chill if needed

FAQ

Perfect Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe Substitutions and Variations

• Cream cheese → Mascarpone or Neufchatel: Swap equal weight (8 oz / 226 g). Mascarpone makes it richer and less tangy, it’s softer so chill before piping. Neufchatel is lower fat, same amount, slightly looser.
• Unsalted butter → Vegetable shortening or a 50/50 butter+shortening mix: Use 1:1 shortening for firmer, more stable frosting in warm weather but you’ll lose some buttery flavor. Or do half butter half shortening for best taste and stability.
• Confectioners sugar → Powdered erythritol (eg Swerve) or homemade powdered sugar: Use 1:1 with Swerve to cut sugar, flavor differs a bit. To make your own, blitz granulated sugar with 1 tbsp cornstarch per cup until powdery, it’s slightly less sweet and can be a touch gritty.
• Heavy cream/whole milk → Sour cream or thinned Greek yogurt: Start with 1 tsp to 1 tbsp to adjust texture. Sour cream adds tang and body, Greek yogurt will thicken and add tang so stir gently and add little at a time.

Pro Tips

1) Let the butter and cream cheese get truly soft, not just slightly less cold. Press them with a finger, if they give easily you’re good. If you’re in a hurry, seal them in a zip bag and sit the bag in warm tap water for a few minutes, but do not melt them or you’ll end up with greasy, runny frosting.

2) Sift or whisk the powdered sugar, and add it slowly on low speed so you don’t make a sugar cloud or get gritty frosting. Stop a couple times to scrape the bowl, otherwise sugar hides on the sides and makes lumps later when you beat more.

3) Want to pipe decorations? Make it thicker first then chill for 20 to 30 minutes for cleaner edges, then re whip briefly before piping. If you want spreadable frosting add one tablespoon of cream at a time until it feels right, dont add too much at once or you cant get it back.

4) Balance and stability hacks: a tiny pinch of fine salt brightens the flavor more than you’d think, and full fat cream cheese gives the best texture and structure. If the frosting gets too soft because the kitchen’s warm, chill it for 10 to 15 minutes and then beat briefly to bring it back.