The Best Cream Cheese Frosting is the perfect balance of tangy and sweet. Nothing beats homemade frosting and this one is very simple to make!
Cream cheese icing is versatile. It has a mild, yet delicious flavor that compliments any cake.
THE BEST CREAM CHEESE FROSTING
The BEST cream cheese frosting is smooth, creamy, and not overly sweetened. It’s a basic recipe that can be used in a variety of ways.
I always use an electric mixer to mix cream cheese frosting. You’re really going to get a good arm workout if you don’t use an electric mixer.
Cream Cheese Icing is a baking classic and can be used on a variety of cakes, cupcakes, and cookies. If you need more of a glaze, add more heavy cream. Need it to stand up sturdy for a layer cake? Add more powdered sugar!
Ingredients you’ll need
This classic recipe has simple ingredients that you probably already have.
- Butter. You need real butter for this recipe, not margarine. Allow it to come to room temperature before mixing it.
- Cream cheese. You can use regular, low-fat, or fat-free cream cheese in this frosting. However, low-fat and fat-free will not taste as good nor will it be as creamy as regular cream cheese. Your cream cheese needs to be at room temperature before mixing as well.
- Heavy cream. Heavy cream makes the best cream cheese frosting but you can use half and half or whole milk.
- Powdered sugar. Powdered sugar is also known as confectioners sugar, confectioners’ sugar, icing sugar, and 10X. Sift your confectioners sugar before adding it to your creamed ingredients.
- Vanilla extract. Pure vanilla extract tastes the best.
Below are some cakes I use cream cheese icing on. Needless to say, it’s my favorite frosting!
Ruby Red Grapefruit Sheet Cake with Grapefruit Cream Cheese Frosting
Old Fashioned Banana Layer Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
Easy Key Lime Cake with Key Lime Cream Cheese Frosting
Easy Strawberry Cake
Best Toffee Banana Layer Cake
Red Velvet Layer Cake Recipe
Please keep in mind that nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary based on the products used
updated this post from an earlier version. I made new photos and simplified the recipe instructions.
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The Best Cream Cheese Frosting
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Save To Your Recipe BoxIngredients
- 1/2 cup real butter room temp
- 8 ounce cream cheese room temp
- 3 1/2 cup confectioners sugar
- 2 to 3 Tablespoons heavy whipping cream
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- Beat 1 stick butter and 8 oz cream cheese until smooth, add confectioner sugar with mixer on low. Add vanilla and milk. Mix until smooth.
- FOR CREAM CHEESE GLAZE: Add more milk one tablespoon at a time until the consistency is like honey, smooth and pourable.
Notes
Nutrition
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Sharina says
I just found the perfect frosting for preparing treats for Halloween or other parties. Highly recommended!
Journa Liz Ramirez says
I always use cream cheese frosting in preparing treats for Halloween. I tried this recipe yesterday, it was so good and sweet. So I decided to use this recipe from now on in making frostings.
Gen says
Wow – super delicious! I’ll be bookmarking this to use for lots of different baked goods. Thank you!
Glenda says
Perfection! Creamy, sweet and a little tangy! Just the way cream cheese frosting should be. Thanks for the recipe!
AMANDA VANDENBERG says
salted or unsalted butter?
Paula says
unsalted
Mz.CC says
Save it for a glaze or filling ?
Amanda J says
HELP! I accidentally used regular sugar instead of confectioners sugar. I’m so upset with myself because it turned out delicious otherwise. Do you have any suggestions or should I just suck it up?
Paula says
I don’t think there’s anything you can do. It may dissolve after a while but I’m just not certain.
Joann says
Hi Paula, this recipe looks so good and I can’t wait to put this on those Red Velvet Brownies. I do have a question, do you know how much this will make? Or do I need to double it. Also, if you DO have any leftover haha 🙂 can it be frozen for later? Thanks so much and keep the recipes coming :)……
Paula says
I don’t know how many cups, I’ll make note to measure it next time. It frosts one 3 layer cake, if that helps. It will easily frost 24 cupcakes. I almost always have Cream Cheese frosting in my fridge, I haven’t tried to freeze it, but I have kept it in the fridge for 2 weeks before.
Stephanie Daigneault says
Thanks for sending me the link! I will use this for sure next time!
Heather (GurleeGirrl) says
Wow – I always imagined that cream cheese was in the recipe too. LOL Shows you how much I bake!
Kelly (Our Everyday Harvest) says
This sounds yummy! I was surprised to see that cream cheese wasn't an ingredient. Thank you for sharing. I cannot wait to try this recipe.