How to Make the Best Ever Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe

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Hi Bold Bakers!

WHY YOU WILL LOVE THIS RECIPE: My easy yet incredible Cream Cheese Frosting recipe is truly the king of all frostings because it has the best of both worlds! The perfectly salty taste from cream cheese, subtle sweetness from the sugar, and luscious creaminess from the butter make it the best recipe you’ll ever need and love! 

IMPORTANT NOTE: This recipe was updated and improved on 3/31/2023, to include definition, additional notes for ingredients and step-by-step instructions, and answers to the most frequently asked questions and Pro Chef Tips.

Add a slather of it anywhere and I think you will agree it improves any cake, dessert or even breads like my Best-Ever Cinnamon Rolls. Learning how to make this recipe is a must for you Bold Bakers — spread it on classics like my Best-Ever Carrot Cake, 3 Layer Microwave Red Velvet Cake,  Crazy Cupcakes (Red Velvet Cupcakes), Red Velvet Donuts and the most recent Microwave Carrot Cake Bowl!

Table of Contents

• What is Cream Cheese Frosting?
• Tools You Need
• Ingredients You Need
• How to Make the Best Ever Cream Cheese Frosting
• How to Store Cream Cheese Frosting
• Can I freeze cream cheese frosting?
• What desserts go well with Cream Cheese Frosting?
• FAQs
• Gemma’s Pro Chef Tips
• Use This Recipe With These Desserts

What is Cream Cheese Frosting?

Cream cheese frosting is considered to be a lighter variant of buttercream frosting for decorating or filling baked goods. Besides softened butter, cream cheese is the main ingredient and both are creamed with powdered sugar until light and fluffy then flavored with vanilla extract. Compared to butter having 80% of milk fat, cream cheese contains only 33%-45% milkfat so cream cheese adds lightness to a classic cream cheese frosting.

Tools You Need

• Mixer( stand mixer/hand mixer with the whisk attachment, or a hand whisk)
• Measuring cups and measuring spoons
• Mixing bowl
• Spatula

Ingredients You Need

• Powdered sugar: It’s very important to sift powdered sugar:

1) Sifting powdered sugar aerates it to incorporate extra air into the frosting for a light result.

2) Sifting powdered sugar will remove any lumps to ensure a smooth frosting consistency.

• Cream cheese: 

1) Use brick-syle / American-style FIRM cream cheese instead of tub-style/European-style SPREADABLE cream cheese. This will help to avoid an overly soft runny result. Make your own using my Easiest Cream Cheese Recipe if needed.

2) Full-fat cream cheese will yield a richer and thicker result than reduced-fat or fat-free cream cheese.

3) Make sure your cream is naturally softened at room temperature (between 70°-76°F/20°-24°C) for an easy mixing and lump-free result.

• Butter:

1) Either salted butter or unsalted butter will work. I always use salted butter unless specified otherwise because slat enhances flavors. You can make butter using my How to Make Homemade Butter recipe.

2) Make sure your butter is at room temperature: when you push the butter and it makes an indent, but your finger doesn’t easily squish right through. Perfectly softened butter will not only contribute to a thorough mixing without separating the fat to cause an oily frosting but also help with a smooth creamy frosting.

• Vanilla extract: Vanilla extract enhances flavors in baking! Try my recipe of Homemade Extracts, you will save money and never run out!

How to Make The Best Ever Cream Cheese Frosting

Besides being absolutely delicious, this recipe is incredibly simple to make.

1. Creaming to Incorporate Air: In one bowl, use the stand mixer or hand mixer with a WHISK attachment (not a paddle attachment!) to cream butter and cream cheese on medium-high speed until soft and fluffy. This will incorporate air into the mixture and build an aerated structure to hold sugar without being weighed down.
2. Combine sugar: Then, add in your SIFTED powdered sugar and a dash of vanilla for smooth and creamy bliss. Sugar will coat air bubbles to stabilize the frosting. Reducing sugar will lead to a flatter thinner result.
3. Result: Once your ingredients have been combined, you’ll discover rich, thick and perfectly balanced frosting. This frosting is light in flavor from the soft and tangy cream cheese and is complimentary for any dessert.

How to Store

Homemade Best Ever Cream Cheese Frosting can be covered and stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.

You will find this recipe is super easy to work with and beautiful. This light, fluffy, and shiny frosting is absolutely convenient as it can be kept in the refrigerator until ready for use.

Can you Freeze Cream Cheese Frosting?

You can freeze cream cheese frosting for up to 3 weeks.

• I like to vacuum-seal extra frosting and freeze it! You can always transfer your frosting to an air-tight container and pop it in the freezer.
• To use from frozen, allow the frosting to thaw in the fridge until it’s soft. After thawing just give the frosting a good whip up with a spatula then use as directed in my recipes.

What desserts go well with Cream Cheese Frosting?

I can think of endless ways to use this frosting.

• CAKE: Cream Cheese Frosting goes well with cakes such as my spice cake Best-Ever Carrot Cake,

or 3 Layer Microwave Red Velvet Cake.

Especially my NEW Microwave Carrot Cake Bowl!

• BREAD: Cream Cheese elevates bread such as my Best Ever Banana Bread or even yeast bread like my Best-Ever Cinnamon Rolls.

• CUPCAKE: Cream cheese frosting is a must for many cupcakes such as my Ultra-Moist Carrot Cake or Red Velvet Cupcakes.

So if you’re like me, you must give this frosting a go!

FAQs

1. What to do if my cream cheese frosting runny? Why is my cream cheese frosting runny?

• First, make sure you use cream cheese blocks / sticks instead of spreadable ones from the tub which has more other ingredients to affect the result. You can also make your own at home using my Easiest Cream Cheese Recipe.
• Second, make sure your cream cheese and (especially) butter are at room temperature. This will make the whipping much easier without overdoing it to separate the fat, leading to a runny texture.
• Third, cream butter and cream cheese until fluffy before adding in sugar. This will build up a structure to hold the sugar otherwise sugar will weigh down the mixture and make it runny.

2. Why is my cream cheese frosting grainy?

• First, you need powdered / icing sugar that is fine enough to achieve a smooth result.
• Second, make sure to whip ROOM TEMPERATURE cream cheese and butter until pale in color and light in texture to have a structure to hold the added sugar, otherwise, it would get grainy or collapse.
• Third, sift powdered sugar to remove any lumps.
• Last but not least, slowly add in powdered sugar which will help the sugar be distributed evenly.

3. How much frosting does this recipe yield? How much do I need?

This recipe yields 3-31/2 cups of frosting.

You can use this recipe to decorate two dozen standard-size cupcakes or one 8-inch cake.

Gemma’s Pro Chef Tips

Adjust its Consistency:

• If your frosting is too thin, add 2 tablespoons of powdered sugar at a time and mix at medium speed until it gets to a desired consistency.
• If your frosting is too thick, add 1 tablespoon of milk or cream at a time and mix at medium speed until it gets to a desired consistency.

Reduce its Sweetness:

I do not recommend cutting back on sugar in Cream Cheese Frosting.

• Because sugar is vital in incorporating air into and stabilizing the structure of cream cheese frosting. When sugar is beaten into the light and fluffy cream cheese and butter, it dissolves in the film on the surface of the air bubbles. This sugary syrup film prevents the bubbles from drying out and tightening up too fast.
• Cutting back on sugar by ¼ less is the farthest you can go.
• Another trick to reduce the sweetness is to add in a splash of lemon juice or ¼ tsp of salt.

Make it Chocolate flavor:

To make Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting, sift 1 cup of unsweetened cocoa powder with powdered sugar together, then proceed per this recipe add this mixture to the lightly creamed cheese and butter mixture.

Use This Recipe With These Desserts!

• Microwave Carrot Cake
• Carrot Bundt Cake (With Cheesecake Filling)
• Carrot Cake Donuts
• Red Velvet Pancakes
• Carrot Cake Pancakes

IMPORTANT NOTE: This recipe was updated and improved on 3/31/2023, to include definition, additional notes for ingredients and step-by-step instructions,  and answers to the most frequently asked questions and Pro Chef Tips.

Don’t forget to follow Bigger Bolder Baking on Pinterest!

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