Make desserts extra mouth-watering and delicious with the best-ever cream cheese frosting!
With only just a handful of ingredients and 2 steps, you can have a creamy, tangy, and tart frosting perfect for cakes and cupcakes.
It’s easy to make, so you can whip up a batch with just a few simple ingredients.
My Favorite Frosting of All Time
- This classic cream cheese frosting recipe has a rich decadent flavor with a creamy texture.
- It’s not overly sweet, and since it has a bit of a tangy flavor, it pairs well with our favorite desserts.
- It uses just a few simple ingredients (that you probably have on hand) and is easy to make at home.
- Prep ahead and freeze or keep it in the fridge for a great topper!
Ingredients for Cream Cheese Frosting
Cream Cheese – Full-fat cream cheese has the best tangy flavor and whips up better than low-fat. Use a block of cream cheese because the spreadable variety has too much air whipped into it, and it won’t stay fluffy.
Butter – Butter adds a buttery flavor (of course!) and helps create a smooth texture. I prefer softened unsalted butter in baking and adding my own salt (salted butter works too, but we prefer unsalted).
Powdered Sugar – Powdered sugar is also known as confectioners’ sugar or icing sugar. It is a powder so it adds a smooth texture to frostings. You can use a little bit more or less to reach the desired consistency.
Flavors – A splash of vanilla extract adds flavor, and depending on what I am using it for, I often add a bit of lemon zest.
Stir in some cocoa powder for a chocolate cream cheese frosting, or experiment with other extracts like banana, orange, almond, coconut, maple, or rum extract!
Color – Add a drop or two of food coloring to make shades of pink, green, or any color that matches the theme of the day!
How to Make Cream Cheese Frosting
- Cream butter and cream cheese until it’s smooth and creamy.
- Add vanilla and lemon zest (if using).
- Gradually mix in powdered sugar until the frosting is fluffy (as per the recipe below).
Tips for Perfect Frosting
- Do not overbeat the cream cheese. Overbeating can cause a runny cream cheese frosting.
- Use a stand mixer with either a whisk or paddle attachment or an electric mixer. Scrape the sides of the mixing bowl with a spatula to ensure it mixes evenly.
- For a thicker frosting, add more powdered sugar. For a thinner frosting, add a touch of milk (1 teaspoon at a time).
- This is a ‘soft’ frosting and isn’t recommended for piping. It doesn’t hold its shape when piped like Buttercream Frosting.
- Store in a covered container for up to 5 days in the refrigerator. Let it soften at room temperature before using.
Tips for Fluffy Frosting
- This frosting can be used with a sheet cake, layer cake, or slather it on pumpkin cake.
- Cream cheese frosting is a perfect pairing with carrot cake, cinnamon buns, or cupcakes.
- Add it to frosted pumpkin cookies, to banana bars, or top on red velvet cake or cookies.
Our Favorite Frostings
Did you make this Cream Cheese Frosting? Leave us a rating and a comment below!
Best Ever Cream Cheese Frosting
Equipment
Ingredients
- 8 ounces cream cheese room temperature
- ⅓ cup butter softened
- 3 to 3 ½ cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract or lemon juice
- pinch salt
- 1 ½ teaspoons lemon zest (optional)
Instructions
- Combine cream cheese and butter with a mixer on medium speed until smooth and creamy. Mix in vanilla (or lemon juice and lemon zest if using).
- Add in salt and powdered sugar a bit at a time, scraping the sides of the bowl as needed. Continue beating on medium speed until fluffy. Do not overmix.
- Store up to 5 days in the refrigerator.
Video
Notes
- Do not overbeat the cream cheese. Overbeating can cause a runny cream cheese frosting.
- Use a stand mixer with either a whisk or paddle attachment or an electric mixer. Scrape the sides of the mixing bowl with a spatula to ensure it mixes evenly.
- For a thicker frosting, add more powdered sugar. For a thinner frosting, add a touch of milk (1 teaspoon at a time).
- Ensure baked goods are cooled before adding frosting or it will melt.
- This is a ‘soft’ frosting and isn’t recommended for piping. It doesn’t hold its shape when piped like Buttercream Frosting.
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Dessert
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The name says it all! This has been my go-to for years- everyone loves it!
The fastest, the easiest, the BEST! I used 1+1/2 cups of confectioner’s sugar and it was perfection, not the least bit thin or runny. For those who don’t know 1/3 cup of butter is 5 tbsp. plus 1 tsp. I iced pumpkin cupcakes this time. The first round of this frosting and many to come. Thanks so much!
You’re welcome Diane, so glad you love the frosting!
I added small amounts of sour cream instead of milk or cream to loosen icing to consistency I desired. Not only did I get great smoothness and fluffy cream but delectable flavor from sour cream!!
Love this recipe. This is my go to recipe whenever I do carrot courgette cakes etc.
We love this on carrot cake too, Chrissie! So happy you are enjoying it.
Love this recipy,It’s the Best and the easiest I’ve ever made.
I’ve made this cake twice in a week. I,love it. The icing is so smooth and tasty. Freezes great.Thanks so much for this great cake recipy.
Try it cooks you’ll love it.❤️
You’re welcome Delores, so happy to hear that!
exceedingly sweet. Wow – it gave me a sugar rush and I spent the next two hours like an energizer bunny.
This is the easiest cream cheese frosting ever!!! It’s exactly what I was looking for to top my key lime cheese cake (replaced the lemons with limes). Thank you.
Now, I know how to make delicious frostings.
Excellent Frosting, super delicious!
Hi, what calorie calculator did you use? I entered 16 Tbs/8 oz. cream cheese, 5.3 Tbs/.33 cup butter and 3 cups powdered sugar into Spark Nutrition and came out with a way different calorie number per serving, more than double actually, and that was using the low end of the sugar amount. I want to make this because the reviews are so good but I count calories so wanted to verify first. Thanks.
You are definitely correct, thank you so much for bringing this to our attention! There was an error in the calculation (it wasn’t calculating the powdered sugar properly) and we have updated it. Sorry for any confusion.
Hi Holly, going to make your icing tomorrow on a red velvet cake for my grandson’s 12 birthday, is the butter unsalted or salter? Thank you Linda
I use unsalted butter in this recipe. Happy Birthday to your grandson!
Best frosting ever, did I say ever. I used this frosting on a coconut cake for a Church bake sale. It was sold in slices and the first to sale out within 5 minutes. Thank you so much for sharing I have another secret weapon thanks to you Holly.
So happy to hear that it was a hit Anita!
Can I use LESS powdered sugar !
You can try it with less powdered sugar but it may change the consistency to be a bit more runny.
The best I’ve ever made! I made both lemon, and vanilla.
I am so glad you enjoyed the frosting Krystal!
I never thought of using lemon juice! I made mine with lemon juice & it really smooths out the flavor. I don’t use powdered sugar, but honey instead for decades, you get a smooth sweetness without the bite from sugar.
So glad you enjoyed it!
Sounds like a wonderful recipe. Just a quick question – how many grams or mls is a cup?
240 ml. Enjoy!
Thanx holly I am going to try this recipe only using1/2 to a cup less sugar and 1/2 tsp vanilla extract pure and1/2 tsp pure almond extract paired with spice cake hoping it turns out great
Let us know how it goes Chloe!
3 cups of sugar must be very sweet?
Very nice recipe. As advertised :) I skip the lemon and add cinnamon to mine for those beautiful, fragrant flecks in the frosting.
Thank you!
This icing is NO JOKE! It is the best cream cheese icing I have ever eaten (title is on point). It’s not sickening sweet and the lemon gives it a hint of, “What is that?!” I didn’t even add the zest and it was still delicious.
I made slightly more to heavily ice a 3 layer carrot cake.
I did put each layer in the refrigerator to set up a bit after icing.
The next time I make it I will add zest. Be aware….you will want to eat it straight out of the bowl (I did)!!
LOL! Thank you Cathy, I’m so glad you loved it!
So gooooooood! This is our new favorite cream cheese frosting!
I am so glad that you enjoyed this recipe Becky!
Hi holly,can you please tell me what kind of butter I can use it in this recipe?
Any type of unsalted butter should work perfectly.