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Classic Cream Cheese Frosting

3.9

(11)

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Close up shot of the top of a slice of carrot cake featuring a lofty swirl of cream cheese frosting.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Olivia Mack Anderson

  • Active Time

    15 minutes

  • Total Time

    15 minutes

What is acakewithout your favoritefrostingon top? Classic cream cheese frosting is a must-have in your baking arsenal, and this recipe for frosting that’s both perfectly tangy and sweet at once couldn’t be easier. We love it for finishingcarrot cakes,red velvet cakes, a batch ofcupcakes, or any sheet cake that needs an added layer of flavor.We learned from the inimitable Rose Levy Berenbaum that oil-based cakes, for instance, take beautifully to cream cheese icing. Scale this yummy cream cheese frosting recipe up or down, say, if you’re making alayer cake, a small batch ofcarrot cakecupcakes, or icing somecinnamon rolls. Give a banana cake or pumpkin cake extra oomph with a layer of homemade cream cheese frosting. The possibilities are plentiful.

Vanilla bean pastegives this full-flavored frosting a pretty, speckled look, but pure vanilla extract works too. For best results, use full-fat cream cheese and a stand mixer. When you beat in the powdered sugar, start at low speed, gradually increasing to create a light, fluffy, spreadable frosting. Unlike some buttercream frostings, cream cheese–based frostings should be refrigerated (store the finished icing in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to five days, or pop it into the freezer for a month). To refresh, bring to room temperature and whip it up in a mixing bowl before using. (Pro tip: Add a drop of water if needed to smooth it.)

Ingredients

Makes 4½ cups

2 (8-oz. packages) cream cheese, room temperature
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 Tbsp. plus 1 tsp. vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
⅛ tsp. kosher salt
2⅓ cups powdered sugar

  1. Using an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat cream cheese and butter in a medium bowl until smooth, about 1 minute. Beat in vanilla bean paste and salt. Reduce mixer speed to low and gradually beat in powdered sugar. Increase speed to high and continue to beat until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.

    Do Ahead:Frosting can be made 5 days ahead; chill, or freeze up to 1 month. Bring to room temperature, then beat with electric mixer on medium speed until smooth. If texture is not smooth, beat in water 1 tsp. at a time.

    Editor’s note:This recipe first appeared on Epicurious in March 2017. Head this way for a different style of cream cheese frosting thatsome people call magic→

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Reviews (11)

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  • Use 1 -8 ounce cream cheese and increase the confectioners sugar by one cup.

    • Esquire Baket

    • Virginia

    • 4/17/2022

  • Yum! Perfect with this cake too.

    • Anonymous

    • Chicago, Il

    • 10/14/2021

  • It was good, but it tasted a bit more like cheese than vanilla or sugar. I used it on some red velvet cupcakes and it tasted odd, until I added sugar. It was also a bit watery, but I put it in the freezer for a while and it got better. In the end it was pretty good and I would make it again (only with a few adjustments).

    • ainhoa

    • Barcelona, Spain

    • 12/31/2019

  • I just made to go with their Apple Spice Caramel Cake, which I never made before. I’m hoping that came out ok, as I’m bringing it for Thanksgiving. I have been making cream cheese frosting forever. But since they said to refer to theirs, I figured why not. Two 8 oz. packages of cream cheese was good for a two layer cake as I always find most recipes don’t give you enough frosting. However, just 2 1/3 cups of powdered sugar? That seemed very odd to me. Also, with two sticks of butter? After beating it, all I tasted was cream cheese. I went to my old Silver Palate cookbook to see their recipe. They call for 3 cups of powdered sugar for one 8 oz. pkg. of cream cheese and a stick of butter. I Googled other recipes and most were the same. Some had you used 4 cups, some 3 1/2. But this recipe to me was way off. I added 3 more cups of powdered sugar. I often wonder who comes up with these recipes.

    • lynnar

    • Charleston,SC

    • 11/28/2019

  • Excellent! Made for Easter exactly as written.

    • westminstercook

    • Westminster, CO

    • 4/22/2019

  • Loved it! I only gave it 3 forks because I find that 2-1/2 c of sugar is WAY too much. I used just 1 c of sugar and it was more than sweet enough. I will make this again though.

    • awbrown

    • Charles Town, WV

    • 6/23/2018

  • I'm surprised that you are pairing a Cream Cheese Frosting with a Red Velvet Cake. The authentic frosting for a Red Velvet Cake is Ermine Buttercream. It's easy to make, and is in my opinion the best of the 6 Buttercreams. It's a frosting I also use on many cupcakes and other cakes, and the flavor can be varied by the extract used.

    • chubbybunny63

    • Thousand Islands, NY

    • 11/12/2017

  • Perfect, classic and delicious! Super easy to whip up.

    • Anonymous

    • Alexandria, VA

    • 11/12/2017

  • Yummy! Not too sweet. Paired with Bobby Flay's pumpkin bread

    • lclive

    • Maui, HI

    • 11/12/2017

  • I didn't find this easy at all. I followed the directions but my frosting came out runny. Next time I'll stick with a butter cream frosting.

    • thekitchenwhore

    • Beverly Hills, CA

    • 10/1/2017

  • This will be my new "go to" recipe for cream cheese frosting. It is light and fluffy. Definitely worthy of a 4-fork rating!

    • kmac62

    • Derby, KS

    • 4/24/2017

Tags Dessert Frosting Cream Cheese Cheese Dairy Nut Free Gluten Free Easy Quick Make Ahead No-Cook Electric Mixer Stand Mixer 万博官网

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