Tessa’s Recipe Rundown
Taste: Perfectly balanced—sweet, tangy, and packed with vanilla flavor (without that cloying sweetness you get with other recipes!)
Texture: Ultra-smooth, creamy, and downright luscious but still pipe-able.
Ease: Just 4 ingredients and the icing can be made ahead of time!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe: This 7-minute recipe instantly elevates any cake, cupcake, or other dessert!
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Some frostings are just a finishing touch. But this Cream Cheese Frosting? This smooth, creamy, flavorful frosting is the main event.
Since I published this recipe in 2017, it’s been one of the most popular recipes on my site – and with good reason! It’s my go-to frosting for icing Red Velvet Cake, topping Carrot Cake Cupcakes, or slathering across homemade Gooey Cinnamon Rolls.
After hearing consistent feedback that the original recipe became too runny for many HTH bakers, I experimented to make this frosting even sturdier without increasing the sugar.
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The result? A frosting that pipes like a dream and elevates every bite with its velvety texture and tangy flavor. No ingredient changes were needed—just a slightly different mixing method!
Check out my baking science tips below and the FAQ box underneath the recipe for ALL my tips and tricks to help you make the BEST Cream Cheese Frosting you’ll ever taste.
Sprinkle of Science
My Cream Cheese Frosting Experiments
I know some of you had trouble getting the original recipe to hold its shape when piping. Adding more powdered sugar made it too sweet!
The solution? Changing the ORDER of ingredients! Instead of adding the powdered sugar last, we beat the butter and sugar first, much like a buttercream recipe. Then add the cream cheese. That one little change makes a HUGE difference! See the difference in studiness:
In the left photo, the frosting is smooth but just a bit too soft—it started sliding right off the cupcake when flipped upside down! But on the right? My new method pipes beautifully and stays put—even when flipped upside down.
This makes it sturdier for hot days, BBQs, picnics, and transporting, as well as more decorative piping.
Why this works: When butter and sugar are creamed together first air becomes trapped, resulting in a fluffier texture and more stable structure. The powdered sugar also acts as a slight barrier, coating the fat in the butter to prevent the extra moisture in the cream cheese from absorbing.
✨ Tessa’s Tip: Use the Original Method for cinnamon rolls for the best melt-in-your-mouth texture. Beat the cream cheese, butter, and vanilla together on medium-high speed until light, creamy, and smooth, about 2 minutes. Then, gradually mix in the powdered sugar on low speed and beat until fluffy.
What Type of Cream Cheese is Best for Frosting?
- For the creamiest, dreamiest frosting, use full-fat brick-style cream cheese softened to a cool room temperature.
- Do NOT use whipped or spreadable cream cheese made for bagels (too soft!).
- Do not use low-fat cream cheese (less rich and too watery).
- Some off-brand cream cheese bricks can be watery. Go for a quality brand when possible, like Philadelphia.
The Secret Ingredient for the BEST Cream Cheese Frosting!
Want to take your cream cheese frosting from delicious to gourmet? The secret ingredient: vanilla bean paste.
It’s a little pricier and harder to find than vanilla extract, but offers a deeper, richer flavor and beautiful flecks of vanilla without needing to use a whole vanilla bean pod. Plus, it skips the alcohol taste that some pure vanilla extracts can have.
You can purchase vanilla paste at kitchen stores or on Amazon here.
The Butter
For light, fluffy frosting that holds its shape, use unsalted butter at a cool room temperature (about 67°F).
Why unsalted? It gives you total control over the flavor—some brands of salted butter have twice as much salt as others! Check out my article on Unsalted vs. Salted Butter for more on this.
The Sugar
Powdered sugar, also called confectioners’ sugar or icing sugar, is a must for ultra-smooth frosting! No other sugar will do. To keep your frosting lump-free, always sift the powdered sugar after measuring.
✨ Tessa’s Tip: For the smoothest, silkiest texture, try organic powdered sugar containing tapioca starch instead of cornstarch. It dissolves better, so you won’t get any grittiness!
Have a question you don’t see answered here? Be sure to check the FAQ Box just below the recipe!
More Frosting Recipes You’ll Love:
- The Best Buttercream Frosting Recipe
- Best Ever Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
- Peanut Butter Frosting
- Swiss Meringue Buttercream
Delicious Ways to Use Cream Cheese Frosting:
- Perfect Carrot Cupcakes (pictured in this post)
- Funfetti Cupcakes
- Gooey Cinnamon Rolls
- Red Velvet Cake
- Brown Butter Carrot Cake
The BEST Cream Cheese Frosting
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Ingredients
- 3/4 stick (85 grams) unsalted butter, at cool room temperature (67°F)*
- 1 1/2 cups (188 grams) powdered sugar, sifted (don't skip sifting!)
- 6 ounces (170 grams) cream cheese, completely softened to room temperature (brick-style, not spreadable)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons
vanilla paste or extract
Instructions
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sifted powdered sugar on low, then gradually increase to medium-high to prevent a sugar cloud. Beat for 3 minutes until smooth. (It may look dry at first, but it will come together like magic!). Scrape down the bottom and sides of the bowl and paddle, then add the cream cheese and beat on medium-high for 1 minute until fluffy. Add the vanilla and beat for 30 seconds until fully incorporated. Scrape down the bowl again as needed.
Serving, Storing, and Make Ahead:
- Cream cheese frosting, alone or on cake or cupcakes, can sit at a cool room temperature for up to 8 hours before it should be refrigerated.
- The frosting can be made and transferred to an airtight container and stored in the fridge for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 1 month. Bring to room temperature and re-whip with an electric mixer before using.
Recipe Notes
For the best texture, stick with my original method! Beat the cream cheese, butter, and vanilla together on medium-high speed until light, creamy, and smooth, about 2 minutes. Then, gradually mix in the powdered sugar on low speed and beat until fluffy. This creates a soft, silky frosting that melts beautifully over warm cinnamon rolls.
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Cream Cheese Frosting FAQs
Which Mixer to Use for Frosting?
Either a stand mixer or hand-held electric mixer works perfectly here.
How to Avoid Runny Cream Cheese Frosting?
1. Use the right cream cheese: Stick to high-quality, full-fat cream cheese in brick form. I love Philadelphia brand. Avoid spreadable or low-fat versions, which can make the frosting too soft and runny.
2. Watch the temperature: Your butter should be cool room temp (67°F) and your cream cheese should be room temp—not too warm, or the frosting can turn runny.
How to Make Cream Cheese Frosting Thicker
Feel free to add an additional 2 tablespoons of sifted powdered sugar at a time until you reach your desired consistency, but please note that this will result in a sweeter frosting.
How Much Frosting Do I Need? Can I Double This Recipe?
This recipe makes about 1 1/4 cups of frosting, perfect for frosting 12 cupcakes. To frost a two or three-layer 8-inch cake or 24 cupcakes, simply double all ingredients–no other modifications needed.
Does Cream Cheese Frosting Need to be Refrigerated?
Since the sugar acts as a preservative, this Cream Cheese Frosting (on its own or frosted on a cake or cupcakes) can sit at a cool room temperature for up to 8 hours before it should be refrigerated.
How to Store Cream Cheese Frosting
Cream Cheese Frosting can be made ahead of time, placed inside an airtight container, and stored in the fridge for up to 3 days. Bring to room temperature and re-whip with an electric mixer before using.
Can You Freeze Cream Cheese Frosting?
Store Cream Cheese Frosting in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 1 month. Bring to room temperature and re-whip with an electric mixer before using.
This post was originally published in 2017 and updated in 2025 with recipe improvements and new photos. Photos by Joanie Simon.
Fabulous icing! It wasn’t even diabetes sweet or anything but just right. Add some more powdered sugar and it will be perfect
If using a block of butter, and no weight scale, how many cups/tablespoons/measured amount of butter to use?
Hi Sam! A 1-pound block of butter is equal to 4 sticks, or 2 cups total. Since the recipe calls for 3/4 of a stick, that’s the same as 6 tablespoons or 3/8 cup. If you’re cutting from a block, just measure out 6 tablespoons, and you’ll be good to go! Let us know how the recipe turns out 🙂
This frosting was awesome! First time I’ve tried it, but won’t be the last. Directions were easy to follow, hints helpful, and only 4 ingredients. The result was a silky smooth, delicious but not sickly sweet, frosting that everyone loved.
Happy to hear it was such a hit! Thanks for sharing, Alana 🙂
Fabulous texture and flavour – thank you for the recipe
Pretty nice, but really thick. Not as nice as the cream cheese icing I’ve made before.
That’s the order from America’s Test kitchen, published with the hummingbird cake. They use more butter, cream cheese, powdered sugar. It’s too much frosting though. I wish more recipes would give the cup amount. Not x cupcakes, cake size, layers of whatever. Frosting is subjective. 😆. ATK uses 1 c per layer.
Are you measuring 1¹/² cup then sifting or sifting first?
This Is a perfect example for using a scale. The recipe calls for 188 grams of powdered sugar. You measure by weight then sift. All guesswork is removed when using a scale.
Omg didn’t even notice the weights 🤦🏼♀️. Thanks lol
I have been using this same recipe for years. It originally came from https://bakeschool.com/thick-cream-cheese-frosting/
Is that where you got your recipe?
Hi Olivia! Thanks for your question. No, our recipe wasn’t sourced from Bake School—we originally published it back in 2017. It looks like their version was published in 2021 and uses significantly different ingredient ratios. Our recent update only adjusted the method for mixing to help achieve a more pipeable frosting without adding additional powdered sugar. No changes were made to the ingredients themselves. Hope that clears things up!
I am trying this recipe for my Red Velvet Cupcakes for a Valentine Coffee Social at my Apt. Bldg. I took note & put the Vanilla Paste on my wish list on Amazon, but I will have to use Vanilla extract this time. I may add more emsudgar to stiffen it up more, bc the other recipe called for more sugar, but I lost it. I had this one sent to my email & also copied it down for now bc I’ll be busy baking & cooking a day. I will rate it after I make it, but I’m sure it will be fine.
I made the frosting with adjustments like I doubled the recipe for 9 × 13 Carrot Cake recipe for glass baking dish. Plus I added a small packet of pecans to the icing when everything else was throughly mixed. I also adjusted the vanilla but that’s up to each one’s desires for flavor. I didn’t sift the sugar because for the simple fact my butter was warm enough to get 2 cups mixed with out any lumps before adding into the cream cheese mix. It was perfect!! 🥰😋
I’m ggoing to make this in morning going to to a dinner lm putting it on a spice cake
The frosting was good, but two cups of sugar would be way too sweet for myself. I put one cup of sugar and tasted it and it was actually pretty perfect but I decided to sweeten it a little more so I put in a little less than half a cup and that made it too sweet. Otherwise it was really good and I’ll make it again just with less sugar.