Cream Cheese Frosting
My cream cheese frosting recipe has undergone extensive testing to produce an ultra-creamy, silky-smooth, sturdy texture without being overly sweet in just minutes.
Servings 1 ¼ cups frosting
Ingredients
- ¾ stick (85 grams) unsalted butter, at cool room temperature (67°F)*
- 1 ½ 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 ½ teaspoons
vanilla paste or vanilla extract*** - 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt or table salt, optional
Instructions
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the softened butter and sifted powdered sugar on low. Gradually increase to medium-high to prevent a sugar cloud.
- Beat for 3 minutes until the mixture is pale, light, thick, but smooth. It may look dry or crumbly at first, but keep beating until it holds together.
- 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 salt and beat for 30 seconds until fully incorporated. Scrape down the bowl again as needed.
Video
Notes
*Butter: Be sure your butter is not too warm or greasy, otherwise your frosting will become loose and even soup-like.
**Vanilla: For an elevated look, vanilla bean paste provides those beautiful specks of vanilla. Perfect for special occasions like birthdays, weddings, or holidays!
***Cream Cheese: Only use bricks of full-fat cream cheese for best results. Tub-style cream cheese for bagels tends to have more air, water, and stabilizers, creating a looser texture and is not recommended for this recipe. I prefer Philadelphia brand.
Yield Notes: This recipe makes 1 ¼ cups of frosting, or enough for 12 cupcakes. You can easily double the recipe to frost a 2 or 3-layer 8-inch cake or to use on 24 cupcakes. Simply double all ingredients. No other modifications are needed!
Recipe Link
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