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Preppy Kitchen

The Best Cream Cheese Frosting

A smooth, sweet and tangy cream cheese frosting that whips up in minutes. Use it on carrot cake, red velvet, hummingbird cake, cupcakes or cinnamon rolls.

Enough for 24 cupcakes, one 9x13-inch cake, a two-layer 8-inch cake, or a three-layer 6-inch cakeAmericanfrostingcream cheesebuttercreamcarrot cakecupcakes

Ingredients

  • 3/4 cupunsalted butter · 1 1/2 sticks (170 g), room temperature and soft
  • —cream cheese · room temperature and very soft
  • 1 pinchsalt · plus an extra half pinch to taste
  • 1 teaspoonvanilla extract
  • 4-6 cupspowdered sugar · sifted if clumpy

Steps

  1. 1

    Beat the room-temperature butter in a stand mixer on medium speed for about 30 seconds, until creamy.

  2. 2

    Add the softened cream cheese, a pinch of salt and the vanilla.

  3. 3

    Mix on medium speed for about 2 minutes, scraping down the bowl halfway through.

  4. 4

    With the mixer off for each addition, add 4 cups of powdered sugar one cup at a time, mixing well after each cup.

  5. 5

    Scrape down the bowl, mix again, then taste and check the consistency. Add another half pinch of salt if you like.

  6. 6

    For a soft frosting for sheet cakes or rustic swoops, stop at 4 cups. For piping with height and structure, add more powdered sugar, up to 6 cups total.

  7. 7

    Increase to medium speed and beat for about 2 more minutes, until light and fluffy.

  8. 8

    Use right away. If the frosting has been sitting, whip it on medium for 30 seconds before using, and press out any bubbles with a spatula.

  9. 9

    Keep anything frosted with it in the refrigerator.

Creator's notes

The butter and cream cheese must be truly soft, or the frosting will have lumps. You can soften cream cheese by leaving it out for about an hour, or by unwrapping it and microwaving it at 50% power in 20-second bursts. This is a softer frosting; more powdered sugar or chilling makes it firmer. Flavor variations: add 1 tsp cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice, or 2-4 tbsp maple syrup, along with the vanilla. Browned butter, cooled to room temperature, also works. For chocolate cream cheese frosting, melt 1/2 cup chocolate with 1/4 cup cream, let it cool, and mix it in at the end. Keeps 1 week in the fridge or up to 3 months frozen. Thaw it overnight in the fridge, bring it to room temperature and re-whip before using. You can double the recipe.

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