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Best Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe

This is the absolute best cream cheese frosting recipe.

My family, especially my husband Mark, absolutely love cream cheese frosting – on cake, muffins, coffee cake, well you get the idea.  This recipe is just so easy to make, you will never buy store bought cream cheese frosting again! 

TIPS TO MAKE THE BEST CREAM CHEESE FROSTING RECIPE 

Make sure your butter and cream cheese are really soft so that they blend easily

Use a stand mixer or hand held mixer

Sift your powdered sugar (icing sugar) to get out any small lumps that can happen especially when the sugar has been sitting in your pantry for a while. 

Use full fat cream cheese, and experiment with generic or store brands.  I’ve found that many store brands are equal to the name brands and so much cheaper!

carrot cake cupcake with cream cheese frosting

Ingredients for Cream Cheese Frosting:

Powdered sugar, cream cheese, butter, vanilla, salt.

Want to Make This Frosting Thicker?

It’s pretty thick to start with, but adding extra powdered (icing) sugar will make a thicker frosting to be sure.  

Can cream cheese frosting be used for piping?

You can! It looks so pretty when you pipe it.  I’m a kinda slather it on all over kinda gal, but I do get my piping kit out every now and then. LOL. 

How can I Store & Freeze Frosting?

You can keep your leftovers (?) in the fridge for about a week, or even better, put it in a tightly sealed container and freeze it – no more than two months though.  The next time you make a batch of your favorite pumpkin muffins – you’re all set.  

piping cream cheese frosting onto cupcakes

You can also make these yummy flavours with your frosting recipe:

Strawberry – add ½ cup fresh or frozen (thawed) strawberries for delicious pink cream cheese frosting

Chocolate – Just a half a cup of unsweetened cocoa powder will get you to chocolate cream cheese frosting heaven. Perfect for your fave chocolate cake

Lemon – a tablespoon fresh lemon & lemon zest and you can dress up your favorite lemon loaf cake or yummy lemon poppyseed muffins! 

Cinnamon – just add ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon and you’ve got the perfect frosting for our Applesauce Cake!

closeup of carrot cake cupcake with cream cheese frosting sprinkles with pecans

Use this easy frosting recipe with these delicious desserts!

Carrot Cake

Tomato Soup Muffins

Pumpkin Muffins

Apple Cake 

Old Fashioned Coffee Cake

Apple Pie Bread 

How to Make Cream Cheese Frosting

It’s just the easiest recipe ever right? Making your own whipped cream cheese frosting will add the extra sparkle to your favorite muffins and cakes.  And quickly become your family’s favorite too! If you love this recipe as much as we do, please give it a 5 star rating. 

woman's hands piping cream cheese frosting onto several cupcakes and shows plain cupcakes too
Yield: 3 to 4 cups

Best Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Additional Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes

Everyone loves cream cheese frosting and with this recipe you can enjoy it any time at all. The video shows you how step by step.

Ingredients

  • ½ cup butter, softened
  • 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
  • 4 cups confectioners' sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

Mix softened cream cheese and butter together, using a stand mixer or hand held mixer

Add vanilla

Gradually add confectioner's sugar (powdered sugar) and beat until smooth and creamy

Spread over your favorite cake, muffins or cupcakes

Like this recipe?

Be sure to follow us @pieladybakes for more recipes like this! xo

Pin it for later! 

collage of 4 images showing cream cheese frosting on muffin, being piped on cupcakes, and being whipped in a bowl

More Vintage Recipes!

Vintage desserts from the 50s, 60s and 70s that are fun to make, taste delicious and great for parties, picnics & potlucks. All tried and true favorites that will help you create lasting memories.

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Judy Kahansky is an experienced writer and baker, creating delicious desserts (including pie!) for over 40 years. She loves to take classic and vintage recipes and update them to fit the busy lives of her readers. When not baking, Judy and her husband Mark are passionate golfers, travelers and dog lovers, spending as much time as they can with their sweet pup Millie.

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