Stable Cream Cheese Frosting

Actually, this cream cheese frosting goes perfect with any cake flavor you can imagine.

I have tried this cream cheese frosting with my red velvet cake and red velvet cupcakes recipe and it tastes incredible, just melts in your mouth.

It has the perfect balance of sweetness and tanginess.

I always prefer cream cheese frosting over regular buttercream frosting because regular buttercream is usually very sweet.

Also like your regular buttercream, you can easily pipe and this cream cheese frosting, it is that study.

You can also color this cream cheese frosting recipe.

Table Of Contents

1. Why is this cream cheese frosting recipe best?
2. Ingredients List
3. Tools to make this yummy cream cheese icing
4. Overview: How to make cream cheese frosting?
5. Step-By-Step Instructions to make this a stable frosting recipe
6. Storing and Freezing Instructions
7. Cakes for cream cheese frosting
8. Expert Tips to make best and delicious frosting
9. Cream cheese frosting recipe video tutorial
10. FAQ’s
11. Request
12. Recipe Card

Why is this cream cheese frosting recipe best?

1. Quick cream cheese frosting recipe.
2. It’s the most delicious cream cheese frosting ever.
3. It has the perfect balance of sweetness and tanginess.
4. You can freeze this for one month. So, you can make this ahead of time.
5. Sturdy, pipeable and can die easily.
6. It is not sweet as regular buttercream, makes it perfect pairing for many cakes and cupcakes.

Ingredients List

Cream cheese: Use regular full fat cream cheese. Philadelphia or Lactantia are my favorite brand in cream cheese. If you are in India, you can also get ‘Britannia’ and ‘Dlecta’ brand cream cheese.
PS: I am not getting paid to mention the names here but just mentioning my favorite brands.

Unsalted Butter: This will give richness and structure to our frosting. Cream cheese is very soft so you will need something to hold the frosting together. If you are using salted butter then skip out the salt.

Icing sugar: Use only Icing sugar or confectioners sugar or powdered sugar. DO NOT use regular white granulated sugar. This recipe does not require any cooking or baking so there is no way the regular sugar will melt and mix up with other ingredients. So, use icing sugar which will be easily dissolved in the cream cheese and butter.
Don’t have icing sugar? I got you! Finding in a middle of recipe that one ingredient is not there is such a disappointment. But, don’t worry. You can make icing sugar at home in no time. You can check my homemade powdered sugar recipe which gives all the details along with all the tips and tricks.

Vanilla extract: You can use pure vanilla extract or artificial extract, whatever is available in your pantry.

Salt: Just a pinch! Trust me, this will enhance the flavor of cream cheese frosting. If you are using salted butter then skip this ingredient.

Tools to make this yummy cream cheese icing

1. Mixing Bowl
2. Measuring Spoons
3. Measuring Cups
4. Weighing Scale
5. Stand Mixer / Hand Mixer

Overview: How to make cream cheese frosting?

I have mentioned step by step recipe with images below and also mentioned all the details in recipe card but let’s quickly understand the basic steps before you start.

Sr. No.	Steps to make cream cheese frosting at home
1	Beat butter.
2	Add softened cream cheese and beat.
3	Now add vanilla extract and salt.
4	Finally, add powdered sugar and beat.

Step-By-Step Instructions to make this a stable frosting recipe

How to make fluffy cream cheese frosting?

Making cream cheese frosting at home is very easy and quick. Just follow my 6 steps and cream cheese frosting will be ready!

Step 1-Cream butter: In a mixing bowl, take room temperature unsalted butter and beat it with hand mixer or stand mixer until it is light and fluffy.

Step 2-Beat cream cheese: Then add cream cheese and beat it for a minute or two.
NOTE: Many recipes tells to beat cream cheese and butter together but I personally feel, butter needs more time than cream cheese so I prefer to do it different.

Step 3-Add vanilla and salt: Next, add vanilla extract and salt.

Step 4-Mix icing sugar: Reduce the speed to 1 and slowly add, icing sugar. I am adding 1/2 cup at a time. Mix until it is incorporated properly. Then add 1/2 cup more and repeat until icing sugar is finished.

Step 5-Beat: Beat it all together until it is light and fluffy. It will approximately tale 5-6 minutes with stand mixer and 8-9 minutes with hand mixer.

Step 6-Ready: And your cream cheese frosting is ready. Make sure it is holding it’s shape. If cream cheese frosting is too soft, keep it in refrigerator for 10-15 minutes, beat it for 1-2 minutes and check. If it is still soft, try adding some more powdered sugar and check again.

Storing and Freezing Instructions

Storing instructions for cream cheese frosting

Since it contains perishable cream cheese, you need to refrigerate cream cheese frosting.

You can keep cream cheese frosting at room temperature for couple of hours but not more than that.

However you are storing it, please make sure to keep it in an air tight container.

Freezing instructions for cream cheese frosting

If properly stored, you can freeze this cream cheese frosting recipe up to 1 month. Just put it an air tight container or ziploc bag.

Thawing instructions for cream cheese frosting

Just keep it in refrigerator overnight before using.

Sr. No.	Storage Type	Number of days/months it stays fresh
1	Room Temperature	1-2 hrs
2	Refrigerator	2-4 days
3	Freezer	1 month

Cakes for cream cheese frosting

This cream cheese frosting pairs beautifully with many cakes and cupcakes. I have mentioned some of my favorites below:

1. Red velvet cake
2. Red velvet cupcakes
3. Carrot cake
4. Banana bread
5. Brownies
6. Blueberry cake or cupcake

Expert Tips to make best and delicious frosting

Beat butter first:
I would highly recommend to beat the butter first because butter is little hard compare to cream cheese and hence, needs more time. Once you beat butter, then add cream cheese.

Use full-fat cream cheese:
For that creaminess, you need to make sure that, you are using full fat cream cheese which is sold in block form. Stay away from spreadable cream cheese which is sold in tubs. Your frosting may become runny if you use low fat cream cheese.

Room temperature ingredients:
In this recipe, it is important to bring cream cheese and butter to room temperature. If it is cold, then it will not mix with rest of the ingredients properly.

Sift powdered sugar:
I would recommend to sift your powdered sugar to make it lumps free. This is important if you are using this for piping. Small lumps in powdered sugar may clog up your piping tip, especially if you are using small piping tip. This has happened with me before.

Cream cheese frosting recipe video tutorial

FAQ’s

Can you freeze cream cheese frosting?
Yes, absolutely. You can easily freeze this cream cheese frosting recipe for one month. Please follow my detail instructions on storing and freezing.

Can cream cheese frosting sit out?
Yes. You can keep this cream cheese frosting at room temperature for couple of hours but I would not recommend to keep it out after that. I would recommend to store in refrigerator.

Why is my cream cheese frosting too soft?
If your cream cheese is too soft, has been out for more time or you have been piping it for too long then frosting can become soft.

Keep it in refrigerator for 10-15 minutes and check again. If your cream cheese frosting is still soft then try adding little more powdered sugar, beat and check again.

Why my cream cheese frosting is runny?
The main reason behind runny cream cheese frosting is use of a wrong cream cheese. Please DO NOT use low fat cream cheese or spreadable cream cheese from tubs.

This recipe needs block of full fat cream cheese.

Can this cream cheese frosting be piped?
Yes, definitely. This cream cheese frosting recipe is pipeable. But if you keep it out for long time or if you are piping it for long time then it can become little soft and difficult to pipe.

Over the years, I have learnt that if you keep the cream cheese filled in piping bag in refrigerator for 5-10 minutes prior to piping, it pipes beautifully.

Request

Please let me know how this recipe turns out for you in the comments! I really love hearing from you, and your feedback is very much important to me. Tag @DessertKatta or Hashtag it #DessertKatta

Recipe Card