Hi, my name is Kate (“Hi, Kate!”) and I’m addicted to cream cheese frosting. Addicted. Like…we should not be left alone together because I will inevitably do something that will make me feel shameful and sad that the workout I did that morning will count for nothing and then some.
I have the power to make this amazing frosting. I’m going to give you those powers. But you have to remember that with great power comes great responsibility, and you can say that yourself again and again as you lick the beaters. And the spatula. And I squeeze some from the icing bag onto your finger. Because that’s what happens with this frosting.
For the longest, longest time, I could not find a recipe for cream cheese frosting that I liked. I knew what I wanted–the stuff swirled on top of the boutique cupcakes, not too sweet, something kind of like creamy, spreadable cheesecake.
I wanted a really distinct cream cheese flavor, but every recipe I found called for so much butter and sugar that the cream cheese flavor was completely overwhelmed.
And then I found this recipe. And my life was changed. For better or worse I can’t say, but, at least in my book, this is the perfect cream cheese frosting.
If you’re not super crazy about cream cheese or if you like sweeter frostings, this might not be your thing, but if you love that thick, creamy, cream-cheesy frosting on carrot cakes and snack cakes (like pumpkin or apple or banana) and cinnamon rolls and your finger, this one’s for you.
The ingredients aren’t any different than other cream cheese frosting recipes–cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar, and vanilla (or almond) extract. The difference is the proportions–this calls for way more cream cheese and cuts down on the butter and powdered sugar.
You might ask, Kate, can I use light cream cheese? Absolutely. Your frosting will be a tad bit softer, but it still won’t help when you eat it all.
Place all the ingredients in a medium mixing bowl.
Beat together the ingredients until light and fluffy.
Keep the ingredients a little on the cool side–like not quite softened to room temperature. That will prevent the frosting from getting too soft.
Add the powdered sugar…
And then you’re done.
Which is part of the danger–I’m only 5 minutes away from reckless abandon. Slather it onto cupcakes, these sugar cookies, this carrot cake, sandwich it between graham crackers, or your favorite cinnamon rolls, or skip the streusel and swirl it onto these muffins…
Whatever you use it on, enjoy!
Perfect Cream Cheese Frosting
Description
This cream cheese frosting is perfect if you want a frosting that tastes like cream cheese and isn’t too sweet. Fluffy, creamy, and perfectly tangy, this frosting is amazing on cakes, muffins, and anything pumpkin!
Ingredients
2 8-ounce packages cream cheese (light works fine, although it will yield a slightly softer frosting) at almost room temperature
1/2 cup salted butter at almost room temperature
2 cups sifted powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla or almond extract (or both)
Instructions
Whip together the cream cheese, butter, and extract until light and fluffy. Add in the powdered sugar and whip until smooth and fully incorporated. Refrigerate any leftovers (or anything you’ve frosted that doesn’t get eaten immediately).
Tomorrow is my “cheat day” and I get to eat anything I want, so….here I am on your website, planning my eats for the day. This frosting looks SO GOOD!! I was thinking about making carrot cake, but I don’t need a whole cake. Maybe some cupcakes? Would the recipe for carrot cake be okay for cupcakes and how long would I bake them? What type of cupcake do you have pictured above??
I read this line, “And then I found this recipe. And my life was changed. For better or worse I can’t say, but, at least in my book, this is the perfect cream cheese frosting.” and thought of the song from Wicked (how appropriate) “For Good” My teen girls LOVE to bake and are also addicted to cream cheese frosting. I’ll share this recipe with them and let you know what they think. I enjoyed visiting your blog!!
This is the exact recipe which I have been using, and everyone raves about it. I love the tartness. So excited to slather it upon your pumpkin “muffins” tomorrow for a fall party!! Can’t decide if I will do the streusel too, as it looks like most people are doing one or the other. I say go big or go home!!
Nice one. Thanks for sharing.
I love this recipe and I use 1/3 fat cream cheese too since that is what I usually have in the house. I made a half batch this weekend for pumpkin spice muffins – perfection! Thankfully my husband loves cream cheese frosting.
This frosting was amazing!…i combined it with your pumpkin chocolate chip muffins (minus the strudel topping)… And they were so good:)
who cares about what the frosting is going on! i could eat JUST the frosting alone! yum, yum!!!!
So many recipes need a good cream cheese frosting. Thanks for sharing this. i do not like frostings for the most part, but cream cheese is the one type I adore.
Ew. I’m like your husband. Can’t stand it – it tastes like some spoiled dairy product. Yuck. I love cheesecake, and cream cheese frosting is nothing like cheesecake.
Funny, I just blogged about how I absolutely am obsessed with cream cheese frosting too. It is so delicious. When I make it I have to keep myself from sneaking into the fridge and licking my fingers.
this is the frosting i have always used, and it is AMAZING! it is really like a cheesecake sitting on top of a cupcake! love it!
i wonder if it will work well with pumpkin. i’ve been wanting to make some pumpkin cookies for a very long time now
Yep, it’s definitely yummy with pumpkin!
So I am into cake decorating and have been looking for a cream cheese frosting that is good for piping. Would this fit the bill? Also how long do you beat your cream cheese/butter/vanilla mixture. I always buy pumpkin muffins with thick cream cheese frosting, and end up envying the frosting, hoping that someday I will be able to make it that thick and non-runny. But to this day I have failed to recreate it, any tips?
Love your site btw! I have gotten so many dinner ideas from you gals!
It’s great for piping, but only if you use full-fat cream cheese and you only beat it until the ingredients are mixed well–I think overmixing definitely contributes to the super-soft cream cheese frosting. Also, keep the ingredients cool and the room cool. If things are feeling a little soft, load it into the piping bag and then pop it in the fridge until it’s firm enough to pipe and then get them back into the fridge (ever notice how stuff with awesome cream cheese frosting is always cold? 🙂 )
Anyway, I hope that helps! Let us know how it turns out if you try it!
I am also looking for an awesome cream cheese frosting for a cake to decorate with! Had no luck thus far. Too sweet and not enough “cream cheese” flavor. I’m going to trythis one (keep it cool and pipe it). Do you know if it will color ok using the wilton color gels?
Thanks Kate:)
Amber & Brittany….I haven’t tried this one yet, but I made a wedding cake a few weeks ago using a cream cheese frosting that was basically made up of cream cheese and melted white chocolate (a little butter and vanilla as well). You don’t really taste the white chocolate, it just adds sweetness and thickness (especially once refrigerated). Hands down the best frosting I have ever made (I’m surprised I had enough to cover the cakes due to all the “taste testing” I had to do). If you google it, I’m sure you’ll find it online. I didn’t try coloring it though…kept it white for the whole wedding theme thing.
Yum! I am totally addicted to Cream Cheese Frosting too! Thank you for the recipe!
This is the same recipe my mom has been using for decades. It really is so good and it is must on cinnamon rolls!
I have been doing cream cheese frosting this same way for years – always more cream cheese than butter and just a bit of icing sugar. I just made cinnamon buns last night for my daughter’s class and made cream cheese frosting for them. I do have to say that a good rich chocolate cupcake with cream cheese frosting is one of the best things going (although I also do not like it with chocolate chips either)
I thought I was the only person who didn’t do chocolate chips and cream cheese…
Thank you so much for this recipe! I’ve been looking for the perfect cream cheese frosting for pumpkin muffins!
Figure this one out…I don’t like cheesecake because I can taste the cream cheese. However, I love cream cheese frosting. Is there a club for weirdos I can join?
There is definitely a club for weirdos, but you can’t join.
Just kidding.
There’s always room for weirdos like you, Patti. 🙂
I love cream cheese frosting ( especially on anything **chocolate** )
Im going to try your recipe, thanks!
My oldest made it “uncool” to like cream cheese and cream cheese frosting, and the notion has spread like wildfire through the other 5 kids (eyeroll). I, like you, am the main creator and consumer of cream cheese frosting in my house.
I have been waiting for your take on cream cheese frosting for like a year. I have a dangerous addiction too! I love to put it on graham crackers, and I have some graham crackers that need eatin’.
Oohhhh..that looks good – I love that it uses salted butter!
Uh-oh… my husband rarely make desserts anymore unless there is cream cheese involved. I mean, why make dessert without the world’s most splendid ingredient?! Can’t wait to try this version. Thank you!
This also recipe also tastes good if you substitute the cream cheese for mascarpone 🙂
Wow, your blog, the recipe and all the comments make me want to make it NOW! I can’t wait to try this one.
Sounds great! What size decorating tip do you use to get the frosting to look so perfect on the cupcakes? Do you have any special tips/tricks when frosting them? Mine always look like a 2-year-old frosted them – which, I must say, never stops me from eating them. 🙂
You are a godsend. My husband and I love the Rhodes cinnamon rolls for lazy Saturday/Sunday morning breakfasts but the package of rolls only comes with two packets of cream cheese frosting, 12 rolls… and we bake it in groups of four. So our last batch of rolls requires store bought in a can cream cheese frosting because I haven’t found a simple and good cream cheese recipe. Now I need to go buy more rolls so I can try out this recipe!
Who needs cake. Graham crackers dipped in it is my secret addiction. It is the best when you can find the graham cracker sticks plain or cinnamon!
Pinning this RIGHT NOW so that I have it handy when I make my husband a carrot cake to make up for how bad I messed up on his actual birthday. TMI? He loves cream cheese frosting so I’m thinking a hommade carrot cake with homemade cream cheese frosting will get me back into good graces 🙂 These are my hopes.
Oh, Mandi, I totally know about screwing up the actual birthdays, lol! A few years ago, we were deaaaaaaad broke and so my present was going to be making a TON (like hundreds) of the sugar cookies with glace icing on the blog and surprising him at work. It took days and days of planning and baking and decorating. When I was taking them out to the car, the box bottomed out and they fell all over the ground. So not only did he get no REAL presents because we had no money, but he didn’t get any cookies, either. And the KICKER was that his stupid special birthday dinner didn’t happen, either, because I was so preoccupied by the cookie disaster. It was bad.