• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Recipes
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy

Eats Delightful

menu icon
go to homepage
  • Recipes
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy
search icon
Homepage link
  • Recipes
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy
×
Home » Frostings, Icings, & Glazes

by Mimi · Leave a Comment

Easy Cream Cheese Frosting

Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

Incredibly creamy and flavorful, this frosting made with cream cheese is so simple, yet so versatile!

Jump to:
  • frosting ingredients:
  • How to make cream cheese frosting:
  • variations:
  • How long does cream cheese frosting last?
  • Check out these other frosting recipes!
  • Easy Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe

I feel like cream cheese frosting doesn't get as much love as classic buttercream! But it's super flavorful and just as versatile as regular buttercream!!

5 ingredients, and 5 minutes of your time, and you'll have a bowl of this delicious frosting for all of your red velvet, carrot cake, and cinnamon roll needs! Or whatever else you like.

cream cheese frosting complete in bowl overhead (1)

frosting ingredients:

• cream cheese: of course!
• butter: helps give the frosting some structure. Using 100% cream cheese would leave you with an overly soft final product! And, no thank you to that!
• salt: to balance out the sweetness
• vanilla extract: for flavor!
• powdered sugar: for sweetness and structure. This recipe uses 4 cups, but if you want a less sweet frosting, you can take it down to 3 cups. I wouldn't go any less than that because a lot of the body of the frosting does come from the sugar!

cream cheese frosting cream cheese and butter in bowl side view
cream cheese frosting butter and cream cheese in bowl overhead
cream cheese frosting cream cheese and butter creamed together overhead

How to make cream cheese frosting:

1. Cream together butter and cream cheese. Add salt and vanilla and whisk in as well.
2. Add powdered sugar. Beat until all the sugar is dissolved.
3. Frost away!

red velvet cupcakes on marble serving board head on view

variations:

Here's how to make this same recipe into:

• cinnamon cream cheese frosting: add between 1 to 2 teaspoons of ground cinnamon (depending on your taste)!
• lemon frosting: add 2 tablespoons of lemon juice and 2 teaspoons of lemon zest!
• strawberry frosting: add a ¼ cup strawberry jam. Or (if you want to use fresh strawberries) cook 1 cup of strawberries on your stovetop until it reduces down to a ¼ cup. Cool down the mixture completely before adding to your frosting at the end!

red velvet cupcakes on serving tray topped with frosting and cake crumbs

How long does cream cheese frosting last?

This frosting actually lasts a decent amount of time. It'll keep for up to 5 days in the fridge. You can even freeze it for up to 3 months.

Whichever method you choose, make sure to store your frosting in an airtight container or plastic bag to keep it as fresh as possible.

Check out these other frosting recipes!

• chocolate buttercream frosting
• vanilla buttercream frosting
• whipped chocolate ganache frosting


cream cheese frosting on red velvet cupcakes close up (1)

Easy Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe

Incredibly creamy and flavorful, this frosting made with cream cheese is so simple, yet so versatile!
No ratings yet
Print Pin it
Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 0 minutes minutes
Total Time: 5 minutes minutes
Servings: 3 cups (approx.)
Prevent your screen from going dark

Ingredients

  • 1 (8 ounce) block of cream cheese softened to room temperature
  • ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 4 cups powdered sugar * see notes

Instructions

  • In a large bowl, combine cream cheese and butter. Beat together using a wooden spoon or an electric mixer until fluffy, smooth, and lump free. Add your vanilla and salt, and mix to incorporate.
  • Add your sugar to the cream cheese and butter mixture. Beat together again until the sugar is fully dissolved in your frosting.
    *TIP: If you find your frosting is not firm enough for what you plan on using it for, pop it in the fridge for 10 to 20 minutes. It should firm up. The longer it sits in the fridge, the firmer it will get.
  • Frost away!

Notes

* For a less sweet frosting, you can take the amount of sugar down to 3 cups. I wouldn't go below 3 cups just because most of the frosting's body does come from the sugar. Using 3 cups will give you a slightly looser frosting, but nothing a few minutes in the fridge won't fix!
Tried this recipe?Tag me @eatsdelightfulblog or use #eatsdelightful! I love seeing what you're baking!

Enjoy!


More Frostings, Icings, & Glazes

  • slice of funfetti cake in plate (1)
    Funfetti Cake
  • sliced moist apple crumb cake on parchment lined wire (3)
    Moist Sour Cream Apple Bread
  • decorated and cut apple pie layer cake on cake stand (2)
    Apple Pie Layer Cake
  • sliced brown butter maple crumb cake on parchment lined wire rack (1)
    Brown Butter Maple Crumb Cake

Reader Interactions

Leave a Comment Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Primary Sidebar

author photo

Hi, I'm Mimi! I'm a former finance professional, turned full-time food blogger, photographer, and recipe creator. Welcome to my little corner of the internet!

More about me →

trending recipes

  • spring lemon Bundt cake pouring icing over cake
    Simple Powdered Sugar Glaze / Icing
  • glazed sour cream glazed donuts on wire rack
    Sour Cream Glazed Donuts
  • frosted and decorated white cake on cake stand (2)
    Vanilla Buttercream Frosting
  • chocolate chip muffin split in half view of texture (4)
    Bakery Style Chocolate Chip Muffins

see more recipes →

Follow Us!

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • YouTube

Footer

↑ back to top

This post may contain affiliate links. Please see our Privacy Policy for full details.

More

  • recipes
  • about me
  • privacy policy

Newsletter

  • sign up to receive recipes and updates by email!

Work With Me

  • contact

Eats Delightful Copyright © 2023

This site uses cookies
We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
Do not sell my personal information.
Cookie settingsACCEPT
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Non-necessary
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
SAVE & ACCEPT