The Best Cream Cheese Frosting
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Say hello to your new favorite frosting! Our foolproof cream cheese frosting recipe is a dream come true. Creamy, tangy, and unbelievably stable thanks to our secret ingredient, it’s the perfect finishing touch for any dessert.
Finally! A recipe for cream cheese frosting that is foolproof, not going to weep, and finally solves all of the common troubles when it comes to the classic frosting. This is my favorite cream cheese frosting recipe. There’s nothing fancy, crazy, or complicated about it.
Bonus? The flavor and texture of this frosting is unmatched. It’s light, fluffy, perfectly tangy, and just SO. GOOD.
What Makes This Frosting The Best?
We have been developing this cream cheese frosting recipe for YEARS, as recipes like our red velvet cake and hummingbird cake have always been some of our more requested recipes to make for holiday’s and get-togethers.
If you’ve ever made a cream cheese frosting, you know how finicky it can be. This recipe solve all of those classic issues. How? It’s actually so simple…omitting the butter and adding whipped cream!
By whipping cream prior to adding the cream cheese, it creates a more stable base that is less likely to melt/weep.
Then, we add the cream cheese one chunk at a time. The important thing here is to KEEP WHIPPING. It will look a bit like butter, but that’s ok. We need that to create that sturdy base!
Once the cream cheese is thoroughly beaten in and smooth, add the rest of your ingredients and whip until it’s light, fluffy, and well combined.
And that’s it! No cooking involved, no extra effort, no weird ingredients. You now have is a frosting that’s:
- silky smooth
- pipable with your favorite piping tips
- rich, creamy, and easily spreads
- so good you’ll want to eat it with a spoon 😉
⊹ Success Tip! ⊹
Make sure that you use a brick of cream cheese, not cream cheese spread. The cream cheese you need for this recipe is sold in 8-ounce bricks. You will need two full bricks for this frosting.
What Goes Best With Cream Cheese Frosting?
Besides carrot cake, you’ll also love this frosting with:
- Bakery-Style Cinnamon Rolls
- Chocolate Chip Cookie Cupcakes
- Classic Vanilla Cake
- Strawberry Sheet Cake
- Caramel Apple Cake
- Coconut Loaf Cake
- Lemon Raspberry Cake
Feel free to have fun and even experiment with flavors. Add some strawberry powder, a dash of cinnamon, lemon zest, or even swirl in some caramel sauce like we did with our carrot sheet cake!
More Recipes You’ll Love:
When you make this recipe, leave a comment down below! We love hearing from you and answering any questions you might have! Also, be sure to tag us on social media and hashtag it #BakersTable.
Happy baking!
x, Caylie
The Best Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients
- 2 cups heavy cream, cold
- 16 ounces cream cheese, cut into 1-inch cubes
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 4 cups powdered sugar, sifted
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Instructions
- Beat cream to stiff peaks.
- Beat in cream cheese, 1 cube at a time.
- Add salt.
- Beat in powdered sugar.
- Stir in vanilla.
Notes + Tips!
How to Store This Frosting
Cream cheese frosting is best stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It will typically stay fresh for 3-5 days.Key Tips For The Perfect Cream Cheese Frosting
- Cold ingredients are essential: Keep both the cream cheese and heavy whipping cream very cold throughout the process.
- Whip cream cheese until smooth: Beat the cream cheese until completely smooth and creamy before adding other ingredients.
- Sift the powdered sugar: This is KEY for a creamy, smooth frosting.
- Don’t frost a warm cake: Whether you’re frosting a cake or cupcakes, make sure that it’s completely cooled before frosting.
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Hi! Should the cream cheese be room temperature? Thanks for your time!
Hi Regina! The cream cheese is soft anyway coming out of the fridge, so it doesn’t have to be room temperature.