This cream cheese frosting is literally THE BEST you’re going to try. It’s rich, creamy, tart and has the perfect level of sweetness. It’s a great stable cream cheese frosting too, making it ideal for piping!
What makes this cream cheese frosting the best?
Okay I know everyone says their version of something is the best. BUT, I have to say that I don’t think I’ve tried a cream cheese frosting that tastes better than this one.
The secret? LEMON JUICE! With the addition of fresh lemon juice (yes – it must be FRESH!), there’s an added layer of tartness. It adds an incredible depth of flavour and is the perfect combo with cream cheese for this buttercream!
Did you know I also have a chocolate cream cheese frosting recipe! It’s equally as good, and you can find it here.
Ingredients for Cream Cheese Frosting
This recipe will require:
– Unsalted butter: You’ll need the butter to be at room temperature, and I would highly recommend using unsalted butter as it results in a less harsh tasting buttercream.
– Icing/confectioners’ sugar (also called powdered sugar)
– Cream cheese: for a more stable frosting you want to use a firm, full-fat cream cheese. They sometimes come in a brick.
– Vanilla essence/extract
– Fresh lemon juice: This is going to add a wonderful tart flavor to the frosting and helps cut through the sweetness.
How to make this frosting
This cream cheese frosting comes together SO EASILY!
You want to start off by creaming your butter in a large mixing bowl for a few minutes using an electric mixer, until it’s light and fluffy. This is going to give your frosting a lighter texture.
Next you want to add in your icing/confectioners sugar in 3 batches, whilst mixing on a low speed. This is going to ensure that our icing sugar doesn’t go everywhere!
Then add in your cold cream cheese, vanilla essence or vanilla extract and fresh lemon juice. Mix on a medium high speed just until the frosting is smooth. Avoid over-mixing as this can result in a less stable frosting.
And that is it! You should end up with a smooth cream cheese frosting 🙂
Commonly Asked Questions
Can I use this frosting for cake decorating and layer cakes?
If you’re making a simple 2 layer cake, then yes it can be used as a frosting for the inside and outside. However, as with most cream cheese frostings it will soften up slightly at room temperature making it less stable. Because of this, for cakes with 3 or more layers, I would recommend using this frosting only as a filling.
Below is an example of my red velvet cake recipe (2 layers), which I frosted with this cream cheese frosting. It held together well as it was only 2 layers, but I imagine if I added more layers then I may run into some problems with layers sliding off!
Can I pipe with this cream cheese frosting?
ABSOLUTELY! So the trick to getting a firm enough consistency is using cold, firm cream cheese (not the spreadable type). This will give you a nice pipeable consistency that’s great for cakes and cupcakes.
If it’s really hot where you live, and your frosting is starting to soften up after some time, simply place it back into the fridge for about 30 minutes, and then rewhip it. It should be back at a nice pipeable consistency.
How do you make cream cheese frosting thicker or more stable?
There are a few ways you can increase the stability of this frosting or make it a bit thicker.
– Add in more icing/powdered sugar (if you don’t mind a little extra sweetness). Add in a tablespoon at a time and taste test as you go.
– Secondly, you can add in some cornstarch to thicken up the frosting. I would add in about 2 tablespoons max, otherwise it can start to impact the taste/texture of your frosting.
– You can also add in meringue powder or arrowroot powder. About 2 teaspoons of each per batch of frosting.
How do you store cream cheese frosting?
Because this frosting contains cream cheese, proper storage is important to maintain its texture and prevent it from spoiling. It will be okay to leave out at room temperature for the day (as the sugar in the frosting prevents the cream cheese from spoiling too quickly), but after that it should be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator overnight.
Can you freeze cream cheese frosting?
Yes, you can freeze cream cheese frosting to extend its shelf life. Freezing cream cheese frosting is a good way to preserve it for later use, especially if you have leftover frosting that you don’t plan to use immediately. Simply place it in an airtight container and freeze for upto 3 months.
It’s important to note that although cream cheese frosting does generally freeze quite well (due to the high fat content), sometimes freezing can slightly alter the texture, and it may become slightly softer or grainy after thawing. However, re-whipping can usually help improve its texture.
What can I use cream cheese frosting for?
Cream cheese frosting can be used for so many different flavoured cakes! Some of my favourite options are my spice cake recipe, carrot cake recipe and red velvet cake recipe.
Cream Cheese Buttercream Frosting
Print Pin VideoIMPORTANT: For accuracy, I would recommend using the gram measurements provided, as those are the exact quantities I use. Cup measurements are given as estimates (based on US cup measurements) to make it easier for those who do not have a scale.
Ingredients
- 1 cup (225 g) unsalted butter - room temp
- 4½ cups (570 g) powdered sugar - also known as confectioners/icing sugar. Use more for a thicker frosting (see note 1)
- 1½ cups (335 g) cream cheese - cold, firm type (see note 2)
- 1½ tsp vanilla essence/extract
- 1½ tbsp lemon juice - must be fresh
Instructions
- To a large bowl add in unsalted butter and using an electric mixer (hand or stand mixer are both fine - use the paddle attachment if using a stand mixer) cream for a few minutes on a medium high speed until it's light and fluffy.
- Add in the powdered sugar in 3 batches while mixing on low. Ensure that each batch of powdered sugar is mixed into the butter well before adding in the next batch.
- Next add in your cold cream cheese, vanilla and fresh lemon juice and mix on a medium speed just until the frosting is smooth. Avoid over-mixing (see note 3). If using a stand mixer, you may need to mix on a high speed to get everything nice and smooth (see note 4 if your frosting is lumpy).
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information are estimates only as they are automatically calculated by a third party application. Actual values may differ based on brands and types of products used.
154 Comments
Is it possible that this cream cheese frosting could be so good that it could potentially overshadow the cake itself, becoming the star of the show?
Haha yes that could totally happen! I usually pair it with cakes where the flavor combination works well so it usually doesn’t overpower it, but if you prefer you could use a little less of the frosting (not such a thick layer) if you want to make sure it doesn’t overpower the cake 🙂
How many cupcakes can I frost with this quantity?
Hi Danya! You should be able to comfortably frost around 24 cupcakes, maybe even a bit more 🙂
Can this be used for sticking fondant on cake? Would it keep the fondant “glued” enough?
Hi Mari! 🙂
I would not recommend using this frosting (or generally any cream cheese based frosting) as the final coat on a cake that will then be covered in fondant or have fondant decorations attached as cream cheese frostings aren’t as stable as regular buttercreams or ganache. What I usually do is use the cream cheese frosting as a filling if you wanted to use it (say for red velvet cake) and then a more stable frosting on the outside 🙂
Hope that helps!
Can I use Philadelphia cream cheese for that? I can’t really find firm type cheese in Poland. Or could you tell me what kind of cheese did you use, exactly? I mean, the company etc. I will try to find similar one. I think, I need more details
Hi Krystian! 🙂
I haven’t tried Philadelphia cream cheese myself, but it may work okay! As long as it’s not too soft. I use Anchor cream cheese ‘original’ here in NZ which is different to their ‘spreadable’ range which is on the softer side 🙂
If you find your frosting is a bit too thin, you can add extra powdered sugar (it will make the frosting sweeter) or a bit of cornstarch to help thicken it up.
Hope that helps and hope you enjoy the recipe!
I used Philadelphia Cream Cheese in this recipe and it was delicious.
It is a buttercream frosting and not a real cream cheese frosting, but with the addition of the lemon juice the flavour and texture were great. It was definitely stable as well and I didn’t have a problem with it melting.
Awesome! So glad you loved the recipe Shelley 😀
Hello Maryam! I love your page 🙂 Thanks for sharing your recipes 😊 I have a couple of questions, 1. What’s the lemon juice for, outsideof adding tang? Other recipes mention not using liquid as it destabilises the structure and 2. My son’s birthday is coming up and I was thinking of using your recipe on cupcakes but the time of year is set for lunvh time, mid January in Canberra (south of Sydney, Australia), so the weather will be hot. Do you think the structure will hold in warm weather?
Hi Natasha! So happy to hear you’re loving the recipes 😀
So the lemon juice is just to add a bit more tang and make the frosting less sweet. You can omit it though if you prefer. It does make the frosting a little less stable, but still stable enough to do piping and hold up relatively well. Outdoors in very hot weather I think the frosting will start to melt, but if its indoors with some kind of air conditioning (so it’s not too hot) it should be fine. An easy way to make the frosting more stable is to add more powdered sugar (it does make it sweeter though) or a bit of cornstarch 🙂
Hope that helps and hope your son has a wonderful birthday! 🙂
Hi MK! Just a thought here: I’ve read about using gelatin to make stabilized whipped cream. I bet you could try something like that in this recipe to help stabilize it, give it better piping quality. I’d love to see this colored, too.
Just google stabilized whipped cream.
Hi Jean 🙂
Great suggestion! Will note this down as something to try in the future 🙂
Could I use vinegar as a replacement for the lemon juice if I don’t have any? Or even lime juice?
Hi Sherrelle! 🙂 Lime juice would work fine, though I wouldn’t recommend the vinegar incase you can taste it (may make the frosting taste a bit strange!). Hope that helps and hope you enjoy the recipe 🙂
I can’t find the hard cream cheese frosting anywhere, would it be okay to use the spreadable cream cheese?
Hi Charlotte! 🙂
Yes I believe in the UK it may be hard to find firm cream cheese. You could use this recipe with the spreadable cream cheese, the frosting may just be a bit softer. You could add a bit more powdered sugar for a stiffer frosting, but this will make the frosting sweeter so just keep that in mind. Adding a little cornstarch can help too 🙂
Hope that helps and hope you enjoy the recipe if you decide to try it out 🙂
And do you think full fat white soft cheese would word as well?
Hi Mishal! 🙂 I haven’t tried that myself so I’m not too sure sorry! My worry would be that the cheese may be too soft and you might end up with a frosting that’s too soft. Sorry I couldn’t be of more help!
Thank you I managed to find block cream cheese at Amazon fresh in the uk, if that helps anyone else.
Can you color this
Hi Tammy! 🙂 I haven’t tried coloring this cream cheese frosting myself, but I think a bit of gel colour should be fine! Would love to hear how it goes if you decide to try it out 🙂
Will this recipe yield enough frosting for a 2 layer cake?
Hi Scott! 🙂 Yes 1x this recipe will be enough to fully frost an 8 inch two layer cake and there will likely be a bit extra for piping too 🙂
Hope you enjoy the recipe!