There is a magical taste and texture to cream cheese frosting. I like it so much more than plain vanilla butter cream because it’s not so sweet. It also captures flavors exquisitely.
Two Recipes for the Best Cream Cheese Frosting
I couldn’t decide which recipe I liked better, so I’m giving you two of them. One is more cream cheese centric; one has a bigger butter ratio. It really depends on which kind of cake you’re making.
I like the cream cheese centric one when the cake is denser, such as the coconut cupcakes, or carrot cake.
Add in some nutmeg and coconut for the best coconut cupcakes in the world. In fact, since you’re here, I need to tell you that I have made those cupcakes more than 30 times and it’s my most requested recipe from friends.
In summertime, I love these chocolate zucchini cupcakes, with an orange and basil cream cheese frosting, and in the spring we brighten up with a carrot cake with a lemon cream cheese frosting.
The quintessential cake and cream cheese duo has always been the much beloved red velvet cake with a vanilla cream cheese frosting. I wouldn’t dare try to play with this combination. It’s classic. It’s perfect and that’s why it shows up so often at weddings and special occasions. Recently, I even created a new cream cheese frosting with espresso.
Either cream cheese frosting would be great in these red velvet jars.
Both are delicious and I’m giving you the choice.
You might even change the ratio for your own taste buds. Ingredients to consider playing with include orange zest, orange juice, dark rum, real vanilla bean, sea salt, crumbled cookies, various herbs, cocoa powder, heavy cream, maple syrup, nutmeg, cinnamon, or any pureed berries. You may need to adjust the amount of confectioner’s sugar to get the right consistency. You want it to be able to hold shape as above.
And just for fun, I recently made a goat cheese, cream cheese frosting.
Espresso Frosting for Chocolate Cake
Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting for Carrot Cake
Strawberry Buttercream Frosting
Caramel Frosting Recipe that You Can Pipe
So tell me, what is your favorite cake or ingredient in a good cream cheese frosting?
- 10 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 10 tablespoons, unsalted butter
- 5 cups confectioner's sugar
- 2 teaspoons real vanilla (order here)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon milk or heavy cream
- 12 ounces cream cheese, softened (1½ of the 8 ounce packages)
- 5 tablespoons butter
- 5 to 5½ cups confectioner's sugar
- 3 tablespoons of heavy cream (optional) If you use this option, you will need to add in another ½ cup or more of confectioners' sugar)
- 2 teaspoons real vanilla extract (order here)
- Cream butter and cream cheese together. Add in sugar, one cup at a time. Add vanilla. Beat until light and fluffy. Add milk or cream if it needed, if it's too stiff.
- Cream butter and cream cheese together. Add in confectioners' sugar, one cup at a time. Add in heavy cream and vanilla. Beat until fluffy.
Myra says
September 10, 2017 at 9:19 pmI only made the first recipe but that is no doubt the best cream cheese frosting I have ever had. Thank you for the recipe!
Angela Roberts says
September 10, 2017 at 9:46 pmMyra
Thank you so much for writing me to let me know. It really makes my day when people take the time and I know they had a good experience.
Happy Cooking
Angela
Spinach Tiger
carla says
April 7, 2014 at 12:06 amAbout how many cupcakes can I frost with this recipe?
Allison says
February 28, 2014 at 1:30 pmWhich of the two recipes produces a stiffer frosting? I’m on a never-ending hunt for a pipe-able cream cheese frosting, and it looks like the recipe used in your last photo piped really well!
Liisa says
February 21, 2015 at 9:27 amI used chantilly stabiliser (or you can use Agar) to thicken the frosting. You need to heat the water first and then add the stabiliser and it worked great. We ended up adding 4 times the amount of cream cheese because we felt this recipe was much much too sugary for our adult palate. It is more for a young teenage or young adult palate of all sugar and very little cream cheese flavour.
Deanna says
April 20, 2016 at 10:31 amHow much Agar did you use?
www.scrummyicecream.com says
August 2, 2013 at 4:11 amHi mates, its impressive piece of writing about tutoringand completely defined, keep it up all
the time.
Ernestine Robichaux says
June 17, 2013 at 11:11 amI really thought this was my personal Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe Try a teaspoon of Lemon Extract Very Unique
dijon says
February 9, 2013 at 6:18 pmI made the frosting in the first recipe for my mother’s birthday cake. It was amazing; very delicious and it was the perfect consistency.
Vicki says
December 17, 2012 at 3:00 amHi, by saying serves 8, does this mean it can frost a two layer cake?
Courtney F says
October 28, 2012 at 9:31 pmMade recipe #1 for my red velvet cupcakes & it was seriously the best cream cheese icing I’ve ever tasted. Perfect balance of sweetness & creaminess. So yummy. Thanks for sharing.
Kathy Sowders says
August 22, 2012 at 4:10 pmOMG!!! The best cream cheese frosting I have EVER had. Just completed an order for two dozen red velvet cupcakes and I am sooo in trouble…..there is frosting left over (and I piped it on, kind of like the picture)!! Not exactly compatible with Weight Watchers….Thank you for the recipe (#1)!!
angela says
July 31, 2012 at 10:27 pmZay, thank you. I’m so glad it worked for you and I love carrot cake!
Zay says
July 31, 2012 at 8:46 pmSorry I forgot to rate it
Zay says
July 31, 2012 at 8:46 pmI sooooooooo loved this frosting!!! It went perfect with my carrot cake. Thanx a bunch ^_^
Haley @ Cheap Recipe Blog says
March 1, 2012 at 4:05 pmI found your site while doing a search for “best cream cheese frosting recipe” – and I must say, I love your blog! The photos are beautiful and the recipes are creative. Excited to try this recipe for banana bars I’m making for a party this weekend.
Tim says
December 30, 2011 at 5:32 pmI really really like cream cheese frosting! How much sugar in the second recipe?
Valérie ( France ) says
December 30, 2011 at 7:39 amTrès gourmand et haut en couleur j’adore
Je te souhaite un bon dernier vendredi de l’année
Valérie
Magic of Spice says
December 29, 2011 at 11:48 pmI never thought frosting could be so pretty!
Happy New Year!
Barbara | Creative Culinary says
December 29, 2011 at 11:11 pmI made a brown butter cream cheese frosting this past year that was one of my very favorites ever but then I’m sort of on a brown butter with everything kick!
These look gorgeous!
Norma says
December 29, 2011 at 9:58 pmAy Dios Mio! I will try this when I learn to bake. My goal is to make bread and bake a cake from scratch for 2012….get ready….
Much love for 2012.
Norma
Teresa Blackburn says
December 29, 2011 at 7:52 pmBeautiful, lovely, deliciously yummy looking frosting. I will try this on my next cake.
Lora says
December 29, 2011 at 11:18 amI love cream cheese frosting on the deeper, spicier flavor cakes. Thank you for these. For some reason I am dismal at cream cheese frosting, it always ends up too runny. Will try these next time! Happy New Year.
jb says
November 20, 2012 at 12:28 ami know this is a year later, but if your frosting is too runny add a couple of spoons of instant vanilla pudding
Lorraine @ Not Quite Nigella says
December 29, 2011 at 9:05 amThis is hands down my favourite icing ever! It’s actually quite embarrassing how much of it I can eat! 😛 Interesting using some cream in the second recipe, I must give that a go!
Sylvie @ Gourmande in the Kitchen says
December 29, 2011 at 1:08 amCream cheese frosting is my husband’s favorite. I usually make it in a 1-1 ratio but I’ll have to try it the other way as well.
Rosa says
December 28, 2011 at 7:24 pmI love cream cheese frosting. That cupcake looks so pretty and tempting!
Cheers,
Rosa