Cream Cheese Frosting
PREP TIME
10 mins
TOTAL TIME
10 mins
SERVINGS
12 to 18 servings
YIELD
2 to 2 1/4 cups
Cream cheese frosting is not as thick as typical American buttercream. It’s best for spreading on top of cupcakes and cakes rather than detailed decoration. You can thicken the frosting by adding more powdered sugar, but this will make it sweeter.
This recipe makes enough frosting to generously frost a single layer 8 or 9-inch cake or the top of a 9x13 cake. It’s enough to generously frost or pipe 12 to 18 cupcakes or minimally frost 24 cupcakes.
Double the recipe to frost a double layer 8-inch cake or a 3-layer 6-inch cake.
Ingredients
1/2 cup (115g) butter, room temperature
8 ounces (1 package, 224g) cream cheese (not low-fat), room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 to 3 cups (240 to 360g) powdered sugar, sifted
Method
Beat the cream cheese and butter together:
Using an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese and butter together until completely smooth, about 3 minutes on medium speed. Use a rubber spatula to scrape down the sides of the mixing bowl to ensure that the mixture is mixed evenly.
Beat in the vanilla extract and powdered sugar:
Beat in the vanilla extract. With the mixer running on low speed to start, slowly add in 2 cups of the powdered sugar.
Once combined, scrape down the sides of the bowl and increase the speed to medium, beating just until well-combined and creamy.
If needed, add more powdered sugar 1 tablespoon at a time to the frosting until you get your desired level of sweetness and thickness.
Spread or pipe the frosting to decorate:
Use a blunt knife or spatula to spread the frosting, or spoon the frosting into a piping bag to decorate your cupcakes or cake.
SIMPLE TIP!
If you’re planning to pipe this frosting, add the full 3 cups of powdered sugar. If it isn’t thick enough for piping, add the mixture to a piping bag and seal. Refrigerate for about 30 minutes, or until stiffened enough for piping.
