What is the best cream cheese frosting recipe?

Sweet and creamy and delicious, our The Best Cream Cheese Frosting recipe never disappoints and is super easy to make. Everyone’s favorite icing!

Three chocolate cupcakes sitting on a white board frosted with swirls of The Best Cream Cheese Frosting.

Every home baker needs a great Buttercream Frosting recipe and a great Cream Cheese Frosting recipe and Two Sisters has you covered on both counts. Our Finest Cream Cheese Frosting recipe is sweet and creamy, with just the perfect amount of cream cheese tang. And it tastes fantastic in cookies, cakes, and cupcakes! Don’t worry, it’s also really simple to create. Your guests will ask you to make this frosting again and again!

How to Make

Collage image showing the steps for creaming the Cream Cheese, Butter and Vanilla extract to make a batch of The Best Cream Cheese Frosting.

Step 1: In a mixing dish, combine the butter, cream cheese, and vanilla essence. The butter and the cream cheese should be “slightly softened” which means it is still cold but has been out of the refrigerator for 30-60 minutes.
Step 2: On medium speed, blend the cream cheese, butter, and vanilla extract until well incorporated (about 2 minutes.) You want to properly combine the ingredients so that their tastes merge. Before proceeding to the following step, scrape the mixture along the sides of the basin with a spatula.

Collage image that shows the steps for mixing the powdered sugar with the Cream Cheese and Butter mixture to make Cream Cheese Buttercream Frosting.

Step 3: In a separate dish, weigh 1 pound of powdered sugar using a food scale. If you don’t have a food scale, just use 4 cups. We normally do not sift the powdered sugar and instead rely on the mixer to do that work for us.
Step 4: Add the Powdered Sugar into the mixing bowl.
Step 5: Two Sisters Tip: Use a cloth to cover the mixer during this phase of the mixing process to prevent the powdered sugar from flying out.
Step 6: Begin your mixer (or electric beater) on the lowest level and continue to beat until the cream cheese/butter and sugar are combined (about 30 seconds). Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl and then increase the speed to medium-high and mix for another 30-45 seconds so the frosting gets light and fluffy.

Close up on a white spatula covered with Cream Cheese Icing that is hovering above a glass mixing bowl that is sitting on a white table.

Step 7: This is the most enjoyable stage of the frosting-making procedure since you get to taste your icing. You’re testing to see how it tastes (does it require additional vanilla?). and thickness (is it too thin or too thick?) (A message from the Two Sisters concerning the cream cheese icing. It’s a thin layer of icing. It will never be a pipeable frosting or crust up like buttercream. Having said that, as you can see in our photos, you can perform a swirl.) The first thing you should do before using the frosting is put it in the refrigerator for an hour or so, that will help the butter and cream cheese firm up. Another thing to try if the frosting is too thin is to add EITHER 1/2 cup of powdered sugar or 1 tablespoon of corn starch. Check to see whether the consistency has improved.

A frosting decorating bag filled with Cream Cheese Frosting sitting on a white table in front of a batch of unfrosted chocolate cupcakes.

Step 8: How much frosting do you think you’ll need? That always depends on how thick or thin you apply the frosting or how much decorating you do but here are a couple of guidelines. Our Cream Cheese Icing recipe should provide enough to cover a 9′′ x 13′′ sheet cake or a two-layer 8′′ cake. If you’re baking cupcakes, you should be able to frost 24 of them if you use a knife to apply the icing. If you swirl on the frosting with a pastry bag as we have done here, you should be able to frost 15-18 cupcakes depending on the size of the swirl.

Expert Tips and FAQ’s

Does the frosting need to be refrigerated?

Yes. Because of the cream cheese, Cream Cheese Frosting must be refrigerated. You can leave it out for a couple of hours at a maximum before it needs to be refrigerated again. And use extreme caution while using it outdoors on a bright day.

How do I store any leftover frosting?

Buttercream Cream Cheese Frosting will only be good for as long as your Cream Cheese is good so make sure to check the expiration date on the Cream Cheese package before making the frosting. For example, if the Cream Cheese has an expiry date of two days, the frosting will be valid for two days. Any leftover frosting should be refrigerated in an airtight container. If you carefully wrap the frosting in order to avoid freezer burn, the frosting should be fine in the freezer for 3-4 months.

Closeup on three chocolate cupcakes topped with The Best Cream Cheese Frosting.

Other Cream Cheese Frostings You Will Love

The Best Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting

The Best Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting

The Best Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting

Brown Sugar Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients

1/2 cup slightly softened butter (We use Salted Sweet Cream Butter)
8 oz. Cream Cheese (softened)
1 pound Powdered Sugar (or 4 cups)
3 teaspoons Vanilla Extract

Instructions

1. In a mixing dish, combine the butter, cream cheese, and vanilla essence. The butter and the cream cheese should be “slightly softened” which means it is still cold but has been out of the refrigerator for 30-60 minutes.
2. On medium speed, blend the cream cheese, butter, and vanilla extract until well incorporated (about 2 minutes.) You want to properly combine the ingredients so that their tastes merge. Before proceeding to the following step, scrape the mixture along the sides of the basin with a spatula.
3. In a separate dish, weigh 1 pound of powdered sugar using a food scale. If you don’t have a food scale, measure 4 cups instead.
4. Add the Powdered Sugar into the mixing bowl.
5. Begin your mixer (or electric beater) on the lowest level and continue to beat until the cream cheese/butter and sugar are combined (about 30 seconds). Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl and then increase the speed to medium-high and mix for another 30-45 seconds so the frosting gets light and fluffy.
6. This is the most enjoyable stage of the frosting-making procedure since you get to taste your icing. You’re testing to see how it tastes (does it require additional vanilla?). and thickness (is it too thin or too thick?) (A message from the Two Sisters concerning the cream cheese icing. It’s a thin layer of icing. It will never be a frosting that is pipeable or will crust up like buttercream. Having said that, as you can see in our photos, you can perform a swirl.) The first step is to chill the frosting for an hour or two before using it. This will help the butter and cream cheese firm up. If the frosting is too thin, you may add EITHER 1/2 cup powdered sugar OR 1 tablespoon corn starch. Check to see whether the consistency has improved.

Notes

How much frosting will you need?
It varies on how thick or thin you apply the icing and how much you decorate, but here are some recommendations. Our Cream Cheese Icing recipe should provide enough to cover a 9′′ x 13′′ sheet cake or a two-layer 8′′ cake. If you’re baking cupcakes, you should be able to frost 24 of them if you use a knife to apply the icing. If you swirl on the frosting with a pastry bag as we have done here, you should be able to frost 15-18 cupcakes depending on the size of the swirl