This simple, 6-ingredient cream cheese frosting is easy to make and pipe onto your favorite baked goods. You’ll never want (or need!) another frosting recipe.
This easy, creamy frosting is absolutely delicious on carrot cake, pumpkin or banana muffins, Sugar Cookies, and Red Velvet Cake.
Classic Cream Cheese Frosting
If heaven had a flavor, this would be it! This is the best cream cheese frosting recipe that is sweet, fluffy, creamy, and delicious. Add it to the top of your favorite layered cake, cookies, and cupcakes, or whip up a batch and dive in with a spoon!
This cream cheese frosting recipe has replaced all my other sugar cookie frosting recipes because it is the easiest and tastiest. I am all about keeping things simple around here and with frosting this good, there is no need for all the fancy, time-consuming ones I’ve made over the years!
My sister-in-law made these easy sugar cookies a couple of years ago and this cream cheese frosting was what she topped them with. She gave me permission to share this easy recipe, but only if I called it “Punch-You-In-The-Face Frosting”- ’cause it is so good, you won’t know what hit you! Now grab your kitchen mixer and get started!
How To Make Cream Cheese Frosting
INGREDIENTS –
- cream cheese
- butter
- vanilla extract
- pinch of salt
- powdered sugar
- milk.
- food coloring, optional
DIRECTIONS –
Place all the simple ingredients into the bowl of your stand mixer on medium speed and blend until it becomes nice and smooth. If you prefer to use a hand mixer and mixing bowl, that works too!
Use a rubber spatula to scrape the frosting down the sides of the bowl to make sure everything is well blended.
Frosting Tips
- Use A Brick – Be sure to use a brick of cream cheese when you make this frosting recipe. If you use a cream cheese spread, the frosting will turn out runny and nobody wants that.
- Keep It Soft – You’ll want to make sure both the cream cheese and butter are soft before you start mixing everything together. If it’s too hard, you’ll most likely find little clumps in the frosting.
- Flavor It – I love adding a little flavor to this frosting when I’m baking around different holidays or seasons. You can add lemon extract, pumpkin spice, peppermint extract, or any other flavor you want to this recipe. I usually start off with about 3/4 of a teaspoon and then add more if needed.
Storing the Frosting
- Refrigerate – Store any unused frosting in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week. I like to press a piece of wax paper on the frosting to make sure no air will get in.
- Room Temperature – Be sure to leave out the frosting to soften a bit before you use it, otherwise, it may be a little difficult to spread on your delicious desserts.
Best Recipes To Use Cream Cheese Frosting
Here are some of our favorite recipes to make with this cream cheese frosting.
- Best Homemade Cinnamon Rolls
- The Best Lemon Cupcakes
- Easy Strawberry Cake Recipe
- Carrot Cake Cupcakes Recipe
- Easy Jello Cookies
- 3 Ingredient Cake Mix Cookies
HERE’S A PRINTABLE RECIPE CARD FOR YOUR CONVENIENCE –
Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe
Ingredients
- 8 oz package of cream cheese, softened
- 1/4 cup butter, softened
- 1 tsp. of vanilla
- dash of salt
- 3-4 cups of powdered sugar
- 2-3 tbsp. of milk
- food coloring, optional
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl.
- Beat with an electric mixer until well blended and smooth.
Great recipe. I did cut the sugar by half and it was awesome. Can’t imagine needing the other two cups.
Thanks!
Since it has to be refrigerated if not used right away. When I put it on cupcakes do I have to refrigerate the cupcakes to keep the frosting from going bad?
Yes. If you’re not serving them right away, they should be stored in the fridge. I typically will frost my cupcakes right before I’m ready to serve them.
How much does a batch make is it enough to cover a two layer 9 inch round cake
Yes, you should have enough for that.
I didn’t need milk. I used cream cheese, butter, two tsp. Vanilla and dash salt with three cups pwd. Sugar. Perfect consistency. Sometimes I add a dash of clove or allspice depending on what cake I use it on. This time no spice, and put it on my banana pecan sheet cake. Nothing fancy, but makes my family moan and roll their eyes in their heads. Lol
LOL, I’m so glad everyone love it so much!:)
Yum! I love how versatile this frosting is! I used most of it for my husband’s birthday cake and he loved it. The little bit of leftovers went great with some fruit!
I love eating fruit with this frosting too!
This is our go-to frosting recipe! Thanks for such an easy, delicious frosting! I bookmarked this recipe 🙂
I’m so glad to hear you like it so much!
Such a flavorful frosting! Perfectly light and fluffy and great on cupcakes! Yum!
Thanks Sara!
Yummy – I love homemade frosting!
Thanks Melissa!
This frosting is soooooo delicious!! Thanks for sharing!
Do you have a chocolate cream cheese recipe that is simple?
Not yet, but I think I should start experimenting with that asap!!!