All of the tangy cream cheese flavor you love in the classic frosting, but sturdy enough to be piped and hold it’s shape. This decorator’s cream cheese frosting is the best parts of buttercream and cream cheese frosting combined.
It has been at least a week since I last shared a frosting recipe with you, so it is overdue! This frosting is worth the wait.
It has the tang of cream cheese but it is perfect for piping into swirls, rosettes, shells and more.
There are a few kinds of cake that just beg to be slathered with cream cheese frosting. Carrot cake and banana cakes are two obvious choices, but cream cheese also goes well with chocolate cake and many more.
The problem is the standard cream cheese frosting isn’t great for doing much more than spreading over the cake. It is soft and doesn’t hold it’s shape well.
It is absolutely delicious, but not great for piping. And for frosting lovers like myself, sometimes a little bit of frosting spread on top of a cupcake isn’t enough.
(It’s never enough!) Bring on the fluffy swirls of frosting!
Luckily this recipe allows you to have the best of both worlds. It pipes like an American buttercream dream but has that familiar cream cheese taste we love.
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The final product does form a slight crust, especially if chilled, that makes transportation a lot easier. It also helps it hold up to a little more warmth than a standard cream cheese frosting.
For even more stability, you could substitute some shortening in for some of the butter. The higher melting point always helps to keep things a bit more resistant to temperature.
You can definitely taste the cream cheese in the final product without any help. If you feel like it needs a little more though, a teaspoon of cream cheese emulsion will help drive the flavor home.
After several batches of this frosting in the past month, I can assure you that this frosting will be a hit.
Does cream cheese frosting get hard in the fridge?
Yes, so if you frosting gets soft, just pop it in the refrigerator for a bit to stiffen up. Chilling your frosting will help it remain stable for transportation and will help to set any decorations you made.
Cream Cheese Frosting for Decorating
Ingredients
- ½ cup butter softened
- 4 ounces cream cheese softened
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 3½ cups powdered sugar (1 pound)
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 to 2 Tablespoons milk
- 1 teaspoon cream cheese emulsion optional
Instructions
- Beat together ½ cup butter and 4 ounces cream cheese until super smooth and creamy.
- Add ¼ teaspoon salt, 3½ cups powdered sugar, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract and 1 teaspoon cream cheese emulsion if using. Mix until combined.
- Add a tablespoon of milk and continue to mix for at least 2 minutes. Adjust final consistency with more milk or powdered sugar.
- Spread or pipe immediately or store in the refrigerator in an airtight container.
Notes
- For added stability, substitute ¼ cup of shortening for ¼ cup of the butter
- This recipe makes about 2.5-3 cups of frosting. It is enough frosting for a 9×13-inch cake, a two layer cake without extra decoration, or 12-24 cupcakes depending on how much frosting you put on each.
- Store extra frosting in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week. Freeze for longer storage or put between graham crackers and enjoy as a tasty treat!
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Nightmare! Tried this instead of my tried and true crisco confectioners sugar frosting on a large barbie cake. At least 3 times this frosting completely slid off of the cake. No body, impossible to pipe and so took 3 batches to do a 8 ounce round and a bundt. Attempted the star tip but it just squeezed out in a blob. Do not recommend
That’s really strange. I’ve never heard of that happening before. I wonder if the butter was a little too soft? My guess is 30 minutes in the fridge and quick whip would have you in business. But I’m sorry you had trouble. I know how disappointing that is.
Hi Carlee!
I have 12 dozen wedding cupcakes to make a an 8 inch double layer cake to make can I make ahead and freeze the frosted cupcakes and for how long?
I have frozen frosted cupcakes for up to a couple of months before. If you have good containers, it works quite well. You’ll want to be careful that there isn’t anything in your freezer that could cause smells or flavors to seep into the cupcakes. And when you take them out of the freezer, try to defrost them slowly. You can put them in the fridge overnight and then transition them to room temperature. Otherwise, if they come out of the freezer into the warm house, you could end up with condensation making things a little soggy or weepy. That is a big order! Good luck and have fun!
Thank you for putting the measurements into the method so I don’t have to scroll up and down to follow the recipe. I can’t wait to try this!
You’re welcome! I hope you love it!
Hi! I am looking forward to trying this frosting. Do the cupcakes need to be refrigerated with this frosting? How long can they stay at room temperature before the frosting start to go bad? For example, I am planning on making them on a Thursday but the party is on Saturday. Thanks!
I would refrigerate them. They can sit out for a while, but I wouldn’t leave them out for a couple of days. Put them in a container with a lid if you can to keep the cupcakes from drying out.
Thanks so much Carlee. I love the info in the notes!……
Yay! I am glad the notes were helpful.
I need enough for frosting to do just a swirl for approx 300 or so brownie bites, how many batches would I need to make?
This recipe makes about 3 cups of frosting. So if we assume you’ll use about a Tablespoon on each brownie bite, you could do 48 brownie bites with each batch. So you will need about 6 batches. Depending on the size of your brownie bites, you might not need a whole Tablespoon for each. But that will give you a starting point to estimate.
If I need to make 60 cupcakes how many batches do you recommend?
At least two. You may want to make a little bit more if you plan on really getting generous with them.
Hey Carlee! Thank you so much for sharing this recipe! I will be making a double layered 7 inch cake and I was wondering whether the measurements given would be enough to cover the cake and add some additional designs. The pinterest link for the cake inspo will be below in case you wanted specifications on the additional designs. Please let me know as soon as you can! Thanks!
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/1003458360705938507/
What a pretty cake! For a 7 inch layer cake with frosting decorations like that, you will want about 6 cups of frosting. This recipe makes closer to 3, so I would double the recipe. I am sure it’s going to be beautiful and delicious!
@Carlee,
Can you frost cupcakes and store in the fridge for 18 to 24 hours?
Yes, that will be perfect. If you have a cupcake carrier or a way you can cover them, that would be best. It will prevent the cold air in the fridge from drying out the cupcakes. If not, the short stay in the fridge should be fine.
Can you frost then freeze cupcakes? I have to make 4 dozen and a cake for a graduation so would like to do some ahead. Thank!
You can, but you will want to make sure you have the containers really well sealed and air tight so the cake doesn’t dry out. That sounds like a lot of work, but I am sure they will be enjoyed!
Can you add powdered coffee creamer to this frosting for stability
I haven’t tried that, but it’s a great idea! I am going to have to give that a go.