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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This icing is everything it is said to be! It is absolutely delicious, not too sweet and perfectly pipe-able! I have forever wanted to pipe and decorate with cream cheese icing, and now I can.
Yay! I am so happy that I could help!
Loved the recipe!!
I am so happy that you liked it!
When I hit 2x button it goes to 7 cups but still states 1lb still. I’m putting in a whole 2lb bag with the doubled batch , won’t you come along with me?
A 2lb bag is correct for a double batch. I wish I could get the ingredient note to double with the batch, but it doesn’t. Thanks for catching that.