Cream Cheese Frosting
This is the frosting for carrot cake, red velvet, cinnamon rolls, and any cake that needs tang to balance sweetness. It's also unforgiving—but only if you don't know what soft actually means.
Cream cheese temperature is everything
Pull your cream cheese out of the fridge 30 minutes before you start. It should yield slightly to pressure but not be greasy or warm. Cold cream cheese seizes and won't incorporate. Warm cream cheese makes the frosting weep. Room temperature is the narrow band where this works.
- electric mixer with paddle attachment
- medium bowl
- rubber spatula
- instant-read thermometer (optional, helpful for first-timers)
What goes in.
- 8 ozcream cheese, softened to room temperature
- 4 ozunsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 2 cupspowdered sugar, sifted
- 1 tspvanilla extract
- pinchfine sea salt
Beat cream cheese and butter separately, then together
Most people fail by dumping everything in at once. Beat the cream cheese on medium-low for 30 seconds until it lightens slightly, then add butter in three or four pieces, beating for another 30 seconds. Only then add the powdered sugar. This two-stage mixing prevents the emulsion from breaking and keeps the frosting smooth and spreadable instead of grainy.
The method.
Add softened cream cheese to the mixer bowl.
Use the paddle attachment. Start on medium-low speed. Beat for about 30 seconds until the cream cheese is pale and slightly fluffy. This aerates it and makes room for the butter.
Add butter in small pieces.
Cut the butter into 4 or 5 cubes. With the mixer running on medium-low, add one piece at a time, waiting until each is mostly incorporated before adding the next. This takes another minute or so. The mixture should look almost mousse-like and very pale.
Add powdered sugar gradually.
Sift the powdered sugar first to remove lumps. Turn the mixer to low speed and add the sugar in two additions, waiting for the first to incorporate fully before adding the second. This prevents a cloud of sugar and keeps the frosting smooth.
Add vanilla and salt.
With the mixer still on low, add vanilla and salt. Beat for another 15 to 20 seconds until combined. Stop here. Do not beat longer than 2 minutes total from when you added the sugar, or the frosting will separate.
Scrape down and check.
Use a rubber spatula to scrape the bowl and fold the frosting together once or twice by hand. It should be smooth, glossy, and hold a peak. If it looks grainy or broken, you've overbeaten—chill it for 10 minutes, then try folding in an extra tablespoon or two of softened butter.
Other turns to take.
Tangier version
Use 4 oz cream cheese and 4 oz Greek yogurt (drained overnight in a fine sieve) in place of the full 8 oz cream cheese. This cuts the richness and adds distinct tang without making the frosting unstable.
Brown butter cream cheese frosting
Brown your 4 oz butter in a small pan until it smells nutty and has browned bits at the bottom, then let it cool to room temperature. Proceed as written. You get deeper flavor without changing the method.
Lemon cream cheese frosting
Replace the vanilla with 1 tablespoon of lemon juice and add 1 teaspoon of grated lemon zest. Keep the ratio of cream cheese, butter, and sugar the same.
Thicker frosting for piping
Add an extra ½ cup powdered sugar. The frosting will be stiffer and hold shape better for decorative work, though it becomes less creamy to eat.
When it doesn't go to plan.
If your frosting separates or looks grainy during mixing, stop immediately. Don't try to fix it by beating more—that makes it worse. Chill it for 15 minutes, then beat gently on low speed for just 20 seconds. Often that's enough.
Cream cheese frosting sets up firmer in the fridge. If you're frosting a cake right away, you'll have a softer, more spreadable consistency. If you make it ahead, let it sit at room temperature for 10 minutes before frosting.
Use full-fat cream cheese. Low-fat versions contain more water and won't hold together the same way.
Don't use ultra-soft or whipped cream cheese. The stabilizers in those products interfere with the emulsion.
On a warm day, chill your mixer bowl and paddle for 5 minutes before starting. This gives you a little insurance against the frosting getting too warm.
Excess powdered sugar makes the frosting sweeter and stiffer. Start with the amount called for and add more only if you need a thicker consistency.
The ones that keep coming up.
Why did my frosting break and look grainy?
The most common cause is overbeating after you add the sugar. Stop as soon as everything is combined—you're looking for 2 minutes of total mixing time from the moment the cream cheese first hits the bowl. Another cause is cream cheese or butter that was too warm or too cold. Room temperature, not cold from the fridge and not warm to the touch.
Can I make this ahead?
Yes. Make it up to 3 days ahead and store it in an airtight container in the fridge. Let it come to room temperature and give it a gentle stir or a few pulses with the mixer paddle before using. Do not rebeat from scratch or you risk breaking it again.
Why is my frosting too soft to spread?
Your kitchen is warm, or your ingredients were warmer than they should be. Chill the frosting for 15 to 30 minutes and it will firm up. You can also add another ¼ cup powdered sugar to stiffen it permanently.
Can I freeze it?
Yes, for up to 3 months in an airtight container. Thaw it in the fridge overnight, then let it come to room temperature before using. Don't rebeat it; just fold it together gently with a spatula.
What if I don't have powdered sugar?
Don't make powdered sugar from granulated sugar by blending it—you'll get a different texture and lose the cornstarch that gives commercial powdered sugar its silky feel. Go get powdered sugar. It's a 5-minute errand and worth it.