Frosting Fans, pay attention. This is the VERY Best Cream Cheese Frosting. Perfectly smooth, never stiff. Creamy and cream-cheesy, and excellent for piping and decorating. And it won't melt and droop at room temperature! Hallelujah! This is our new go-to frosting recipe for all the goodies that need cream cheese frosting. You know...cupcakes, red velvet, carrot cake, brownies...puff pastries...my spoon. The usual.
The Very Best Cream Cheese Frosting
So, I can't say that I have ever eaten "bad" cream cheese frosting. I mean, it is pretty much cream cheese, sugar, butter, etc. You can't really go wrong.
However, I have often experienced cream cheese frosting that is goopy. That literally slides off of a cake after a little while at room temperature.
And forget decorating with it. Just too soft unless you keep it refrigerated. Not anymore!!!
Ingredients Needed to Make Cream Cheese Frosting:
- Powdered confectioners sugar
- Cream cheese
- Salted butter - If you use unsalted, add a wee pinch of salt to the recipe.
- Shortening
- Milk
- Vanilla
After a little testing, we have come up with what we think is the Very Best Cream Cheese Frosting. It is smooth and holds its shape when piped. Never stiff, but it doesn't melt either.
You can sift your powdered sugar if you like. We just beat ours on high for a few seconds to break up the lumps.
How to Make Cream Cheese Frosting:
- In a large mixing bowl, beat powdered sugar on high speed for a few seconds to break up lumps.
- Add the room temperature cream cheese, butter, and shortening. Beat on low, gradually increasing speed. Continue to beat, scraping the sides, on medium speed for 3 to 5 minutes until smooth and creamy.
- Beat in the milk and vanilla and increase speed and beat for another 1 to 2 minutes until desired consistency.
Make sure the butter, cream cheese and shortening are at room temperature. Like, almost warm. Don't microwave them, but sit them on the counter a couple of hours before you need the cream cheese frosting.
This will make sure the cream cheese frosting is nice and smooth.
Beat on low and increase the speed until the frosting comes together. It will first resemble crumbs, but stay at it. Soon it will start to form a smooth frosting.
Here are more Sweet Treats to Try:
Lemon Chia Seed Muffins
Sweetheart Brownie Bliss
Biscuit Peach Cobbler
To keep the sugar from flying everywhere, we held a damp towel around the bowl.
Once the frosting gets thick, add the milk and vanilla. Beat until smooth and fluffy.
This Cream Cheese Frosting is great for normal frosting, and can also be used with a decorating bag for special occasions and piping.
So good!! Rich, buttery, smooth and that perfect amount of cream cheese flavor.
We have shown this frosting on Our Favorite Carrot Cake. Get the recipe here!
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The Very Best Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients
- 1 ½ lbs of powdered confectioners sugar about 6 cups
- 8 oz cream cheese room temperature
- ½ cup salted butter room temperature
- ½ cup shortening room temperature
- 1 TB of milk
- ½ TB vanilla
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, beat powdered sugar on high speed for a few seconds to break up lumps.
- Add the room temperature cream cheese, butter, and shortening. Beat on low, gradually increasing speed. Continue to beat, scraping the sides, on medium speed for 3 to 5 minutes until smooth and creamy.
- Beat in the milk and vanilla and increase speed and beat for another 1 to 2 minutes until desired consistency.
Allison Strang
is there a reason you use half butter half shortening? I'd rather use all butter but want to make sure that won't make it runny.
Teri
In the past when I have used all butter in a cream cheese shortening, it had a tendency to start dropping and had to be refrigerated sooner. Just as delicious, and probably even more so because...well, butter is awesome. This recipe was originally made to be piped on a cake, so I wanted to to hold shape longer, so I opted for some shortening.
Allison Strang
Thank you so much! I'll stick with the shortening. 🙂
Shelia Clinton
I’m making a Red velvet and cream cheese wedding cake and it’s pretty hot in Bakersville California so how do I keep it from not running off the cake and ruining the wedding cake in heat
Teri
Keep the cake chilled for as long as possible. I have not put this outside in near 90 degree heat so I can't promise it will hold up.
Shelia Clinton
I’m the one that made the cream cheeseWedding cake and it’s in Bakersville California and it’s hot 86 and I sent you the wrong email
Connie
Can you color this frosting as you would a buttercream?
Teri
Yes. although keep in mind it isn't a pure-white. I've tinted it with no issues. I use gel colors for the best color.
Teri
Yes.
Jae
Hi!!
I came here after failing twice to make cream cheese frosting that wont drip on the sid of the cake.
Im gonna try this but just want to makes sure what the yield is that I will get from this recipe?
Could I frost a whole cake?
Thank you!
Teri
Yes, you can generously frost a whole cake. I've used it to frost a two-layer 9 inch cake with plenty left for piping.
Liz
Can i make this recipe and make it chocolate cream cheese???
Teri
Absolutely.
Cindy
Is this a crusting cream cheese icing?? Sounds like it.
Teri
It doesn't crust much.
Kerri Cates
Will this hold up in the mail to send someone frosted cupcakes if they were to receive it one day mail ?
Teri
Um......that's a very tough question. I can't promise that, I'm sorry. Too many variables.
MARY TOGNAZZINI
crisco?
Teri
Yes you can use Crisco shortening.