Easy cream cheese icing recipe that is simple, and ready in 5 minutes. This cream cheese frosting is made with 3 ingredients, it's light, fluffy, and perfect on cakes and cupcakes. Learn how to make cream cheese buttercream icing from scratch.
Cream Cheese Icing (Cream Cheese Frosting)
The best cream cheese icing recipe that is easy to make and makes use of inexpensive ingredients. It is great on desserts including lemon cake, red velvet cake, banana cake, and more.
It is creamy and smooth and pipes well on cupcakes like vanilla cupcakes and other types.
To get this stable cream cheese icing, you will need full-fat cream cheese (I recommend Philadelphia if you're in the UK), butter, icing sugar, and some flavoring like vanilla extract or lemon extract. That's it! Those ingredients in the quantity specified below and you have the best cream cheese frosting.
For this homemade cream cheese recipe, you will have pipable frosting that you can work with for cupcakes, filling cakes, or covering cakes with it.
Cream cheese in America comes in 2 forms - block pack (which is full fat and thick) and spreadable in tubs. They use the block type for cream cheese frosting to get thick, smooth icing however if you are making cream cheese frosting in UK, you won't find the block type. What we have are the ones in the tub! If you are in the UK, make sure you read the full post for important tips.
Equipment You'll Need
Measuring Scale- To measure the ingredients accurately.
Mixing bowl - Big enough to fit in the frosting.
Electric mixer - To mix the icing.
Spatula - To scrape down the sides of the bowl.
Sieve - To sift the icing sugar.
Ingredients For Cream Cheese Frosting
Butter - unsalted. Use butter not margarine!
Cream Cheese - Full fat cream cheese is best as others tend to make the frosting runny. I use Philadelphia full-fat cream cheese.
Icing sugar - This is known as powdered sugar in the US.
Flavoring- Vanilla or lemon extract or any other of choice.
How to Make Cream Cheese Frosting (Cream Cheese buttercream icing)
In a bowl, add butter then use a mixer to mix for about 1 minute or till smooth and fluffy.
Add half of the icing sugar in the bowl and mix till combined.
Add the remaining half of the icing sugar, mix till fluffy then add in the cream cheese and flavoring then mix on low speed till it comes together and the frosting is light, fluffy, and smooth.
It’s ready to use.
How to add colour to cream cheese Frosting
If adding food color, It's best to use gel coloring. Using liquid coloring might make it runny and you will need to add more icing sugar (powdered sugar) to firm it up.
If you get a runny frosting and want a thicker frosting, first put it in the fridge for about 10-15 minutes to firm up. If still not as thick as you'd like, add more icing sugar a little at a time till you get the consistency you want.
Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting
Add the zest of a whole lemon and lemon extract quantity specified in the ingredients to make it lemon cream cheese frosting.
What Goes with Cream Cheese Icing
It goes well on cakes, cupcakes, cookies. Use on
Red velvet cakes
How to Store
Put in air-tight container and store in the fridge for up to 3 days or store in the freezer for up to 3 months.
When ready to use, bring out and let it thaw, add to a mixing bowl and mix with a hand or stand mixer until it’s smooth and fluffy.
If you put in the freezer, put in the fridge to thaw first before re whipping.
Tips
- Cover mixing bowl with a guard or towel to trap in the icing dust so it doesn't go all over the countertop and floor when mixing.
- Sift the icing sugar before use so you don't get lumpy frosting.
- Use a deep mixing bowl that is big enough to fit in the frosting.
- If you get a runny frosting and want a thicker frosting, first put it in the fridge for about 10-15 minutes to firm up. If still not as thick as you'd like, add more icing sugar a little at a time till you get the consistency you want.
Related Recipes
Chocolate buttercream frosting
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Recipe
Cream Cheese Icing Recipe
Equipment
- Measuring Scale
- Mixer
- Mixing bowl
- Sieve
- Spatula
Ingredients
- 220 g Cream Cheese
- 100 g Butter Unsalted
- 400 g Icing sugar
- ½ teaspoon Flavoring vanilla or lemon extract
Instructions
- In a bowl, add butter then use a mixer to mix for about 1 minute or till smooth and fluffy.
- Add half of the icing sugar in the bowl and mix till combined.
- Add the remaining half of the icing sugar, mix till fluffy then add in the cream cheese and flavoring then mix on low speed till it comes together and the frosting is light, fluffy, and smooth.It’s ready to use.
Notes
- Cover mixing bowl with a guard or towel to trap in the icing dust so it doesn't go all over the countertop and floor when mixing.
- Sift the icing sugar before use so you don't get lumpy frosting.
- Use a deep mixing bowl that is big enough to fit in the frosting.
- If you get a runny frosting and want a thicker frosting, first put it in the fridge for about 10-15 minutes to firm up. If still not as thick as you'd like, add more icing sugar a little at a time till you get the consistency you want
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