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    Home » All recipes » Easy Cream Cheese Icing Recipe

    Published: Mar 9, 2021 by Kemi · This post may contain affiliate links

    Easy Cream Cheese Icing Recipe

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    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 on cake.

    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.

    cream cheese frosting on lemon cake garnished with sliced lemons.

    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.

    Ingredients for cream cheese icing displayed.

    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.

    combined butter and cream cheese in a bowl.

    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.

    cream cheese frosting in a mixing bowl.

    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.

    the frosting used on a cake.

    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

    Carrot cake

    Red velvet cakes

    Apple Cake

    Pound cake

    Tea cake

    The icing used on a lemon cake.

    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.
    In the mixing bowl and ready to use .

    Related Recipes

    Easy buttercream cream icing

    Chocolate buttercream frosting

    I hope you like this recipe as much as I do. If you find this post helpful, please rate it 5 stars and leave me a comment below. I love reading from you.

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    cream cheese frosting on lemon cake garnished with sliced lemons.
    Print Recipe
    5 from 1 vote

    Cream Cheese Icing Recipe

    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 from scratch.
    Prep Time5 mins
    Mixing5 mins
    Total Time10 mins
    Course: Dessert
    Cuisine: American, British
    Keyword: cream cheese frosting, cream cheese icing, cream cheese icing recipe, how to make cream cheese icing
    Servings: 12
    Calories: 252kcal
    Author: Kemi

    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.
      mixed butter and cream cheese in a bowl.
    • Add half of the icing sugar in the bowl and mix till combined.
      cream cheese frosting in a mixing bowl.
    • 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.
      the frosting used on a cake.

    Notes

    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

    Nutrition

    Calories: 252kcal | Carbohydrates: 34g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 38mg | Sodium: 119mg | Potassium: 28mg | Sugar: 33g | Vitamin A: 454IU | Calcium: 20mg | Iron: 1mg

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