This super simple recipe for Cream Cheese Frosting is made with only four ingredients. It's perfect for spreading over carrot cake, muffins, cinnamon buns, and banana bread.
Cream Cheese Frosting is the perfect balance of sweet and tangy flavours. It's thick enough to hold its shape when piped and stores well in the fridge or the freezer.
Cream Cheese Frosting is easy to make and versatile enough to customize with different flavours and ingredients. Once you try it, you'll never want to return to any other type of frosting!
You never know when you might need a Cream Cheese Frosting - our favourite way to use it is over our Carrot Cake Tray Bake!
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Super easy and versatile.
- One bowl recipe = less washing up.
- It can be stored in the fridge or freezer.
Recipe Ingredients
Note: The full quantities are shown in the recipe card below.
- Cream cheese - use full-fat block cream cheese and not spreadable cream cheese. We love to use Philadelphia cream cheese. Let it sit on the benchtop to soften for 1-2 hours, which makes it easy to mix.
- Icing sugar - also known as confectioners sugar or powdered sugar.
- Butter -use unsalted butter softened at room temperature. Unsalted butter gives you complete control of the overall flavour of your recipe, as the salt content in different butter brands can vary a lot.
- Milk - use 2 tablespoons of full-fat milk.
How to Make Cream Cheese Frosting
Note: This is a summary of the instructions. The full ingredients and instructions are shown in the recipe card below.
- Mix the butter, cream cheese, and milk in a large bowl until creamy.
- Add the icing sugar and beat on low speed until combined, then high speed for 2 minutes.
Recipe Variations
Some different Cream Cheese Frosting flavour ideas:-
- Lemon: add 1 teaspoon of lemon extract.
- Pumpkin Spice: add ½ a teaspoon of pumpkin spice mix.
- Chai Spice: add ½ a teaspoon of chai spice mix.
Storage
Leftover cream cheese frosting can be covered and stored in the fridge for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. After freezing, it should thaw in the refrigerator and be mixed with a mixer until it's creamy again.
Common Questions
Like all icings, a little colour can be added to Cream Cheese Frosting.
No, use full-fat cream cheese that comes in a block for best results. Philadelphia is a great brand to use.
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📖 Recipe
Cream Cheese Frosting
Equipment
- hand held electric whisk
Ingredients
- 250 g full-fat block cream cheese (not spreadable), softened at room temperature
- 50 g unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
- 320 g icing sugar, also known as confectioners sugar
- 2 tablespoons milk, full cream is best
Instructions
- In a large bowl, beat the softened cream cheese, butter and milk with an electric whisk on high speed until creamy.
- Add the icing sugar and beat on low speed until combined, then high speed for 2 minutes.
- If you want it thicker, add a tablespoon or two of icing sugar.
Notes
Quantity
This recipe makes enough to ice a large 25cm cake.Storage
Cover and store leftover frosting in the fridge for up to 5 days or up to 3 months in the freezer. After freezing, thaw in the refrigerator, then mix with a mixer so it's creamy again.Flavour Variations
Some different Cream Cheese Frosting flavour ideas:- Lemon: add 1 teaspoon of lemon extract.Pumpkin Spice: add ½ a teaspoon of pumpkin spice mix.
Chai Spice: add ½ a teaspoon of chai spice mix.
The provided nutritional information is an estimate per serving. Accuracy is not guaranteed.
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