Easy Cream Cheese Frosting
Smooth, sweet and delicious, this Easy Cream Cheese Frosting is perfect for carrot cakes, red velvet cakes and banana cakes. It is thick, holds shape and is made with three ingredients in less than 10 minutes!
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This cream cheese frosting is my go-to recipe for carrot cake with walnuts and banana cakes. It is sweet and tangy, with a smooth, thick texture, making it a great choice for plenty of desserts. It can also be added to a piping bag for cake decorating.
Why You Should Try This Recipe
- It is very easy to follow and works every time.
- It has a smooth, silky lump-free texture.
- You only need three ingredients to make it.
- It can be added to a piping bag and used to decorate desserts.
- The ingredients are easy to find.
Ingredients
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
- Unsalted butter: Use room-temperature unsalted butter. This will help the frosting mix properly and prevent a lumpy texture. Do not use salted butter, as this will affect the taste of the frosting.
- Cream cheese: You can use plain Philadelphia cream cheese or any other brand of your choice. The cream cheese should be cold. I have found that combining cold cream cheese with room-temperature unsalted butter helps the frosting to hold its shape. You may also enjoy this Easy Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe.
- Icing sugar: Sift the icing sugar to remove excess dirt and ensure it is lump-free.
Tips and Substitutions
- Ingredient temperatures: To ensure that the cream cheese buttercream has a smooth texture, the butter must be at room temperature and the cream cheese should be cold. If the temperature of the ingredients is not correct, it will result in a lumpy frosting.
- Proportion: This recipe can be doubled or tripled, depending on the size of the dessert.
- Weighing scale: Use a scale to measure the ingredients accurately. If the ingredients are not measured correctly, it may affect the consistency of the frosting.
- Mixing: Do not over or under-mix the frosting; this will change its texture and result in a runny frosting.
- Heavy cream: Cream cheese frosting can also be made with heavy cream. This makes the frosting extra creamy and helps to stabilize whipped cream frosting.
How to Make Easy Cream Cheese Frosting
- Add room-temperature unsalted butter to a bowl.
2. Whisk it for 1-2 minutes.
3. Next, add cream cheese to the bowl
4. Whisk until combined or for 2 minutes.
5. Then, add (one-third) of sifted icing sugar. Mix the icing sugar with the butter and cream cheese mixture with a spoon or spatula to prevent it from spilling.
6. Then, use a whisk and mix until just combined. Finally, repeat the previous step with the remaining icing sugar. Whisk for 2-3 minutes or until the mixture is smooth.
7. Prepare to frost your favorite desserts, such as red velvet cake or cupcakes! You may also enjoy this Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting and Easy Lemon Ganache Frosting.
Recipe FAQs
This can happen when the cream cheese has a high water content or if the ingredient measurements in the recipe are incorrect. Here are a few different ways to stiffen runny frosting: The easiest way to stiffen cream cheese is to refrigerate it for 5-10 minutes or add more icing sugar (¼ cup) and whisk until it is incorporated. Another option is to add 50- 100 ml of heavy cream and whip until the frosting stiffens.
Yes, you can. Beat it for 2-3 minutes or until fluffy. Do not be tempted to keep mixing once you get a smooth texture, as the frosting will become runny.
Buttercream frosting combines butter and icing sugar, while cream cheese frosting mixes cream cheese, icing sugar, and butter. Buttercream frosting has a sweet taste, while cream cheese frosting is tangy and sweet.
Yes. It does harden if left at room temperature or refrigerated. However, if you are in a hot region, it may melt or become runny due to the heat.
More Tasty Frosting Recipes
Easy Cream Cheese Frosting
Equipment
- 1 Hand-held whisk or mixing stand
- 1 Sift
- 1 Spatula
Ingredients
- 100 g unsalted butter
- 160 g cream cheese
- 360 g icing sugar
Instructions
- Add unsalted butter to a bowl. Whisk it for 1-2 minutes.
- Next, add cream cheese to the bowl and whisk it with the butter until they are both combined or for 2 minutes.
- Add one-third of the icing sugar to the bowl and mix with a spoon or spatula to prevent it from spilling. Then use a handheld whisk and mix until just combined. Repeat this step with the remaining icing sugar.
- Whisk for 2-3 minutes or until the mixture is smooth. Do not overmix the frosting, as this will make it runny.
- Use this cream cheese frosting for carrot cake and other desserts.
