Food & Cooking Recipes Dessert & Treats Recipes Our Favorite Cream Cheese Frosting 3.3 (1,936) 42 Reviews It's the perfect finishing touch for carrot cake, red velvet cake, cupcakes, and more. By Martha Stewart Martha Stewart Martha Stewart is a bestselling author, entrepreneur, and lifestyle expert who has taught millions of people through generations the joy of entertaining, cooking, gardening, collecting, crafting, and home renovating via her eponymous magazine, Martha Stewart Living, Emmy-winning television shows, and 99 books (and counting). Based in Katonah, N.Y., where she helms her 156-acre Bedford Farm, Martha is America's first self-made female billionaire. Editorial Guidelines Updated on November 20, 2023 Rate PRINT Share Yield: 2 cups All you need are four ingredients for this delicious cream cheese frosting and about 10 minutes. It's a quick and easy recipe that's our go to. It starts with a package of cream cheese and adds in butter, confectioners' sugar, and vanilla extract. We use equal parts butter and cream cheese, plus enough confectioners' sugar to sweeten them into a whipped frosting. The cream cheese is a shortcut to creaminess and adds a delicate tang to balance the sweetness of the frosting. This smooth frosting works so well on red velvet cake, carrot cake, pumpkin cake, and all kinds of cupcakes. Rachel Marek How to Choose the Right Type of Frosting for Your Wedding Cake Room Temperature Ingredients The key to cream cheese frosting is the cream cheese. Be sure to use a good quality block cream cheese. The other important factor is the temperature of the ingredients. Let the cream cheese and the butter come to room temperature before you start mixing them together—allow about 30 minutes for this. You'll know when they are ready by testing for softness: Press your finger into the butter and the side of the cream cheese package. Your finger should leave an indent. Mixing the Frosting Our easy recipe is written for mixing the frosting by hand. Feel free to use a hand or stand mixer if you prefer, but don't overbeat the butter and cream cheese, and be sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl periodically to ensure the mixture blends well. Uses for Cream Cheese Frosting Cream cheese frosting is a versatile, not-too-sweet frosting that works well on a variety of desserts from tall layer cakes to cupcakes and quick breads. It's particularly good with spiced cakes. Try it when you make: Carrot Cake Hummingbird Cake Red Velvet Cake Pumpkin Bars Banana Cake or cupcakes If there is a downside to cream cheese frosting, it's that it is softer than buttercream and so is harder to pipe. We recommend spreading it on a cake rather than piping it. Ingredients 8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into pieces, room temperature 1 cup confectioners' sugar 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract Directions Rachel Marek Soften cream cheese: Place cream cheese in a medium mixing bowl. Using a rubber spatula, soften cream cheese. Rachel Marek Add butter: Gradually add butter, and continue beating until smooth and well blended. Rachel Marek Sift confectioners' sugar and add vanilla: Sift in confectioners' sugar, and continue beating until smooth. Add vanilla, and stir to combine. Rachel Marek Rachel Marek As an alternative to sifting the confectioners' sugar, you can whisk the sugar to aerate it and remove any clumps prior to adding it to the cream cheese and butter. Rachel Marek Storing Cream cheese frosting will last for two to three days in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Bring to room temperature and then beat until smooth again before using the frosting. Freezing You can freeze cream cheese frosting for up to one month, but we do no recommend this as freezing changes the texture and you may find the frosting is more grainy after it has been defrosted. Frequently Asked Questions Why is my cream cheese frosting runny? Using the wrong type of cream cheese is the main cause of cream cheese frosting that is runny. Be sure to use a block of full-fat cream cheese, not low fat or a whipped cream cheese spread for the frosting. Why is my cream cheese frosting gluey? The most common cause of cream cheese frosting with a gluey texture is overbeating the cream cheese. To avoid this issue. soften the cream cheese but do not whip it before adding the butter. Then, whip the cream cheese and butter just until smooth. Does cream cheese frosting need to be refrigerated? Yes, cream cheese frosting should always be refrigerated because cream cheese requires refrigeration. Cream cheese frosting should not be out of the refrigerator for more than two hours, (that time includes the time spent making the frosting). Other Frosting Recipes to Try: Swiss Meringue Buttercream Simple Vanilla Frosting Easy White Icing Whipped Frosting White Chocolate Buttercream Originally appeared: Martha Stewart Living Special Issues 2001 Rate It PRINT Updated by Victoria Spencer Victoria Spencer Victoria Spencer is an experienced food editor, writer, and recipe developer. She manages the Martha Stewart recipe archive and is always curious about new ingredients and the best techniques. She has been working in food media for over 20 years.