Cream Cheese Buttercream Frosting
A rich, sweet, and perfectly pipable cream cheese buttercream frosting ready in just 15 minutes!
Servings: 4 cups
Ingredients
- 8 ounces Cream Cheese softened
- ½ cup Butter softened
- 4-4 ½ cups Powdered Sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoons Pure Vanilla Extract
- 2-3 Tablespoons Milk
Instructions
- Beat the softened cream cheese and butter together in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, starting on low speed and working up to high. Beat for 2-3 minutes, until smooth and lump-free.
- Beat in 3 cups of powdered sugar on medium speed until just combined. Reduce the mixer to low, add the vanilla extract, then mix in the remaining 1 cup of powdered sugar. Increase to high speed for 1 minute, then add the milk, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the desired consistency is reached.
- For a thicker frosting, add more powdered sugar, ½ cup at a time. For a more stable, pipeable frosting, add 1-2 tablespoons of cornstarch, meringue powder, or buttermilk powder along with the sugar.
Video
Notes
- Cream Cheese: Full-fat, brick-style cream cheese is what you need to use for this recipe. Spreadable cream cheese will not work.
- Butter: I use salted butter in my frostings, unsalted will work, but you will have to add a pinch of salt to balance the sweetness.
- Vanilla Extract: Use pure vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste. Vanilla can also be substituted for almond extract.
- Make It Vegan: Use brick-style plant-based cream cheese, plant-based butter sticks, and any plant-based milk.
- See the above post for additional flavour options, including almond, lemon, chocolate, or pumpkin spice cream cheese buttercream.
- This is a stiff cream cheese buttercream frosting for decorating cakes and cupcakes. It will become firm once refrigerated.
- Store extra frosting in an airtight container for up to 4 days in the refrigerator. For freezing instructions, refer to the notes above.
- Use cream cheese buttercream frosting on moist carrot cake, dalgona coffee cake, or pumpkin spice cupcakes.
