With just a few ingredients and a method that takes just about a minute, you can mix up this fluffy Cream Cheese Frosting to use on your favorite cakes and cupcakes. It has a little less added sugars, too!
I love a good cream cheese frosting for topping cakes and cupcakes because of the flavor, texture, and creaminess. It pairs so well with Pumpkin Cupcakes, Sweet Potato Cake, Apple Cake, Baked Donuts, and Carrot Cake Cupcakes—and is so crazy-easy to make.
The only thing you need to be aware of is that this works best (and is easiest to blend) if the cream cheese and butter are allowed to soften at room temperature for about an hour before you start. This makes it easy for the frosting to mix up with a handheld mixer with minimal lumps.
You can even make this frosting ahead and spread or pipe it on your cake or cupcakes right before serving. Versatile and easy? Sign me up!
(Try my Blueberry Cream Cheese Frosting for another flavor variation.)
Table of Contents
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Ingredients You Need
To make this easy cream cheese frosting recipe, you need to have the following ingredients on hand and ready to go.
- Cream cheese: I prefer to use classic full-fat cream cheese in the Philly-style block.
- Unsalted butter: This helps to make a thick frosting that holds up when piped.
- Vanilla extract
- Honey: This adds subtle sweetness.
- Powdered sugar: This is an optional addition to add more sweetness and stiffness, which may be helpful if you plan to pipe on the frosting.
Ingredient Substitutions
You can use maple syrup for the honey. (Avoid honey for kids under age 12 months.)
You can omit the honey and use all powdered sugar, starting with ¼ cup and adding as much as you like when you taste it for sweetness.
You could leave out the butter if you prefer, though I like the flavor better with the mixture of the cream cheese and the butter.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Here’s a look at how to make this Cream Cheese Frosting so you know what to expect. Scroll down to the bottom of this post for the full recipe.
Step 1. Soften the butter and cream cheese at room temperature. Add to a bowl with the rest of the ingredients.
Step 2. Start mixing on low with a handheld mixer.
Step 3. Mix until light and fluffy.
Step 4. Spread or pipe onto cake or cupcakes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Cream cheese frosting is made from cream cheese, butter, vanilla, and a sweetener such as honey or powdered sugar.
You can leave cream cheese frosting out at room temperature for 1-2 hours (less if it’s warmer than room temperature), but then it needs to be stored in the fridge for food safety reasons.
Usually, cream cheese frosting is thick and pipable and cream cheese icing is thinner and more easily drizzled on desserts.
Yes, you can add cocoa powder to make a chocolate version of this. See the full information on Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting.
How to Store
Store prepared Cream Cheese Frosting in a sealed plastic storage bag with as much air removed as possible for up to 24 hours before using. If there are leftovers of the cake or cupcakes topped with the frosting, refrigerate them in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Best Tips for Success
- Add the powdered sugar for more sweetness and a slightly stiffer final texture.
- Spread or pipe onto cakes or cupcakes.
- You can transfer the frosting to a plastic storage bag. Seal, cut off one bottom corner, and pipe onto your cake or cupcake.
- You can use this frosting on my Mini Pumpkin Cupcakes, Sweet Potato Cake, Mini Carrot Cake Cupcakes, Vanilla Oat Smash Cake, or any other cake or cupcakes you prefer.
Related Recipes
I’d love to hear your feedback on this recipe, so please rate and comment below!
Favorite Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients
- 8 ounces cream cheese (softened at room temperature)
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter (softened at room temperature)
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup powdered sugar (optional)
Instructions
- Add the ingredients to a large bowl.
- Starting on low speed, beat with a handheld electric mixer until light, fluffy, and lump-free. Add the powdered sugar for additional sweetness and stiffness, if desired.
- Spread onto a cake or cupcakes, or transfer to a plastic storage bag to use as a piping bag. (Seal the bag, trim one bottom corner, and press the frosting out like a piping bag.)
Equipment
Notes
Nutrition
This post was first published March 2022.
Beautiful texture, it came together really nicely but the honey has given it a not so pleasant taste. I used this on your strawberry sheet cake. One of my kids wouldn’t eat it after the first bite.
I’m in Australia so I’m not sure if the honey we have could be to blame (different flora could lead to different tasting honey?). Next time I’ll try this as a ‘base’ and leave out the honey but add in the powdered sugar.
It is possible that a strongly flavored honey would change the flavor a lot.
I’m considering some frosting experiments with this recipe and thinking to substitute the honey with date syrup, molasses, agave, coconut sugar, but I’d like your professional input first.
Molasses may be too strong of a flavor. Agave will be good flavor and colorwise, but it is more liquid so start with a little at a time to make sure the frosting isn’t too runny. Date syrup is a good option except it may tint the frosting darker depending on how much you use. I would not use coconut sugar as it is unlikely to dissolve into the frosting and will be gritty. Enjoy!