cream cheese frosting
delicious silky smooth tangy and sweet cream cheese frosting recipe, easily adjustable with these instructions
Servings: 8 -30 servings
Ingredients
Small batch (spread with a spatula over 12 cupcakes, 1 small cake, 1 dozen cookies)
- 2 oz cream cheese room temperature
- ¼ cup 2 oz butter, room temperature
- Tiny pinch salt if using unsalted butter
- 2-4 cups powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon heavy cream
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
Medium batch recipe (pipe frosting on 12 cupcakes, fill and top 8” cake, spread over 13x9 cake)
- 4 oz cream cheese room temperature
- ½ cup 4 oz butter, room temperature
- Pinch of salt if using unsalted butter
- 4-6 cups powdered sugar
- 1-2 tablespoons heavy cream or milk heavy cream whips up nicer and thicker
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Larger recipe 24-36 cupcakes, or 2 or 4 layer cakes
- 8 oz cream cheese room temperature
- 1 cup butter 8 oz, ½ pound, room temperature
- Pinch of salt if using unsalted butter
- 8-10 cups powdered sugar
- 2-4 tablespoons heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- The ingredient list gives a range of powdered to add depending on how soft or thick you'd like the frosting, to slather with a spatula or pipe on. For spreading on a cake or cupcakes you can use less powdered sugar, the frosting will be soft, if you want it thick to pipe on or to create a peak at the top of spreading on desserts more powdered sugar will allow that. Add 1/4-1/2 cup more than the beginning measurement and mix well to create the consistency you will prefer to work with, If the frosting gets too thick, add a little more heavy cream and mix well.
- Be sure the cream cheese is at room temperature, it doesn’t mix well when it’s cold (it will be lumpy)
- Placing the butter and cream cheese on the counter for 30 minutes before you plan on mixing the frosting is what I recommend.
- I use a beater blade and stand mixer, but any mixer will work.
- Place the cream cheese in the bowl of a mixer and whip it until it’s smooth, then add the butter and whip that until it’s smooth.
- Pour in the powdered sugar, and begin mixing on low, drizzle in the heavy cream as you increase the speed slowly as the frosting mixes.
- Add in the vanilla extract.
- When all the powdered sugar is combined you can whip it on high.
- The frosting should be fluffy, smooth, and silky.
- If you need it thicker, you can add more powdered sugar. This is helpful if you’ll be piping it on.
- This is where the salt comes into consideration, you can add a little more salt to balance the sweetness.
- *If you do not like salt, do not add it.
Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting
- Add cocoa powder to the recipe and reduce the powdered sugar by that amount, (small batch 1/4 cup, medium batch ½ cup, large batch 1 cup)
- Frosting recipes can be easily adjusted, if you want them thinner, maybe to pour over a bundt cake, reduce the powdered sugar and add a little more heavy cream, or add some warm water to the frosting to thin it so it’s more of a thick glaze.
- *The warmer the temperature is the softer this frosting will be, there are a few things you can do, add more powdered sugar to make it a little thicker,
- You can then apply the frosting and put the cake/cupcakes. Cookies in the fridge for 30 minutes to firm the frosting up (all the mixing softens it and “warms it up”).