Cream Cheese Frosting

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Smooth, creamy, and flavorful cream cheese frosting made from cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar, vanilla, and a pinch of salt!

Prep Time10

Allow ingredients to get to room temperature1

Total Time10

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: cream cheese frosting

Servings: “sky-high” cupcakes (as shown in pictures), see note 1

Author: Chelsea Lords

Cost: $4.09

Equipment

Hand mixer

Ingredients

1/2 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese full-fat, at room temperature (do not use low fat)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or use 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon optional, but heightens the flavor
3 cups powdered sugar

US - Metric

Instructions

Using a hand mixer, cream together the room-temperature butter and cream cheese on medium-high speed until completely smooth.
Mix in vanilla extract, salt, and cinnamon. With the mixer running at low speed, slowly add powdered sugar and beat until well blended and smooth. Add powdered sugar to preference. (See post—less sugar will yield a tangier, less sweet, and harder to spread frosting; more sugar will yield a thicker, easier to frost, sweeter, and less tangy frosting.)
Chill the frosting for 15–25 minutes before frosting cake/cupcakes/cookies (optional; I find it easier to work with) or store in an airtight container in the fridge until ready to use. If this is more than a few hours, it will need to sit out at room temperature for 10–15 minutes before frosting.

Notes

Note 1: This frosting will generously frost a 2 layer cake, and depending on how much frosting you use, will frost around 20 cupcakes and 26 cookies. For “sky-high” frosting on cupcakes (as pictured in the post)—this recipe will cover about 10 cupcakes.

Nutrition Note: Nutritional information is based on frosting 10 cupcakes.

Storage: Store leftover cream cheese frosting in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week. Let it sit at room temp for a few minutes before using, or rewhip for a fluffier texture. Freeze for up to 3 months and thaw in the fridge before using.

Nutrition