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Basic Cream Cheese Frosting

This cream cheese frosting is made with butter, cream cheese, vanilla, and confectioners' sugar for a rich and smooth topping on cakes.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Total Time 10 minutes
Course Snack
Cuisine American
Servings 12 people
Calories 3499 kcal

Equipment

  • 1 Electric Mixer Handheld or stand mixer
  • 1 Large Mixing Bowl For beating ingredients
  • 1 Rubber Spatula For scraping down sides
  • 1 Measuring Cups and Spoons For accurate ingredient measurement

Ingredients
  

Main

  • 8 ounces cream cheese
  • 1/2 cup butter softened
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 4 cups confectioners' sugar

Instructions
 

  • Gather all ingredients. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
  • Beat cream cheese, softened butter, and vanilla together in a large bowl with an electric mixer until light and creamy. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
  • Gradually beat in confectioners' sugar until smooth. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
  • Enjoy! Dotdash Meredith Food Studios

Notes

Achieving a silky-smooth cream cheese frosting begins with proper ingredient temperature. Ensure your cream cheese and butter are at true room temperature (around 68-70°F or 20-21°C); this allows them to emulsify correctly without lumps and incorporate air for a lighter texture. Over-beating after adding confectioners' sugar can develop gluten in the cream cheese, leading to a gluey rather than fluffy consistency. Beat just until smooth. For a stiffer frosting, add an extra 1/4 to 1/2 cup of confectioners' sugar. For a tangier flavor, use full-fat block cream cheese, not the spreadable tub variety. A pinch of salt can also help balance the sweetness.