This easy Cream Cheese Icing recipe is fluffy and satiny. With just 5 ingredients, it’s the only cream cheese frosting recipe you need for cakes, cinnamon rolls and more!
Here’s What You Need
Whip up a batch of big, soft, old-fashioned cinnamon rolls. You’ll need a couple of basic baking ingredients and some standard kitchen tools to make this cream cheese icing recipe!
Cream Cheese Icing Ingredients
Use all your ingredients at room temperature for a smooth, silky result.
- Cream cheese: Use full-fat cream cheese and make sure you choose brick-style (not spreadable) cream cheese, holds its shape and won’t go runny. Make sure it’s softened to room temperature to blend smoothly without lumps.
- Unsalted butter
- Powdered sugar: Also known as confectioners’ sugar or icing sugar.
- Vanilla extract
Ingredient quantities in the recipe card at the bottom of the article
Tools to Grab
- I use either a stand mixer with paddle attachment, or a hand mixer, and a rubber spatula to scrape the sides of the bowl.
How to Make the Best Cream Cheese Icing: An Easy Guide
Here are my steps to making this luscious cream cheese icing recipe:
Combine the Cream Cheese and Butter
- In a medium bowl (or bowl of a stand mixer), whip the softened cream cheese and butter together until the mixture is smooth and well-blended.
Incorporate Sugar and Milk
- Gradually add the powdered sugar along with vanilla. Beat the mixture until it becomes creamy and light.
Adjust Texture and Add Flavor
- If you’d like a thinner cream cheese frosting to drizzle over Cinnamon Raisin Rolls or a Peach Pound Cake recipe, beat in a little milk (just a splash at a time) until you reach your desired consistency.
3 Common Mistakes When Making Cream Cheese Icing
These are 3 typical trips ups I come across people making and complaining about:
- Using cold ingredients: If the cream cheese and butter aren’t softened properly, the icing will be lumpy and difficult to blend smoothly. Always bring them to room temperature before mixing.
- Adding too much liquid at once: Pouring in too much milk or cream too quickly can make the icing runny and thin. Add liquid gradually, a little at a time, until you reach the perfect consistency.
- Using the wrong cream cheese: Light (low-fat), whipped or spreadable cream cheese has extra water and can make for runny frosting. Always use regular cream cheese that comes in brick-shaped paper boxes.
Make Ahead Cream Cheese Icing Recipe
- This cream cheese icing recipe can be fully made up to 2 days in advance and stored in the refrigerator to save time on your baking day.
- Just bring it to room temperature and re-whip before using.
Storing
- Keep the icing in an airtight container or tub in the fridge to maintain freshness and prevent it from absorbing other odors.
- Let it come to room temperature and give it another whisking just before frosting a cake.
Freezing
- You can freeze cream cheese icing for up to 2 months; thaw it overnight in the fridge before use and give it a good beating to restore creaminess.
Serving My Best Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe
This easy cream cheese icing recipe is perfect for SO many dessert recipes, because you can easily adjust the texture by adding some milk or cream.
There are sooo many ways I use and serve this icing:
- As a thick, fluffy frosting for my moist carrot cake with buttermilk.
- Thinned out to drizzle on biscuit cinnamon rolls
As an Icing for Cookies
Loaves and Quick Breads
Muffins and Cupcakes
- Sweet Potato Cupcakes
- Pumpkin Cupcakes
- Apple Cinnamon Muffins
- Moist Vanilla Cupcakes
- Moist Pumpkin Zucchini Muffins
It’s also perfect for a layer cake or sheet cake (try my famous moist chocolate cake recipe!), or as the frosting for a red velvet cake.
FAQs About Cream Cheese Icing
Here are some key takeaways you don’t want to miss:
Yes! Cream cheese icing can be made a day or two in advance and stored in the refrigerator. Just bring it to room temperature and re-whip before using.
If your icing is too thin, gradually add more powdered sugar to thicken it, or chill it in the fridge for a short time to help it firm up. (Make sure you use full-fat brick cream cheese to prevent runny icing.)
You can, but full-fat cream cheese gives the best flavor and texture. Low-fat versions result in a thinner, less creamy icing because of their higher water content.
Other Icing Recipes You’ll Love
- Easy Frosting Recipe (my absolute favorite of vanilla buttercream frostings)
Fluffy Cream Cheese Icing Recipe (in 5 Minutes!)
Ingredients
- 8 oz cream cheese room temperature
- 8 tbsp unsalted butter room temperature (8 tbsp = 1/2 cup)
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
For Thinner Icing
- 2-4 tbsp milk or cream optional
Instructions
- Add the cream cheese and butter to bowl of standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat together until smooth. (You can alternatively use an electric hand mixer)
- Add the powdered sugar and vanilla. Beat until creamy and fluffy.
- For frosting a cake, leave it as is – you're done!
For Thinner Icing (Optional)
- If you'd like a thinner icing for drizzling over cinnamon rolls or glazing cookies, beat the milk, a little splash at a time, until desired consistency is reached.
Notes
- This recipe yields 2 cups of icing, which is enough to frost and fill an 8- or 9-inch cake or to frost 12 cupcakes with a good swirl. For a single batch of cinnamon rolls, I usually halve the recipe.
- Use full-fat cream cheese for the best taste and texture.
- Soften cream cheese and butter to room temperature before mixing. You should be able to make a fingerprint in it but it should feel cool to touch and not be melty.
- Make it thinner with milk or cream, adding a little at a time.
- Store leftover icing in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days. Re-whip after chilling for the smoothest texture. Can be frozen for up to 2 months; thaw overnight before use. Avoid overmixing to prevent icing from becoming too soft or runny.
- Cakes frosted with cream cheese icing should be refrigerated to prevent bacterial growth.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
It tastes so good!