Name: Cream Cheese Frosting
Prep time: 5 min
Total time: 5 min
Yield: 12
Cuisine: Cupcakes
Ingredients: 4oz Softened Cream Cheese; 1/4 Cup Unsalted Butter, softened; 1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract; 1 Cup Powdered Sugar

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Cream cheese frosting is one of my favorite go-to frostings for decorating anything really. The flavor is so versatile, it really compliments most everything. Like below is a delicious gingerbread cupcake and it pairs perfectly.

A gingerbread cupcake with cream cheese frosting on top with gingerbread sprinkles. — Gingerbread Cupcake with cream cheese frosting

Depending on what you're decorating will determine how you will decorate, e.g. decorating cupcakes I'm going to use a piping bag but say a cookie, or like below my pumpkin donuts I usually like to spoon it on there.

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❤️ Why you'll love it
🧅 Ingredients
🥣 Instructions
🔄 Substitutions and Variations
🔌 Equipment
Recipes To Use Your Cream Cheese Frosting
🧊 Storage
💡 Tips
Cream Cheese Frosting
💬 Comments

❤️ Why you'll love it

Cream cheese frosting is one of the most versatile frostings (in my opinion).
It's the perfect cream cheese frosting for brownies.

🧅 Ingredients

Cream Cheese
Vanilla Extract
Powdered Sugar
Unsalted Butter

See recipe card at the bottom of this post for quantities.

🥣 Instructions

A bowl of ingredients needed to make cream cheese frosting with some beaters. — How to make cream cheese frosting

Step 1: Add all ingredients into a large mixing bowl and using a hand mixer (or a stand mixer with whisk attachment) beat at medium speed until nice and creamy.
Step 2: Either spoon directly onto your cookies (or other dessert) or pipe onto a cupcake/cake.

Hint: Depending on how thick/runny you want your frosting to be you can add a little more powdered sugar or melted butter.

🔄 Substitutions and Variations

Chocolate Chips - if you want to make chocolate cream cheese frosting melt some chocolate chips and add to the frosting for a rich chocolate flavor.
Color - use red food coloring (or any color really) to give your frosting some color.

Overhead view of frosting being added to donuts. — Frosting some pumpkin donuts

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🔌 Equipment

The following are affiliate links. We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

You can use a hand mixer to make this cream cheese frosting, or you could use a stand mixer. Or if you're feeling energetic you could beat by hand with a whisk for a few minutes.

I have a few links in the recipe card below for my favorites.

Recipes To Use Your Cream Cheese Frosting

🧊 Storage

Due to the dairy involved cream cheese frosting can only be left out at room temperature for a few hours. After that it will need to be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator, for up to 4 days.

💡 Tips

Expert Tip: If you want super white frosting use a clear vanilla.

A gingerbread cupcake with a gingerbread man sticking out the top. — Cupcake with Cream Cheese Frosting and a Gingerbread cookie

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