I get asked a lot about my cream cheese frosting recipe, and I’m finally sharing it!

People call cream cheese frosting all kinds of things. Sometimes it’s called cream cheese icing, other times cream cheese buttercream.

In my mind, there’s a huge difference between the two.

Cream cheese icing is much thinner, and works great when glazing muffins, or topping cinnamon rolls. However, it does not pipe well!

Cream Cheese Frosting That’s Sturdy Enough to Pipe

On the other hand, this cream cheese frosting is pipeable!! It’s thick, has structure, and pipes like a dream. Bring on the cupcakes, layer cakes, and even tiered cakes!!

This is what makes this frosting recipe so great. It has that delicious cream cheese tang, but is sturdy like my classic American buttercream. This means you can easily pipe big swirls on you cupcakes.

Thick Enough for Layer Cakes and Tiered Cakes

This also means you can make a tall layer cake or even tiered cakes and feel confident that this cream cheese frosting will be sturdy enough to keep its shape. 

I’ve paired this frosting recipe with my chocolate layer cake, red velvet cake recipe and with my red velvet cupcakes, and loved it on all of them!

I also used this frosting recipe on my bagel and lox inspired cake shown below.

I get loads of questions asking if it’s ok to use cream cheese frosting in a wedding cake. The short answer is yes, you totally can fill a wedding cake with this cream cheese frosting recipe.

I made a massive wedding cake with my olive oil cake recipe, and used this frosting recipe (plus some lemon zest) to frost it. As long as you properly support the cake, it should be totally fine.

The cake sat in the reception room for 6 hours before it was cut into, and it kept its shape perfectly!! The picture below shows the cake before it was transported to the venue (I added some fresh flowers to it once we got there).

Tips For Making Best Cream Cheese Frosting

• Use full fat cream cheese! It gives the frosting a better texture and taste.
• Make sure the cream cheese and butter are both at room temperature! If they’re not, they won’t properly mix together, and you can end up with chunks of cream cheese in your frosting.
• If you’re making this frosting for a cake, mix the buttercream on the lowest speed at the end of the process for a couple minutes, to get out any extra air that might have been incorporated during the mixing process.
• I usually use 1 batch of frosting to stack and frost a 7-inch or 8-inch layer cake.

Making This Cream Cheese Frosting in Advance and Storage Tips

Make your frosting ahead of time or save any leftover frosting! It can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks, or in the freezer for up to 2 months.

Be sure to give it a good stir once it thaws to get the consistency nice and smooth again.

A frosted cake can last in the fridge for up to a week, or in the freezer for up to a month. The buttercream locks in all the moisture, keeping the cake fresh and delicious!

If you cut into the cake and have leftovers, use any remaining frosting to cover the cut section to keep it moist and store in the fridge for up to a week.

Let Me Know What You Think!

If you try this pipeable cream cheese frosting recipe, I’d love to hear what you think!

Please leave a rating below and a comment to let me know your thoughts.

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