I originally published this recipe along with my recipe for Carrot Cake Cupcakes but I think it is sensational enough to deserve its own post.
After many, many years in Austria and countless batches of runny, drippy frosting that were only suitable for the garbage can, I have FINALLY found a recipe for Cream Cheese Frosting that turns out EVERY TIME.
It’s actually not so much the recipe itself as the METHOD for making the frosting using European cream cheese, which contains more liquid than the American cream cheese that is available in blocks in the U.S.
The key is that the powdered sugar must bind with the butter first and THEN the cream cheese can be safely mixed in without the sugar drawing the liquid out of the cream cheese. Applied physics!
I am so excited about this recipe for Cream Cheese Frosting made with European Cream Cheese!!! The taste and texture are just right and if you use a stand mixer it’s really easy to make. Try it! Cream Cheese Frosting is ideal for Carrot Cake as well as Banana Cake, Red Velvet Cupcakes, Chocolate Cupcakes and much more!
After beating the butter and powdered sugar together you will have a very stiff buttercream.
Then you can beat in the cream cheese. The result is this heavenly frosting. 
- 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (250 g) butter, room temperature
- 5 ½ cups (600 g) powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 10 ½ ounces (300 g) cream cheese spread (full fat), room temperature
- Beat the butter in the bowl of a stand mixer on high speed until light and fluffy. Add the powdered sugar, one third at a time, and beat on high speed for several minutes until mixture is light and creamy. Scrape the bowl and repeat the process until all of the powdered sugar is well incorporated. Beat in vanilla. You should now have a very stiff buttercream.
- Add the cream cheese and beat on high for a couple of seconds to incorporate. Scrape bowl and beat on high again for a couple of seconds.
- The frosting can now be spread on cake or cupcakes or chilled until it is firm enough to pipe. This amount is enough to frost and fill a two-layer cake or generously frost 24-30 cupcakes. Store frosting and frosted baked goods in the refrigerator.
Hi Krista!!
Just checked out your blog and fell in love with it immediately! Your frosting looks sooo good and the pictures are gorgeous!
Right now I struggle with exactly the same baking problems – having moved from Germany to Canada I find that I have to change most of my recipes! Especially the dairy based ones.
I can only imagine how difficult it must have been for you to get used to the German/Austrian dairy isle! It’s a jungle! I so miss all the Topfen and Schmand for making my cheesecakes though. I actually started making my own quark but I still haven’t found a good way to replace schmand!
Have a wonderful Sunday!
Greetings from Calgary,
Kiki
Thanks for the compliment – you are too kind, Kiki! I’m just beginning to figure things out and I find YOUR blog so inspiring!
We don’t have Schmand in Austria and it always stumped me in recipes – what is it? If I were living in North America again I would definitely miss the cheeses and other dairy we get here, now that I know what they are!
Thanks so much. Oh, I didn’t Schmand know that schmand was unavailable in Austria. I would put it somewhere in between cream and sour cream. A bit like creme fraiche but less fatty.if you ever cross the border for some groceries you should get some. It’s wonderful for baking and really cheap in Germany. I wish I could have it delivered to Calgary but no dice…
Good to know! I want to try Schmand now!
Your recipe for cream cheese icing saved my bacon . I went to make my ward winning top-secret Steve’s killer carrot cake for a boatload of oil field workers and found out my cream cheese is a spread not a block of cheese you’re icing recipe. Your secret to using cream cheese spread cream cheese icing made my cake over the top and 32 grown men wishing I was there wife , just kidding thank you 😀
That’s so great, Steve! Greetings to all of you working hard on the oil field – at least there’s carrot cake! 😀
Hi Krista,
Can you recommend a brand of cream cheese spread? Which one(s) do you usually use? I live in Hungary and we have quite similar products in supermarkets here to those in Austria… Anyway it would be even worth it crossing the border and going to Vienna if I can’t get a good one here.
Thank you for the recipe, I can’t wait to try it!
Teodora
Hi Teodora! If you’re looking for the “best” brand, I guess that would be Philadelphia if you can get it. However, I have tried many of the discount and store brands and didn’t notice any difference in the Cream Cheese Frosting, so I would give those a try. Just be sure to buy the full fat kind. Hope that answers your question!
Thank you! Maybe it’s stupid, but I was wondering if it has to be unsalted…? I think the Philadelphia I’ve bought was always salted, but maybe I haven’t been looking carefully… 🙂 Anyway, I will try as soon as possible, thank for the tips!
Maybe you’re thinking the savory cream cheese spreads, with herbs or whatever. Definitely buy the plain, unsalted, full fat kind! 🙂
You blessed soul! You know how long I been trying to make cream cheese frosting like in the pictures? Nobody wants my cream cheese sugar soup! Thanks a billion!
Cream cheese sugar soup is never good. 😀 I also struggled for YEARS trying to make my favorite frosting before I finally stumbled upon the solution! I’m so glad this was helpful to you!
Thanks a million. This is super! I wish I had seen your post before I also made ‘soupy cheese icing! …I tried to mix the quark and butter first and what a catastrophic thing! Eventually, after an hour of struggling I just managed to salvage it (had to as it was a celebration cake) by adding about 3kg of icing! Haha 😂 it was so sweet my daughter said she was going to turn diabetic on the spot! I’ve learned my lesson and yours will be my go to recipe in future.
Thanks again from Brighton, 🇬🇧
Hi Tracy! Thanks for taking the time to let me know you like my recipe – I’m so happy you found it helpful! 🌸
Hi! Just got here and love it already!!
Let me ask one thing: can we use color or will it change the chemistry of the Frosting? And can we use quark instead of normal cream cheese?
Thanks a lot!
Hi Olga! Welcome!! Yes, you can color cream cheese frosting. And no, quark will not work for this frosting. Stick to Philadelphia-style, plain, full-fat cream cheese.
Hi Krista! Thanks a lot! 😊
Hi Krista,
I’m willing to make this recipe tomorrow and I was wondering if I can use food coloring to the frosting .I’m making cupcakes for kids school.
Thank you
Gia
Hi Gia! Yes, you can color this frosting. Hope it turns out great! 😄
omg i just stumbled upon this blog post and i have to try this!!!! ive been struggling to make the perfect cream cheese frosting using spreadable cream cheese because every single recipe ive checked uses the brick kind. would this work with an electric hand mixer??? also could you pleaaase tell me would this recipe be enough to completely frost a 3 layered 7 inch cake?
I’m glad you’ve found your way here too. 😊 To answer your questions, yes, I think you could use an electric hand mixer if it’s got a strong enough motor. You could try giving your mixer a break to cool down before the final addition of powdered sugar. And yes, this makes enough to fill and frost a 3 layered 7 inch cake.