Finally, a recipe for cream cheese frosting made with European cream cheese for a frosting that is creamy and smooth yet firm enough to pipe cupcakes or frost and fill a cake with. This recipe is absolutely foolproof and I'll explain step-by-step how you can make the perfect cream cheese frosting.
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's perfect every time.
European vs. American cream cheese
The problem with the cream cheese that's available in Europe is that it is a spread. It comes in tubs and contains more liquid and less fat than the American cream cheese that is available in bricks or blocks. Even the Philadelphia brand cream cheese is a spread in Europe.
The success of this recipe lies not so much in the recipe itself as in the method for making the frosting using European cream cheese.
The problem is that when you add sugar to cream cheese spread, it draws the liquid out of the cream cheese, resulting in the soupy consistency I mentioned earlier.
How to make cream cheese frosting with European cream cheese
The key to success is binding the powdered sugar 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!
1. Beat the butter in the bowl of a stand mixer on high speed until light and fluffy.
2. Add the powdered sugar, one-third at a time,
3. and beat on high speed for several minutes
4. until mixture is light and creamy.
5. Add the cream cheese
6. and beat on high for a few seconds to incorporate.
Ingredients
- Cream cheese. For this recipe, use full-fat, plain cream cheese spread. It doesn't have to be room temperature but can come straight from the fridge.
- Butter. Use regular, unsalted butter softened at room temperature. The spreadable butter available in tubs is not suitable for this recipe.
- Powdered sugar. Always sift your powdered sugar for frosting recipes. Be aware that in Austria, you need to use Puderzucker. Staubzucker isn't ground finely enough and will yield a frosting that is grainy with undissolved sugar crystals in it.
- Vanilla extract. My favorite brand is Taylor & Colledge, which I buy through Amazon. Or you can make your own, you’ll find my recipe for vanilla extract here. Vanilla extract from the supermarket in Austria contains a lot of sugar and is rather expensive.
FAQs about cream cheese frosting made with spread
How do I know if my cream cheese is a spread or not?
- If your cream cheese is in a plastic tub with a peel-back foil lid, it's a spread and you need to use the method below for making Cream Cheese Frosting. If your cream cheese is a block or brick wrapped in foil, it is brick-style cream cheese and you should use a traditional American cream cheese frosting recipe.
What is cream cheese frosting used for?
- The cupcakes featured in these photos are my Perfect American Vanilla Cupcakes, absolutely dreamy light, moist and fluffy vanilla cupcakes. Cream Cheese Frosting is the best frosting for Carrot Cake as well as Banana Cake, Red Velvet Cake (below), Chocolate Cupcakes and much more.
I don't have a stand mixer, can I still make this recipe?
- Making this frosting is easy with a stand mixer but you can use a regular electric hand mixer to beat the ingredients together. Just be sure to fully incorporate the powdered sugar into the butter at each step by mixing on high for 2-3 minutes before you attempt to add the cream cheese.
Can this recipe be halved or doubled?
- I would avoid changing the amounts because there's a risk that the recipe won't turn out for you.
- I've calculated the amounts of the ingredients in the recipe below for two different-sized batches. The "regular" amount will yield enough frosting to pipe onto 22 cupcakes, to frost a sheet cake or to fill and frost a small round cake. The "large" batch yields enough frosting for 24-30 cupcakes or to fill and frost a large round cake.
- If you wish to make more frosting than the larger batch, I would suggest making separate batches to ensure perfect consistency.
How is cream cheese frosting stored?
- Because it contains cream cheese, cream cheese frosting and frosted baked goods need to be stored in the refrigerator.
- Cake or cupcakes frosted with cream cheese frosting may stand at room temperature for a couple of hours before serving but otherwise must be stored in the fridge.
Can cream cheese frosting be made the day before?
- Yes! Cream cheese frosting can be made ahead and stored tightly covered in the fridge for up to 5 days.
- Allow chilled cream cheese frosting to stand at room temperature for an hour or two until it is soft enough to spread or pipe. Stir vigorously to bring back the creamy consistency.
What can you do with the leftovers? Can you freeze cream cheese frosting?
- Tightly sealed, cream cheese frosting can be frozen for up to two months.
- Defrost cream cheese frosting overnight in the refrigerator, then allow it to stand at room temperature for an hour or two until it is soft enough to spread or pipe. Stir vigorously to bring back the creamy consistency.
- Leftover cream cheese can be used as a fruit dip, on muffins, cookies, or on banana or zucchini bars. Or make graham cracker sandwich cookies: sandwich together two graham crackers (or other cookies) with cream cheese frosting filling.
My cream cheese frosting is too soft, what can I do?
- Normally, adding some additional powdered sugar would thicken up an American buttercream like this one. But that doesn't work in this case. No amount of powdered sugar can rescue a runny cream cheese frosting. Believe me, I have tried!
- If your frosting is just soft, and not liquidy, runny or soupy, chilling it for one or two hours will solve the issue and the frosting will be firm enough to pipe onto cupcakes or spread on a cake.
- If your frosting is runny or liquidy, you can try chilling it but it probably won't be salvageable. Before you discard it, you could consider using it as a glaze.
Can I make this recipe with less sugar?
- I haven't tried it but several readers have left comments that they used half the amount of sugar called for and the frosting turned out beautifully.
Can I use margarine instead of butter?
- Yes, as long as you use the margarine in blocks or sticks and not the spreadable margarine, the frosting will turn out fine.
Can I make cream cheese frosting with lactose-free cream cheese?
- Yes, lactose-free cream cheese works great in this recipe.
Can this recipe be made vegan?
- Yes! I've made this cream cheese frosting using vegan butter (margarine) and vegan cream cheese and it works perfectly.
Can cream cheese frosting be used as a buttercream under fondant?
- I'm afraid cream cheese frosting is too soft to be used under fondant. I would search for a ganache or buttercream recipe that's specifically for under fondant.
Can you add food coloring to cream cheese frosting?
- Yes, gel, paste and powdered food coloring all work with cream cheese frosting.
Here are the top tips for making heavenly cream cheese frosting with European cream cheese:
- Always sift your powdered sugar.
- Add the powdered sugar to the butter bit by bit.
- Ensure the powdered sugar is thoroughly incorporated into the butter by beating them together for 2-3 minutes on high speed with each addition.
- If your finished cream cheese frosting gets too soft, chill it. Stir vigorously afterward for a uniform creamy consistency.
Cream Cheese Frosting with European Cream Cheese (or Cream Cheese Spread)
Ingredients
Regular Batch
- ¾ cup (166 g) butter room temperature
- 3 ¾ cups (400 g) powdered sugar sifted
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 7 ounces (200 g) plain, full-fat cream cheese spread
Large Batch
- 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (250 g) butter room temperature
- 5 ½ cups (600 g) powdered sugar sifted
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- 10 ½ ounces (300 g) plain, full-fat cream cheese spread
Instructions
- 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. Store frosting and frosted baked goods in the refrigerator.
Notes
I've calculated the amounts of the ingredients in the recipe below for two different-sized batches. The "regular" amount will yield enough frosting to pipe onto 22 cupcakes, to frost a sheet cake or to fill and frost a small round cake. The "large" batch yields enough frosting for 24-30 cupcakes or to fill and frost a large round cake.
Tamara
I wish I found this 2 weeks ago! lol! My very first time I made frosting since our move to Austria and it was a soupy mess! Can’t wait to try this recipe next time!
Danny
FINALLY. i honestly should have saved myself the headache and thought to look for this recipe rather than try to brute force an american recipe with monchou and other cheeses. This whipped up beautifully, and while still a bit soft compared to other buttercreams, was able to hold the weight of the upper cake layer, and didn't run at all. i did replace the vanilla extract with fresh lemon zest and a pinch of salt, due to personal preference.
one thing i would add for those wanting to make this with a handheld mixer, i BROKE mine whipping the last of the powdered sugar through the butter since it was so stiff. to be fair, it was €15, about 6 years old at this point and i had been baking all day, so. Guess the recipe isn't entirely foolproof!
American in France
Thank you for this insightful and helpful explanation. I made a cream cheese frosting for the carrot cake following your recipe and it turned out great.
Now my French family can enjoy this great American desert !!!
Thank you 🙏
Zen
This turned out PERFECT! Thank you so much for explaining the science behind the method and why it's important to combine the butter and powdered sugar first! I'm surprised there aren't more "how to-s" on this topic.
We made ours with 1 stick butter, 3 C powdered sugar and 4oz (half a tub) of cream cheese (because that's all we had left :). It was just the right amount of sweetness (for those that said 4C powder sugar was too sweet).
NOTE: this made more than enough for a 9"x13" sheet cake 🙂
Krista
That‘s awesome 🤩 thank you!
Fara
Made the frosting and it was perfect! Thanks so much for this recipe!!!I’ve always struggled with this living in Portugal.
Birgit
Dear Krista,
I'm so glad I found your recipe for the cream cheese frosting - high five on the WWW 🙂
Our kids have been born in the US and have these requests & urges now and then. Like my son mentioned 'red velvet cupcakes' recently... well he got them for his 18th birthday and thanks to you, even the frosting turned out great. Had bad experiences with it a few years ago and never tried again. It's funny, how much we need our 'comfort food' when living abroad. I even learned how to make 'Germknödel' from scratch, when I lived in the US. Now, being back in Austria, we plan elaborate 'Thanksgiving Dinners'...
Thanks for sharing your recipes!
Cheers,
Birgit
Krista
🥰🥰🥰 Yes! You hit the nail on the head! Comfort foods are especially important when living abroad. After living in Austria for 30 years, I would also definitely miss the Knödel in every variation if I lived anywhere else! Thanks for the comment - red velvet cupcakes are my son’s go-to birthday cake too. Liebe Grüße Krista
Dilyana Uzunova
Hi! I want to frost an entire 2-tier cake with this frosting. Is it going to hold on the outside if I use it for some decorations (e.g. piped grass)?
Krista
If I’m understanding your question correctly, you want to pipe decorations onto the cake frosted with this? Yes, that works! I would use American buttercream for piping the grass and decorations though, because it’s stiffer.
Dilyana
Thanks, Krista! That's exactly what I needed to know 🙂
Santhy
Hi, i would like to add a little lemon juice to this. Would it be possible and if so, when can i add it in ?
Thanks.
Krista
Hi, wonderful idea! I would add the lemon juice at the very end.
K
Do you think I could sub powdered sugar for maple syrup. Want to make this for a smash cake and not use too much sugar for the baby!
Krista
I don’t think you can get the right consistency using maple syrup in this recipe. You could try searching for a smash cake buttercream recipe that has maple syrup. Good luck! All my best, Krista
Addie
Is this gritty? Like american buttercream?
Krista
It shouldn’t be if you follow the recipe. Be sure to use a fine powdered sugar. All the best, Krista
Tia
Hey, I’m planning on making this for a red velvet cake tomorrow… how sweet is the frosting? My grandmother would be having it and she doesn’t like things that are too sweet. My other question is if I’m making a large batch would it still work with a cup less of sugar?
Krista
Hi Tia,
How sweet is the frosting? Great question! I often make cakes with this frosting and people love it. I don't find it too sweet but I think you could easily reduce the sugar in the recipe and the frosting would still be delicious. So I would say go ahead and make it with one cup less sugar. 🙂
Happy Baking,
Krista
Jen
Hi, in your recipe it only says butter, does it mean either salted or unsalted butter would be fine? Thanks
Krista
Hi Jen,
Thanks for your question! Unsalted butter is best but if you only have salted butter on hand that should be fine. 🙂
All the best,
Krista
Jess from Oslo
You have no idea how maddening this issue was for me! Thank you so much, works great.
Krista
Hi Jess,
Great to hear! Thank you so much for your feedback and kind words!
All the best,
Krista
Anne Graff
You saved my pumpkin bars, thank you ever so much! My husband does our shopping and when I asked for cream cheese, I'm thinking the blocks, but he bought the spread. I've been wondering what to do with it, then decided, why not use it to make cream cheese frosting. Thought I'd try just adding the powdered sugar, rather runny, added more powdered sugar, really runny. Put it on my pumpkin bars anyway, but couldn't pick them up for the runny frosting. It was at that point that I turned to google and found your article. Can't believe what a difference that made, perfect consistency and delicious. Just had to scrap the first frosting off before adding the good stuff. Now I know. Thank you, thank you.
Krista
Thank you for your comment! Glad you were able to save your frosting! 😚
Romi
Thank you so much!!! I'm from Switzerland and want to try a cream cheese frosting so I was looking just for this!
One question though: wouldn't the small triangle shaped Frischkäse like the "Kiri" brand work for the frosting? The consistency is like the one of cream cheese and contains around 30% of fat. Those taste like the spreadable cheese we have (like Philadelphia). Did you ever try it?
Oh!! And I've also read about using Mascarpone as an American cream cheese substitute for the frosting. What's with that?
Thanks again!!
Krista
Hi Romi, It's my pleasure! 🙂 You could try the Kiri, why not? I've never tried making frosting with it but if it has similar fat content it should work, I would think.
I think you could probably use mascarpone instead of cream cheese in this recipe and the consistency would be ok but the frosting would taste a lot sweeter and wouldn't be as tangy. If you want to try a mascarpone frosting recipe, I have one here that also uses cream cheese and whipping cream and a lot less sugar: https://livingoncookies.com/tiramisu-cupcakes-with-mascarpone-frosting/
I hope that answers your questions! Have a great day! Krista
Romi
Thanks so much for the quick reply!! I'm new to
baking so I have so much to learn and your blog will be super helpful. I'll check the mascarpone recipe as well! Vielen Dank☺️
Kat
How long does the leftover frosting keep and how do you suggest storing it?
Krista
Hi Kat, store frosting in an airtight container. It can be frozen for up to two months or stored in the fridge for up to four days. Allow it to thaw overnight in the fridge if frozen. Allow refrigerated frosting to stand at room temperature until it’s soft enough to use. Stir vigorously or beat with and electric mixer briefly to make it smooth again.
Trish
just made it - worked perfectly! Only thing I would add is that it is very sweet. Maybe
leave out the .vanilla? I only made 1/2 batch - put a few drops of lemon juice as one other
reviewer suggested and also added more of the spread. Sweet and delicious! Thank you for the
recipe. Easy and the spread cost very little compared to block. I put the remainder in the freezer and will use it next time.
Yesenia D
Hi, hope everything is well, if I want to make it a chocolate flavor cream cheese icing, how much cocoa do you recommend I use? and would I put less sugar because of it? Thank You!
Krista
Hi Yesenia,
To make Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting, I add melted semi-sweet chocolate. For the full recipe above, mix in 7 ounces (200g) melted, cooled chocolate after the last step above. The Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting is amazing. 🙂
Shamini
I only want to make 1/4 the recipe above ie 1/4 cup butter instead of 1 cup just to pipe on an orange cake. Just wondering if that will work. Also I want the frosting to be orange flavoured. Will it b ok if I add some grated orange zest to the frosting?
Krista
Hi Shamini, yes that will work and it sounds amazing!!! If you’re making 1/4 recipe, it might be easier to really work the sugar into the butter if you use an electric hand mixer and a smaller mixing bowl.
Shannon
Oh my goodness! Thank you!
I will be trying this - I am from Wisconsin and live in Vorarlberg a decade and WHY, OH WHY don't Austrians have real cream cheese?
(Though in Vorarlberg I kind of understand it- many of the locals do not consider anything besides Bergkäse to be "REAL CHEESE". So cream cheese is not even call cream cheese - just "Philedelphia" - because it is not Bergkäse and therefore not cheese.)
As a dairy farmer's daughter - my heart grieves for thier constricted view of cheese - I love almost all of the cheeses. Bryndza, skyr, bergkäse, cheddar, gouda, oszczypek... so many cheeses....
THANK YOU!
As for the reader that is asking about Schmand - you can try to make your own.
Schmand is basically the same thing as the Śmietana / Smetana - which is the Polish / Russian version of the stuff.
I found a tutorial here where you can try to make it in different versions. Maybe it will help you reader? https://petersfoodadventures.com/homemade-sour-cream/
Krista
Thank you so much for your nice feedback Shannon! I’m sure your tip will help someone. 😍 I am from Minnesota and am familiar with Wisconsin cheese - YUM! All the best, Krista
Ana B.
I wonder if this process would work with this New York Cheesecake recipe.
It’s the closest I can find to a what I always had.
What would you do different?
https://www.keyingredient.com/recipes/594101233/the-best-new-york-cheesecake/
Krista
Hi Ana, that recipe for New York Cheesecake looks really good but I am concerned about using that much sour cream, which has a lot of water in it. Normally I would recommend reducing the sour cream to make up for the fact that your cream cheese has more liquid in it than the American kind, but I’m not sure with this particular recipe. If it helps, I developed my own New York Cheesecake recipe you could try: https://livingoncookies.com/new-york-cheesecake-with-strawberry-sauce/
All the best, Krista
Mindo Pod
I am SO GRATEFUL to you for having done the research and testing to discover this and then to share it with us. Right now there is a shortage of cream cheese here and all I could buy was the spread. I almost made the disaster you described by using it as though it were the block - one more web search led me to you and you saved the day. Thank you again!
I followed the recipe to the letter (to the gram, that is) and it came out *beautifully*.
For fellow Kitchaid standing mixer users - forget using the whip attachment and just use the standard mixing paddle all the way.
Krista
Thank you for the helpful tip and your sweet comment! You made my day! ☺️
Inez
I love your recipe. Being a fellow expat living in Austria (but Australian origin) I have struggled for years to solve this problem…I knew it was a fat issue so I tried EVERYTHING (mascarpone, increasing the fat in the cream cheese) - and here you have cracked it. You absolutely made my New Year…there’s nothing like a last minute win!
Sal
I’m wondering if I chill the frosting to stiffen and then pipe it, if it goes back to room temperature after piped will it get runny again?
Krista
No, it will be fine. It’s only occasionally a little too soft to pipe right after being made, depending on the brand of cream cheese you use, the temperature of your kitchen, etc.
Kelly
Hi Krista
I want to use this recipe of yours for the cream cheese frosting and I bought ingredients last weekend only to discover that I bought 5 tubs of creamed smooth cottage cheese instead of cream cheese, could I still use this recipe and substitute the cream cheese with the creamed cottage cheese ?
Krista
Hi Kelly, my guess is that the frosting recipe would not work because of the high moisture and low fat content of cottage cheese.
Emily
I attempted to make cream cheese frosting with european style cream cheese but it was so runny that it cant even be pumped fr a frosting bag. What should i do? Chill it 1st? Add thick cream?? My pump head is snowflake design and i didnt manage to even pump out a decent snowflake because its so liquidy.
Krista
Hi Emily, you can definitely try chilling it! Chilling often helps when the frosting is too soft to pipe. If after at least two hours in the refrigerator it is still liquidy, in my experience there is nothing more you can do to thicken it. Did you follow the recipe and directions exactly? You have to beat all the powdered sugar into the butter before attempting to add the cream cheese. If you try to mix all the ingredients at once, it will likely become runny.
Betty A.
Hi Krista,
I am planning on making a Red velvet cake with 2 9 inch pans. Would the recipe be the right amount or can I cut it in half? I don't think I will use all the frosting plus there is so much of the ingriedients and I most definetly do not want to waste it. I've made the frosting before but with homeade powdered sugar and the only downside was that my sugar wasn't fine enough so it was gritty. Next time, I'll just stick to the store-bought hehe. Other than that it was PERFECT( it was my first time making a frosting).
Krista
Hi Betty,
I have a Red Velvet Cake recipe for 2 9-inch pans here on the blog. I use the same amount of frosting as this recipe to fill and frost it but feel free to use less if you prefer. I’ve had to grind my own powdered sugar so I know there’s a graininess you can’t quite get rid of. The finer, industrial powdered sugar is so much better! Sift it too so it incorporates well. Happy baking!
Betty A.
Hi Krista,
I am planning on making a Red velvet cake with 2 9 inch pans. Would the recipe be the right amountor can I cut it in half? I don't think I will use all the frosting plus there is so much of the ingriedients and I most definetly do not want to waste it. I've made the frosting before but with homeade powdered sugar and the only downside was that my sugar wasn't fine enough so it was gritty. Next time, I'll just stick to the store-bought hehe. Other than that it was PERFECT( it was my first time making a frosting).
Cindy
I was only able to find lactose-free cream cheese (the type made from real dairy) in the spreadable format. I've had mixed experiences making cream cheese frosting from it in the past. This one was perfect! The others were too sweet because I had to add extra powdered sugar to get the texture right. This recipe was perfect! Perfect texture and balance of flavors. Thank you sooooo much!
Krista
Hi Cindy, that’s so awesome to hear - thanks for the feedback! 😃
Hannah
Thank you so much for this recipe! It worked to a T and saved my husband’s 40th birthday.
Krista
I‘m so glad! Thanks for the feedback!
Margarita
I rarely bake and I've never made cream cheese frosting until now...this is an amazing recipe! I made only half of the regular portion and it turned out perfectly for my red velvet cake! Thank you so much from Luxembourg!!!
Melissa
This is such a great post! I will definitely try it.
Do you have any tips on using European cream cheese in a Basque cheesecake?
I made it a few weeks ago using the spreadable cream cheese and, while it was delicious and everyone loved it, I can’t help but fee that the consistency of the cream cheese affected the structure.
Greetings from Sofia, Bulgaria!
Krista
Hi Melissa, I‘ve never made a Basque cheesecake but I would think the Philadelphia cream cheese in Spain is the same as in the rest of Europe. I looked at recipes and some say you can use mascarpone instead, which is also very creamy, so it sounds like you got it right. ☺️
Cara
It’s not really my Birthday without Carrot Cake. But being an expat means no cream cheese frosting... until now. This is the year!
Krista
Yay!!! Enjoy!
Jo
Thank you! My first try at making red velcet cake was a disaster due to the runny frosting, but after finding your recipe I tried it again and it was perfect 🙂
Krista
I‘m happy to hear that! Thanks for the feedback!!
Alena
Thanks so much for posting this! It was just what I was looking for! Hello from Albania
Samantha
Hi,I love this recipe! Just a question, is it possible to replace the cream cheese for Mascarpone? A friend doesn't like cream cheese... Thanks!
Krista
Hi Samantha, I have a recipe for mascarpone frosting here. That recipe calls for cream cheese as well but you can definitely replace it with the same amount of mascarpone: 13 ounces or 375g mascarpone in total.
GBO
P.S. I find the best/thickest texture cream cheese here in Germany is the cheapest, most basic one: "Ja!" brand.
It falls into the "spread" category, in that it has a higher than USA moisture content. However, unlike the other DE brands, good ole basic "Ja!" brand cream cheese contains no fillers or other unexpected ingredients. Just milk.
Thank you for your help and insights!
Krista
I usually buy the store brand cream cheese too and it works wonderfully. 😌
GBO
Finally a great result. Thank you, Thank you, Thank you for this method.
Previously I used "Schichtkäse" as a substitute. Do you know it? It is firm and slightly sour. Schichtkäse will work for cream cheese frosting, although the taste is a just a bit different than what we're all shooting for. And, unfortunately, it's not a pantry staple. Here in Munich only about 80% of stores carry it, and only from one company: "Landliebe". It's always shelved in a different place in the dairy case. Employees have often never heard of it and so can be quite useless in locating it.
I much prefer your solution. Thank you for letting everyone know
Krista
I‘ve never heard of Schichtkäse either. 😅 I’m so happy to hear you like this recipe! 😍
Cookie monster
Tried this recipe today and I'm shook.
Thank you for this amazing recipe you really are the game changer
Mary
Thank you for this!
By any chance, have you got a solution for making a cheese ball with European cream cheese spread? I could not get it to firm up enough to make a proper cheese ball.
Krista
Hi Mary, I‘ve never made a cheese ball and I can’t think of any way to make it harder. Maybe more of the other ingredients and less cream cheese?
Ayse
Hello Krista, Thank you for this recipe. I live in Belgium and I can't find block cream cheese here. Your recipe worked for me however it was still gritty and I could feel the icing sugar while eating it.(I whipped it pretty long though before adding cream cheese, but however it was still gritty) Doy you have an idea how to solve this?
Krista
Hi Ayse, thank you for your comment. The grittiness is probably due to your powdered sugar not being fine enough. You can fix this by grinding/processing it in a food processor before you use it to make frosting. I have a Thermomix and can process the sugar, about 300g at a time, on turbo for one minute. When purchasing powdered sugar, be sure to get the finest you can find. Here in Austria, there is “dusting” sugar, which still has the gritty sugar crystals you’re talking about, and “powder” sugar, which is finer and meant to be used for buttercreams and frostings. American powdered sugar, also called "confectioner's" or "icing" sugar, is as fine as cornstarch (cornflour) or baby powder. I searched online and believe it might be called "sucre impalpable" in French. I hope this helped answer your question. 😊
Ayse
Thank you Krista. I bought a new brand of powdered sugar, it's from funcakes which is supposed to be for making frostings and seems much finer. I will try it with that one. 🙂
Katie
Thank you. Just thank you. The entire Berlin expat carrot cake bakers association thanks you! We’ve been suffering too long with runny frosting!
Krista
You're very welcome! 😅 So glad to be of help!
Meemz
Thank you so much for sharing this!!
All of our local supermarkets stopped importing the U.S block Philadelphia cream cheese. I’ve been using the spreadable/runny cream cheese for all my recipes 🙁
I tried this recipe today and it worked like a charm. It was PERFECT! Thank you again 😀
Vivien
Could I add cocoa powder into this recipe to make chocolate cream cheese? I can’t get any baking/cooking chocolate where I’m from.
Krista
Hi, Vivien! Yes, I would add 2/3 cup (50 g) unsweetened cocoa powder and reduce the powdered sugar to a scant 5 cups (500 g). Sift the cocoa powder and powdered sugar together and beat into the butter as above. Let me know how this works for you!
Jannani Mohan
Wouldn't this be too sweet. That's a lot of powdered sugar. How can I modify this recipe to add a bit of cornstarch to make it less sweet?
Krista
It's a big recipe, that's why you need so much powdered sugar. I've never tried substituting powdered sugar with cornstarch so I don't know if it works.
Denise
I just made this recipe, turned out amazing! Thank you Krista for posting 🙂 I added 2-3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice and lemon rind from one lemon. It cut the sweetness and made it nice and citrus-y.
Dei
Krista
Hi Denise, awesome, thank you for your feedback! I used to make mine with lemon juice too - I have to do that again, such a great idea!
Leona
Thanks for the recipe. I read somewhere about straining the cheese to get the water content out, have you ever done that. Also, if I wanted to make a chocolate frosting using creme cheese, do you think I could use this recipe and if so, how much cocoa?
Krista
Hi Leona,
Great question. Before I discovered this method, I did try straining the cream cheese. You can read about it in this super old post here if you're curious. I think the method above is much easier and better.
To make Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting, I add melted semi-sweet chocolate. For the entire recipe above, mix in 7 ounces (200 g) melted chocolate after the last step above. The Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting is amazing. 🙂
Hope this answered your questions 🙂 Krista
Farida
I made a double batch today, fantastic, and holds very well. and tasty!
Erum
Is the butter use salted or unsalted? If unsalted can one use salted?
Krista
I use unsalted but salted butter is fine too.
Lizz Kelling
After initially making this (i did the exact recipe but cut the ingridients in half since i was making 12 cupcakes) the icing was still runny, I had to do the old cornstarch trick but the next day left in fridge (as a test) it hardened and was nice. I am wondering if the liquid runny texture is too much butter?
Krista
Hi Lizzy, my guess is that it was either too warm in your kitchen or the brand of cream cheese you used made the frosting too soft. I usually buy whichever store brand or organic cream cheese they happen to carry at the store I am shopping at. The stiffness of the frosting can really vary depending on the cream cheese but chilling a too-soft frosting a bit has always resolved the issue.
Nora
Many thanks for your explanation on runny cream cheese frostings. I live in the UK, and after following an American recipe and I was left with a liquid frosting. It started to liquify as soon as I started adding the icing sugar to the butter-cream cheese mix. Now I understand the science behind it I can’t wait to give it another try.
Krista
My pleasure, Nora! 😊
Patricia
Hi. I'm so glad I have found you . I have made twice red velvet cake following and American recipe and the cake is just perfect,but the frosting is so liquid. Now I can make it again will European spreadable cheese
Just one question. Can I add food colouring(gel) in it???
Thank you very much
Krista
Hi Patricia, you're so welcome. And yes, you can color this frosting too. 😊
Doris
Thank you very much for this recipe. I live in europe and hoped to make that fluffy cream cheese frosting always advertised in US recipes. Now I finally can! My only concern is the amount of sugar. Is there any way to make it a bit less sweet? Thank you very much again 🙂
Rod
If ONLY I had known about the differences between US and UK cream cheeses BEFORE I made a Hummingbird cake from a lovely recipe book that I bought in Savannah. I did indeed have a soupy mess. Edible, but...unappealing. You've explained everything!!
I was going to ditch the idea of ever making it again, but I shall now venture bravely forth and make another Hummingbird cake (and buy some larger trousers).
Thank you!
Krista
Hi Rod, that IS a shame your Hummingbird Cake wasn't as beautiful as it could have been. I love Hummingbird Cake too and have a recipe here on the blog. 🙂 I'm sure your next one will be perfect! All the best, Krista
Evelyn
Thank you so much for this secret tip! I had bought the spreadable kind by accident and this saved me. I used the light variety and it came out nice and fluffy still! ☺️
Krista
Good to know the light variety also works. Thanks for your feedback, Evelyn!
Fizza
Can I use whipped cream instead of butter
For instance adding whipped cream to cream cheese spread and then adding sugar ?
Krista
I've never tried adding whipped cream to cream cheese spread, I don't know if it would work, sorry. You'd have to try to find a different recipe.
Fizza
I tried your recipe but it turned out custurdy. What to do ?
I have placed it in my freezer.
Will it turn out like frosting now ?
Krista
Yes, it should thicken up nicely. Don't let it get too hard in the freezer. Just give it another quick whip before you use it.
Chris
Hi Krista,
Well, I'm here because I fell in the same trap last night and made a devastating cream cheese soup. I never even considered the cream cheese was different to the American stuff..... so thanks for posting and I will be trying this tomorrow! just one question, should the cream cheese spread be at room temperature or straight from the fridge?
Thanks,
Chris
Krista
Hi Chris, I use mine straight from the fridge because it is soft enough to mix in even when it's cold and, if I want the frosting a little firmer, it's not too warm.
Chris
Thanks Krista! made it and it was wonderful! have a lovely weekend!
Krista
Yay! You're welcome - you have a great weekend too, Chris!
Patti Kumazawa
You are a genius! Thanks so much.
It’s delicious on my banana cake.
I just bought a giant tub of Philadelphia, not realizing it is not the same as the brick.
Krista
Banana Cake sounds amazing right now! I'm glad my recipe helped you!
Aditi
can we use cheese spread in whipped cream also for frosting cakes and cupcakes? If yes, plz tell me the right way to do it..
Krista
I don't know, I have never tried combining cream cheese and whipped cream.
Rachel
Hi,
Can this recipe used for piping rose icing on cupcake? Thanks.
Krista
Yes, that should work. If the frosting is a little too soft, you can chill it for 20 minutes or so but it should be fine.
Baker from Munich
This recipe is amazing and like the other comments I'm glad you solved this problem for the whole of us! I was wondering how long you typically keep leftover icing in your fridge? It's just sugar, cream cheese, butter so I was thinking a month or so? Or too long? What do you think? Thank you!!!
Krista
I wouldn't keep it in the fridge for more than about a week but you can easily freeze it! Just let it thaw overnight in the fridge and beat it smooth before using it to frost cake or cupcakes.
Chanitnanth
I stay in Germany , and yes I do have a same problem finding hard Philadelphia as I can get it easily in Thailand. I wanna ask of it possible if I could use this to make a new york cheesecake? I mean real german cheesecake is not im looking for and using Quark also no no no lol. Thank you so muchh
Krista
Yes! I have a recipe for New York Cheesecake made with cream cheese "spread" here: https://livingoncookies.com/new-york-cheesecake-with-strawberry-sauce/
Renae
My cream cheese is 250g, should I reduce the other ingredients by a small amount (or would it be unnoticeable if I just keep to the recipe?)
Krista
Hi Renae, the frosting will be great using 250g cream cheese. You don't need to adjust the other ingredients.
Sandra Mill
Hi Krista! I'm trying to make this recipe but I dont want to lessen the amount of sugar in it. Would this mess up the chemistry of making it not runny?
Krista
Hi Sandra, I think you can probably lower the sugar to 4 cups or 400g without it getting runny but I definitely wouldn't use less than that. Hope this helps!
Aysh
This recipe is super cool.
Tried out today cream cheese frosting for red velvet cake.
Came out amazing well. Perfectly deceived the steps and just followed your steps.
Philadelphia creme fraische is what i used as cream cheese
And ungezalen butter .
Heaven !!!!!
Krista
That's great! Thank you for your feedback!
TAN GEOK BEE
This recipe is TOO DAMN SWEET, I CANNOT! Even though I reduce the sugar to half, it's still too sweet to consume.. 😣
Krista
Frostings are usually very sweet but I think that this one is just perfect when it's eaten with the cake it has been frosted with, such as Carrot or Red Velvet Cake. I'm sorry you didn't enjoy it despite reducing the sugar in it. Thank you for your feedback!
Sheryl
This worked out so well! Thanks!
Krista
You're welcome! Thanks for your comment!
Jacki
Ahhhh yayyyyyy it worked! I can't believe it, finally!! Thank you very very much :)!
Krista
You're very welcome! 😀
Jennie
I am SO glad I found this recipe. I have been struggling with making cream cheese frosting since I moved from Australia to Germany. Thank you so much. It is great!
Krista
You're very welcome, Jennie! Glad to hear the recipe works for you!
Isaac
Hi Krista,
Your recipe was great! Thank you soooo much! You're a Lifesaver! Keep up the good work and don't stop making great recipes! Without your help, my parents would be having a dry red velvet cake for their anniversary! Thanks once again! 🎉🎉😄👍👍🙂😍😊😋😋😋
Krista
Thank you so much for your sweet comment, Isaac! I'm happy to hear my recipes turn out for you!!!
Rachel
You STAR! Have been struggling with this for ages - I'm in Munich. Do you have any idea how to make this a chocolate cream cheese frosting? Making a forest themed birthday cake and I need it brown.
Krista
Thank you, Rachel! I do actually have a chocolate cream cheese frosting recipe - it's the chocolate part of this Marble Cream Cheese Frosting. It's super easy! You just beat some melted and cooled bittersweet chocolate into the finished frosting. For the recipe above, you would need 200 g melted chocolate. I would love to see how your forest cake turns out! Sounds so cute! It would be awesome if you took a picture, posted it on Instagram and tagged me.
Katharina
Hi Krista, Thank you SO much for this GREAT recipe. I live in Europe as well, and have been dealing with runny frostings so many times, and each time I have to improvise to save the cake..not always succesfully. I would like to ask if I can add some salted caramel in this frosting for my caramel cupkaces, or will that affect the "chemistry".
Krista
Hi Katharina, that sounds SO DELICIOUS, but I've never tried adding salted caramel sauce to this frosting. Consistency-wise it might be risky. I have a recipe for salted caramel buttercream that I highly recommend, link is here.
Katharina
A little update..I made this delicius frosting and YES it worked!!!!! I finally had a fluffy but stiff frosting. No runny frosting this time 🙂 Got so excited I added a tablespoon of my salted caramel (I took the risk) after I had frosted the first cupcakes, and that worked perfect. It did not effect the consistency at all, only made it even better! I highly recommend this recipe to everyone and will certainly use this recipe from now on, and just add my desired flavour at the end!!!!
Krista
Yay! That's great! Thanks for letting us know that your salted caramel variation works! 🙂
RUTH
Used this on 12 pumpkin muffins today. It's delicious!
I made only half the recipe and have enough to frost another 12...maybe tomorrow.
Thank you!
Krista
Good to know, thank you! Pumpkin muffins with cream cheese frosting sounds amazing, another batch wouldn't hurt... 😉
Ryan
Thank you so much! I was dumbfounded by the lack of brick cream cheese when I moved to Europe! I run a small cake business and this method of make cream cheese frosting is an absolute game changer!
Krista
Yippee, I'm delighted to hear that! I wish you lots of success with your cake business! 👍
Ellie
I just had to pass on my thanks to you. I've been making a gorgeous hummingbird cake sponge on multiple occasions now but not being able to share it last minute because I can never get my cream cheese frosting to become anything like frosting; it always emerged as liquid (albeit delicious liquid). I never could figure out what I was doing wrong but now I guess I can pass the buck onto being European with our spreadable cream cheese! Your recipe has worked perfectly for me and I cannot believe it's been fixed by such a simple step. Thank you SO much for sharing your discovery. This really has opened up so many doors for me and my baking. Thank you!
Krista
Hi Ellie! That's wonderful to hear! I'm happy to be able to help you solve a problem that I was struggling with too. Thank you for your feedback and happy baking! 💕
Preethi
My cream cheese frosting is perfect thanks to you
Krista
That's great to hear - thank you! 🙂
Julia
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?
Krista
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.
Gia
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
Krista
Hi Gia! Yes, you can color this frosting. Hope it turns out great! 😄
Olga
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!
Krista
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.
Olga
Hi Krista! Thanks a lot! 😊
Tracy
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, 🇬🇧
Krista
Hi Tracy! Thanks for taking the time to let me know you like my recipe - I'm so happy you found it helpful! 🌸
Br
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!
Krista
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!
Teodora
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
Krista
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!
Teodora
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!
Krista
Maybe you're thinking the savory cream cheese spreads, with herbs or whatever. Definitely buy the plain, unsalted, full fat kind! 🙂
Steve
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 😀
Krista
That's so great, Steve! Greetings to all of you working hard on the oil field - at least there's carrot cake! 😀
Kiki
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
Krista
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!
Kiki
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...
Krista
Good to know! I want to try Schmand now!
Walula
Hey Krista
I was wondering if i want to half the recipe, what would be the measurements?
Krista
Hi Walula, you can half the amount of each of the ingredients, that would be ½ cup plus 1 tablespoon (125 g) butter, 2 ¼ cups (300 g) powdered sugar, ½ teapsoon vanilla extract and 5 ¼ ounces (150 g) cream cheese. Enjoy!
Walula
Thank you so much Krista❤️😘
Walula
Hey Krista I used your recipe to make cream cheese frosting and i loved it thank you so much. It was my first time making it and i was scared because i didnt know whether id get it right or not and i didnt want to waste any ingredients either. So im really happy that i tried your recipe out and this will be my go to recipe:)))
Krista
I'm glad to hear the recipe worked for you!! Thanks so much for your feedback, Walula!