Cream Cheese Frosting (Totally pipeable!)

Today, I share with you the absolute best cream cheese frosting! This cream cheese frosting is deliciously sweet and tangy and YES, totally pipeable! Gone are the days where you have a cream cheese frosting that is too soft to pipe and also too soft to hold up layer cakes easily! This recipe comes together so easily and my secret ingredient makes it extra luxurious!

This frosting goes perfectly well with red velvet cake, carrot cake (recipe here), spice cakes, cakes with fruity flavours and so many more!

Your New Favourite Cream Cheese Frosting

• It is not overly sweet like many frostings that use icing or powdered sugar
• It is super creamy
• It is not soft and runny (Yayy for piping)
• Has the perfect level of tanginess from the cream cheese
• It is super smooth
• It is like a dessert on its own
• You can colour this buttercream easily
• Add some cocoa powder to add a chocolate twist

What is not to like, right?

Tips For Making This Amazing Cream Cheese Frosting

1. Make sure that you are using full-fat solid cream cheese brick. No spreadable or low-fat cream cheese here (these usually come in tubs). Using those variants will give you very soft and sloppy frosting which is the complete opposite of what we are looking for.
2. Your cream cheese must be ice cold. Don’t let it come to room temperature at all. Using room temperature cream cheese and then whipping it will quickly cause overwhipping and you won’t be able to get it sturdy and stiffer again. Whipping adds friction and will automatically heat up your mixture, so using softened cream cheese will warm it way too much.
3. Use softened butter (about 18°C). Opposite to the cream cheese, you want your butter a bit softened. Doing this means your butter and cream cheese will be at a similar consistency when mixed together and it will be super smooth.
4. To get a less yellow color, whip your butter first until very pale yellow and almost white. Adding your cream cheese after this will make sure your cream cheese frosting is less yellow. If you don’t mind the yellow tinge, then skip this step.
5. If you want to pipe your frosting, it is best to sift your icing sugar in order to ensure you have a lump-free frosting.
6. Mix this frosting on high speed before you add the icing sugar, this ensures volume and enough air to make the frosting light and fluffy. Mixing on low will make your frosting soupy!
7. If you want to colour your frosting, it is best to use gel food colouring as liquid food colours will thin out the frosting too much.

What if I forgot to soften my butter?

That’s okay. A quick way is to microwave a few seconds ensuring the butter doesn’t melt. You only need it warmer but not room temperature. If you plan to whip the butter first to get a less yellow colour, then whipping the butter will also warm up your butter.

A note on ingredients

Icing Sugar or Powered Sugar

You can use any icing sugar that you have or can find. You can also use homemade icing sugar by blending sugar until it is powder. Both options will work just fine. Bear in mind that store bought icing sugar generally contains and anti-caking ingredient (usually cornstarch). So if you are avoiding corn, then perhaps opt for making your own.

Cream Cheese

Make sure you are using the full-fat cream cheese brick and not the spreadable or low-fat cream cheese. These will cause a soft and runny cream cheese frosting.

I have not tested this recipe with a vegan cream cheese, but if you try it, please let me know how it went! I love to hear all about your experiences.

Butter

I love using real butter, but this recipe will work just fine with a margarine alternative.

I have not tested this recipe with vegan butter, however, if you try it, let me know how it went! Vegan butters can sometimes be much softer, so you may find that your frosting will be softer and perhaps less pipeable. I am sure it will still be delicious too!

Milk Powder

This is my secret ingredient. It ensures a super luxurious, smooth and creamy cream cheese frosting. You can skip this, however, it does help to make this frosting stiffer for piping.

You can use any alternative milk powder if you are looking for a dairy free option.

Storage

This is dairy-based, so it is best to refrigerate. You can keep this frosting for up to 13 days!

On the day of serving your decorated and frosted cake leave it out before serving to ensure a soft and smooth mouthfeel.

If you pre-make this frosting, you may have to re-whip before using it. To do this, leave your buttercream out for about 45minutes or until you are able to stir the frosting. Rewhip on high and it will be as good as when you made it the first time!

There you have it! I know you will enjoy this recipe as much as I do!

If you’ve tried this recipe, remember to comment below and let me know how it went.

Love,