This Best Cream Cheese Frosting recipe has been in my family for over 50 years. It’s super creamy, lightly rich, and has a great balance of flavors. We’ve made it for hundreds of people and they always remark on how amazing it is.
I was about to call this, ‘The Best Frosting’… until I tasted some frosting my neighbor made. She gave me the recipe and said I could add it, so I added her Vanilla Bean Frosting here. Although these recipes are both crazy good, this is the BEST Cream Cheese Frosting I’ve ever tasted.
It only takes 5 minutes to make! And the ingredients are usually those that people have on hand.
I love to use this frosting recipe for cakes, cupcakes, graham crackers, and as filling for sandwich cookies. Before frosting, make sure the cake/cookies are completely cooled. Also, this frosting stays pretty soft so if you need it to hold shape after you’ve frosted the cake, cupcakes, etc. put the dessert(s) in the fridge and make sure they are cool and/or omit the milk. OR just make this frosting found here as it holds its shape better.
Ingredients
1/2 C salted butter
1 8oz Cream cheese or Neufchatel cream cheese
1 tsp Vanilla extract (I use Mexican extract because it is better)
1/4 C Milk
4 1/2 C confectioners/Powdered sugar
Makes enough for 1 large cake or 24 cupcakes
Instructions
First, soften the butter and unwrapped-cream cheese in the microwave.
Next, add all of the ingredients and only 1 C powdered sugar in a mixing bowl. Mix on low speed adding the rest of the powdered sugar slowly until it is all added. Mix on high for 1-2 minutes until the frosting is smooth.
Taste Test.
Depending on your preferences you may want to add more milk, cream cheese, or powdered sugar. My mom taught me that I had reached the perfect consistency when one flavor doesn’t overpower another. These measurements should get you there, but if it’s slightly off, change it a bit.
Finally, enjoy the best cream cheese frosting you’ll probably ever try!
- ½ C salted butter
- 1 8oz Cream cheese or Neufchatel cream cheese
- 1 tsp Vanilla extract (I use Mexican extract because it is better)
- ¼ C milk
- 4½ C confectioners/Powdered sugar
- First, soften the butter and unwrapped-cream cheese in the microwave.
- Next, add all of the ingredients and only 1 C powdered sugar in a mixing bowl. Mix on low speed adding the rest of the powdered sugar slowly until it is all added. Mix on high for 1-2 minutes until the frosting is smooth.
- Taste Test.
- Depending on your preferences you may want to add more milk, cream cheese, or powdered sugar. My mom taught me that I had reached the perfect consistency when one flavor doesn’t overpower another. These measurements should get you there, but if it's slightly off, change it a bit.
- Finally, enjoy the best cream cheese frosting you’ll probably ever try!
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I hope to win~I don’t even care what color. 😉 I have wanted this for Many Many Years
now. Keeping fingers crossed. 🙂
love kitchen aid – would give my white one to my daughter – she has come to love it too – and get myself a “funky” color
Dale- I too wish I had gone with a funky color. I played it simple with the stainless steel. I’m happy with it but a touch of color in the kitchen it nice!
I love Cream Cheese Frosting. I have always wanted this type of mixer!
I love it too! I hope you win the kitchenAid then, thanks for commenting!
I need this so bad makes baking so much more enjoyable
This is a dream of mine to own a amazing machine like this. Its sad my daughter-in-laws both have one but not me.. I HOPE TO WIN… THANKS!
I’ve wanted one of these for ages! My grandmother still has her trusty steel gray one from back in the ’70’s, and I loved using it when we baked together!
Em- I have always wanted a KitchenAid too! I’m so glad I got one last year. They really are so useful! I hope you win!
It would be a dream come true for me if I am lucky enough to win this awesome giveaway. I would like to thank you all for the opportunity.
I hope I win for this!!
I would just love to win a mixer~really I don’t care which color,I
have Never owned one~and would certainly be a proud owner if I WIN.
Thank-You so much for the giveaway. 🙂 😉
Oh BTW~this cream cheese frosting looks so D-Lish
It might be the first thing I would make with the mixer. 😉
the second would be pizza crust. 🙂
Sounds yummy! I would certainly be very blessed to win the mixer, all the colors are so pretty!
Donna- Yes I love KitchenAids :). The colors are awesome!
I have always wanted a kitchen aid. I would love to make my daughters wedding cakes in the kitchen aid, it would make it so much easyer. Thank you for the chance to win one.
I would love a pink one but any color would do!
I just tried this frosting after finding it on Pinterest. Oh my…so delicious! Thanks so much for posting it!
Thank you for checking back and letting me know how it turned out! I’m so glad it was delicious!
This cream cheese frosting is unbelievable! It is so light and airy, not to mention delicious! This will definitely be my go to from now on. Thank you!
You are welcome! Thanks for checking back and leaving a review/comment. I appreciate it.
Did you put this icing in a zip loc bag for the photo of the cupcake shown?
You can certainly do that I had a icing tip that goes inside a zip loc bag, you can do it without the tip too. The important thing is to make sure the cupcakes are cool and the icing is cool so it holds better.
This Cream Cheese Frosting is a keeper! Just made it! It needs nothing, but if you must it certainly could be tweaked to your liking. Love love it!! Thanks so much for sharing!
Thanks Suzanne- I appreciate you leaving a review!!
Thanks for sharing your family recipe! The flavor was great but I wasn’t pleased with the results when used for piping on cupcakes at all. Way too soft. I’m thinking if the milk was reduced that may have helped but since I had already added the full 1/4 cup I decided to add a little more powdered sugar to try to compensate for the softness. Despite my efforts the piping just sank and did not hold shape as soon as I finished them. I think this recipe would be great for smothering on top of a cinnamon roll though.
Kayleen- Thanks for the feedback! Yes it is amazing on a cinnamon roll! I found that it holds much better after being refrigerated and if the cupcakes are cold as well. But less milk would help too! Thanks again for the feedback, it will prove useful for others.
Is this recipe good for frosting for sugar cookies Thank You
It is excellent for sugar cookies, just use a little less milk.
How long can I store this?
The longest I think I’ve done in an airtight container is about a week. But I think it would last longer, just make sure to keep it refrigerated!
I tried your recipe today and completely omitted the milk by mistake. The icing was still very delicious. Thanks!
You’re welcome!
Does this have to be refrigerated??
Sometimes my family does, sometimes we’ll leave the cake out overnight and its fine. I’d recommend refrigerating if you are leaving it out for hours at a time, but so far we’ve had great success in doing either one.
I have tried a few different recipes for cream cheese frosting and this is definitely the best! the milk makes such a difference I used this recipe as a filling for my homeade Oreo cookies. amazing! oh and if the frosting needs to hold a bit of shape.. refrigerate 🙂 thank you!
You’re welcome! I’m so glad you liked it.