Cream Cheese Buttercream Frosting (Smooth, Stable & Pipeable)
6/2/2026
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Sweet and a little tangy, this homemade cream cheese buttercream frosting is my go-to frosting for cakes, cupcakes, cookies, and more. It’s ultra rich, creamy, and wildly easy to make with just 4 simple ingredients. With the perfect pipeable consistency and delightful balance of flavors, you’ll reach for this frosting time and time again.
Why You’ll Love It
- Simple: Only 4 ingredients and 15 minutes needed.
- Smooth + Sturdy: Cream cheese buttercream frosting is not only ultra smooth, it is sturdy enough to hold a shape when piped.
- Balanced Flavor: This frosting isn’t cloyingly sweet. It’s definitely sweet, but has the perfect amount of tang in each bite, thanks to cream cheese.
- Versatile: Tastes great with any flavor of dessert or sweet treat.
- Make-Ahead: Easily make this frosting ahead of time and use it when you’re ready to decorate.
Ingredients Needed
Cream cheese buttercream frosting comes together with 4 everyday ingredients:
- Cream cheese: Can’t have cream cheese buttercream without it! It gives the frosting flavor and richness – use full-fat cream cheese for best results.
- Butter: Adds necessary structure and helps the frosting keep a shape when piped.
- Powdered sugar: Sweetens the buttercream! It also thickens the frosting and creates the perfect texture for piping.
- Vanilla: Pure vanilla extract adds flavor.
Tip: Make sure the cream cheese and butter are softened to room temperature before starting the recipe. This helps the two combine easily and prevents any lumps in the frosting.
Featured Comment
“This is my favorite icing I’ve found yet!! Love how it hardens enough to stack and is not sickening sweet!! Love Love Love.”
– Melissa
How to Make Cream Cheese Buttercream Frosting
Cream the butter and cream cheese. Add the softened butter and cream cheese to the bowl of a stand mixer (see below for my best tips on how to soften cream cheese). Beat on medium/high speed until no lumps remain and the mixture is smooth and fluffy.
Add the powdered sugar and vanilla. Mix on low speed until all of the sugar is incorporated, then increase the speed until the frosting is ultra smooth and creamy. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed.
Use the frosting or refrigerate it for later. Pipe or spread on cupcakes, cakes, cookies, and more.
How to soften cream cheese
Looking for a quick method to soften cream cheese? Check out our post – How to Soften Cream Cheese – 4 Ways! Here you’ll learn 4 unique (and quick!) methods to softening cream cheese the perfect amount for baking and cooking.
Variations to Try
For a thicker frosting, add 1 tablespoon of powdered sugar at a time until the desired consistency is reached.
For a thinner frosting, add 1 teaspoon of milk at a time until the desired consistency is reached.
Swap the vanilla extract for 2 teaspoons of pure vanilla bean paste to have specs of vanilla in the frosting.
Add a pinch of salt to offset the sweetness.
How to Use Cream Cheese Buttercream Frosting
This homemade frosting is pairs perfectly with just about any sweet treat!
Cupcakes
Use it to frost carrot cake cupcakes, peppermint chocolate cupcakes, or cookies and cream cupcakes.
Cakes
This frosting is perfect for any kind of cake (pound, layer, sheet, etc.). Use cream cheese buttercream frosting on strawberry ricotta cake, tres leches cake, carrot cake (or carrot cake roll), cream cheese pound cake, or lemon olive oil cake.
Cookies
Decorate cream cheese sugar cookies (like these cute heart cookies or wreath cookies) or lemon ricotta cookies, pipe in between cream cheese chocolate chip cookies to make sandwich cookies, or spread onto your favorite cookie bars.
Other Sweets
Spread onto homemade cinnamon rolls (or chocolate cinnamon rolls), cinnamon roll casserole, monkey bread, pumpkin bars, or carrot cake bars.
Storing Cream Cheese Buttercream Frosting
Transfer the frosting to an airtight bag or container and refrigerate for up to 1 week.
When ready to use: Let the frosting come to room temperature for about 30-60 minutes. Once it’s a pipeable consistency, mix before using. If you notice the frosting has thickened too much, mix in 1 teaspoon of milk at a time until the desired consistency is reached.
FAQ
Traditional buttercream frosting is very sweet, made with all butter and powdered sugar. Cream cheese buttercream frosting is made with a combination of both butter and cream cheese along with powdered sugar. It’s not as sweet because the cream cheese adds a little tang. They’re both versatile and hold a shape when piped.
Definitely! Add a pinch of salt or splash of lemon juice. The acidity of the lemon will balance out the richness but doesn’t add a pronounced lemon flavor.
If your cream cheese frosting is lumpy, it’s likely because the cream cheese and butter were’t soft enough and didn’t incorporate well. Let them come to room temperature for about 30-60 minutes before beginning the recipe. To avoid clumps from the powdered sugar, feel free to sift it before adding.
Cream Cheese Buttercream Frosting
Ingredients
- 8 oz. cream cheese, room temperature
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Place the cream cheese and butter into the bowl of a stand mixer (or a large bowl if using a hand mixer).
- Use the paddle attachment (or hand mixer beaters) to cream the cream cheese and butter together until smooth and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed.
- Add the powdered sugar and vanilla.
- With the hand or stand mixer set to low speed, begin mixing (so the powdered sugar doesn't go everywhere!).*
- Once most of the sugar has been incorporated, increase the speed. Continue mixing until the frosting is smooth, creamy, and no lumps remain. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed.
- Use immediately or transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate until ready to use. Allow 20-30 minutes for the frosting to come to room temperature and be a pipeable consistency.
Tips & Notes
- Storage Instructions: Transfer the frosting to an airtight bag or container and refrigerate for up to 1 week. When ready to use, let the frosting come to room temperature for about 30-60 minutes. Once it’s a pipeable consistency, mix before using. If you notice the frosting has thickened too much, mix in 1 teaspoon of milk at a time until the desired consistency is reached.
- Tip: When incorporating powdered sugar into frosting, always start with the mixer on low speed to eliminate a powdered sugar cloud.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Absolutely delicious and super simple to make!
This is my favorite icing Iโve found yet!! Love how it hardens enough to stack and is not sickening sweet!! Love Love Love
Omg Melissa, these are the cutest! So glad you love this recipe as much as we do ๐