You are going to love this amazing Pipeable Cream Cheese Frosting recipe!

I love any dessert that involves cream cheese, and I especially love cakes and cupcakes that are filled and swirled with a generous dose cream cheese frosting!

We have another delicious recipe for Cream Cheese frosting that we have used for years, and can still be found on our site.

This new version of ours seems to hold it's shape even better, and has even more cream cheese flavor.

You'll find that this Pipeable Cream Cheese Frosting recipe delivers all of the cream cheese deliciousness that you are looking for without being overly sweet.

We hope that you enjoy it!

Table of Contents

What Cakes Pair Well with Cream Cheese Frosting?

This is a trick question, because I would argue that EVERY cake tastes better with cream cheese frosting! But here are a few favorites!:

Red Velvet Cake (Try our Red Velvet Scratch, Doctored Cake Mix, or Cupcake recipes!)

Carrot Cake- This scratch carrot cake recipe is out of this world!

Spice Cakes (Like our Caramel Apple Spice, Gingerbread Cake, Pumpkin Spice Cake...)

Hummingbird Cake- A fantastic combination of bananas, crushed pineapple, pecans, and a hint of cinnamon

Italian Cream Cake-This southern classic wouldn't be the same without cream cheese frosting!

Classic Chocolate Cake- Ahhhh... this decadent chocolate cake with cream cheese frosting is heaven!

Helpful Tips for Cream Cheese Frosting

Is Cream Cheese Frosting softer than regular frosting? Yes. As with most cream cheese frostings, the consistency of this frosting is a little on the softer side. If you need a thicker consistency, you can add additional powdered sugar in small amounts until you reach the desired consistency. However, this cream cheese frosting is thicker than most, thanks to the amount of cream cheese in the recipe.

What Should I do if my Cream Cheese Frosting becomes too soft to work with? If your Cream Cheese Buttercream becomes increasingly soft as you pipe, to the point that it no longer holds it’s shape, just pop it in the refrigerator for a minute. Some decorators even prefer to prepare two piping bags and alternate between them.

This could be caused by a very warm kitchen, or warm hands against the piping bag. Either way, a few minutes in the fridge will work wonders. (Just not too long or it’ll become too firm!)

Does Cream Cheese Frosting need to be refrigerated? Yes. Cream cheese frosting, and cakes frosted with cream cheese frosting should be refrigerated. However, it does become firm when chilled. You will want to remove from the refrigerator for 1-2 hours before serving (or using) so that it has time to soften.

don't miss our roundup of the best cream cheese frosting recipes!

Thanks for stopping by! Enjoy the recipe!

Pipeable Cream Cheese Frosting

This easy and delicious Pipeable Cream Cheese Frosting is the BEST! Wonderful cream cheese flavor and perfect for piping!

Ingredients

1 cup (2 sticks) (226g) unsalted butter, softened (do not soften in microwave)
3 (8 ounces) (226g) packages full fat cream cheese, (total 678g) cut into 1 inch pieces and softened.....do not use reduced fat cream cheese or cream in tub containers (do not soften in microwave)
3 cups (343g) powdered sugar
2 teaspoons (8g) vanilla extract

Instructions

Put the softened butter in the bowl of your mixer and mix until smooth.
Add the pieces of softened cream cheese to the mixing bowl. The cream cheese should be soft enough that it combines easily into the butter/powdered sugar mixture. Beat on low/medium speed about 1 minute or until the cream cheese is blended in.
Add the powdered sugar and vanilla. Beat on Medium speed for 2 to 3 minutes (a bit longer if using a hand mixer). Scrape the bowl mid way through. Do not over beat.
Makes 6 cups
Use immediately or refrigerate. If beaten too long it my become too soft. If this happens, just refrigerate a short time and let it firm up.

118 Comments

Yes, the cupcakes would need to be refrigerated because the cream cheese frosting is perishable. On the day of the party, take out of the refrigerator 30 to 45 minutes before serving.

Hi Mellisa thank you for your amazing videos and amazing recipes.
I would like to ask you about block cream cheese that we don't have it in London
What kind of cream cheese we can used for cream cheese buttercream?Thanks

Hi,
I have been looking for cream cheese icing recipes that will hold its shape. hope this one works for me :-) i am a newbie, so my mistake, for one, was using reduced fat cream cheese. Can i add Mccormick flavoring without compromising its consistency?

thanks!

Hi Mae, It will be fine to add flavoring. The recipe has 2 teaspoons. You can always add a bit more powdered sugar to firm up the frosting. You can also refrigerate a short while if it becomes too soft before you finish decorating your cake.

Thank u!! I was hoping I could use less sugar because my family doesn't like frostings that are too sweet. And i guess that is why my icings would not take shape because i put less sugar, usually 3/4 of the recipe.

I just made this icing for my son's birthday cake. I like a kick of orange with my carrot cake/cream cheese frosting so I used 1 1/2 tsp vanilla and 1/2 tsp orange extract. It's absolutely delightful. It's the lightest cream cheese frosting I've ever had which is a nice change of pace from heavier varieties that can really weigh down a dessert. Can't wait for my cakes to cool and the final product!

Hi Elsie, A bit of orange extract does sound delicious. Thank you so much for posting your review of the recipe!!

Hi Melissa ...So awesome to find a pipabe cream cheese topping....it's such an expensive product in South Africa....so sad when icing is too soft etc....lovely blog you have....I love cheesecakes and have always used what the recipe calls for which is mostly the full fat cream cheese in the tub which I used in the interim until I found stores who stock the block Philadelphia and now noticed Lancewood available in block full fat cream cheese....just a tip....I added vanilla instant pudding to my cream cheese frosting when too soft and droopy and a dash of lemon juice....add the vanilla instant pudding bit by bit until you get the consistency you want

How many cups of icing does this recipe make?

Hi Michelle, This recipe makes 6 cups

Hi Mellisa thank you for your amazing videos and amazing recipes.
I would like to ask you about block cream cheese that we don’t have it in London
What kind of cream cheese we can used for cream cheese buttercream?Thanks