Cream Cheese Buttercream Frosting
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This Cream Cheese Buttercream Frosting is not too sweet and really rich and creamy. The secret is the pinch of salt and the vanilla extract which bring out all the flavour. This recipe uses spreadable / tub style cream cheese which is commonly sold in the UK and produces a gorgeously light and fluffy cream cheese which most importantly is firm enough to stand up to piping.
This recipe is specifically for UK based cream cheese which is sold in a tub rather than the block style cream cheese sold in the US. The type of cream cheese you use really matters in a buttercream recipe. There is a big difference in the way cream cheese is sold in the UK compared to USA. If you find your cream cheese buttercream isn’t stable and seems too loose to pipe with then it’s probably because you are using a spreadable cream cheese with more water content (like the tub style sold in the UK) and needs to be worked with differently to the block style cream cheese.
For many years I sold my cakes at local farmers’ markets and would make Red Velvet Cakes and Carrot Cakes covered in this same gorgeous cream cheese buttercream. They had to withstand sitting out on a trestle table for a few hours without the buttercream deflating.
Although in the hot summer months I did have to keep these cream cheese covered cakes in the coolbox. Note that this cream cheese buttercream does not withstand strong heat or sitting under bright lights.
So don’t worry, if you have been disappointed by other cream cheese frosting recipes in the past then you’ll love this super easy recipe made with simple ingredients. It’s made specifically with spreadable tub-style cream cheese (tested with Philadelphia) and will give you an excellent Buttercream Cream Cheese Frosting to pipe on cupcakes or fill and cover layer cakes.
By following all my tips below you can achieve perfect results for your buttercream first time.
Please note that this buttercream is soft and luscious but doesn’t crust so isn’t firm enough to be used under fondant work.
But you can use it when you are making a red velvet cake recipe, carrot cake cupcakes, hummingbird cake, pumpkin cake, as a topping to cinnamon rolls or sugar cookies.
Why This Buttercream Works
- In the UK we can only buy cream cheese which has added water content. This is great for spreading on bagels but it does mean our buttercream icing using cream cheese can be a little unstable due to the extra water. This recipe is perfectly balanced so this is taken into consideration in the method and quantities of ingredients needed.
- First we make a traditional buttercream using icing sugar and butter for stability and then we add the cream cheese at the end for flavour. So it produces a perfect texture of smooth, creamy and spreadable buttercream.
- It holds its shape well when piped onto cakes and cupcakes without being too stiff to work with.
- It has an ideal flavour balance of sweetness and tanginess. The cream cheese is noticeable but not overpowering and the vanilla and salt help to balance out all the flavours.
Watch the Video
Sometimes it helps to see a visual of what I'm talking about. So watch the video to see what it looks like to make your Cream Cheese Buttercream Icing.
Ingredients and Notes
Icing sugar. (powdered sugar/confectioners sugar). Icing sugar is preferred over white sugar in buttercream because it dissolves more easily, resulting in a smoother and less grainy texture, while also contributing to the desired consistency and sweetness of the buttercream.
Butter. Unsalted butter is the best choice here as we want to add a specific amount of salt into the buttercream to get just the right flavour. Make sure it is at room temperature so it can mix easily into the icing sugar.
Vanilla extract. It’s especially important to use a good quality extract in a buttercream as it is such a key flavour, I like Nielsen Massey.
Salt. Essential for the buttercream to lift the flavours and mellow the sweetness. Use kosher salt if you can (you can buy from Amazon)
Cream cheese. You must use a full-fat cream cheese for a better flavour and greater stability for the buttercream and you can’t go wrong with Philadelphia. Keep your tub style/spreadable cream cheese in the fridge until you need to use it. You should only be using room temperature cream cheese if you are using block style (brick).
How to make this Cream Cheese Buttercream Recipe
For full recipe instructions go to the recipe card at the end of this post.
- Cream the butter and icing sugar for 4-5 minutes until very light and fluffy.
- Add the salt, followed by the vanilla and cream cheese.
- Mix for 30 seconds - 1 minute on low speed until the buttercream is smooth.
Expert Tips
Expert Tips
Make sure you are using room temperature butter so it mixes in well with the icing sugar to create the perfect consistency.
You use a hand mixer or a stand mixer for this recipe fitted with a paddle attachment.
If you are using tub style cream cheese then keep it chilled in the refrigerator until the very last second.
If you are using block style (brick) cream cheese then soften to room temperature before using.
If there is a layer of liquid on your cream cheese then make sure to pour it off before adding to the buttercream mixture.
Mix the cream cheese until just incorporated in the buttercream, try not to overmix as it will become too warm.
If your buttercream has been sitting out a little long at room temperature and it has softened a bit too much to pipe successfully then place in the fridge for 30 minutes - 1 hour to firm up a little.
How Much Buttercream Does This Recipe Make?
This recipes makes enough buttercream to fill and cover an 8 inch (20cm) layered cake.
If you reduce the quantity by ⅓ then you have enough to cover a sheet cake (traybake cake) or a cake in the naked style. This same amount will also decorate 16 cupcakes.
To decorate 12 cupcakes then you will need to halve this recipe.
Cakes Which Use This Buttercream
FAQs
Absolutely, although you will need to soften the cream cheese to room temperature before using.
If you are not using the buttercream right away then store in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 3 days before decorating your cake. You may need to re-whip a little to fluff it up again.
Any cakes decorated with this cream cheese icing should be stored in the refrigerator and will keep fresh for up to 3 days.
I do recommend using the buttercream fresh as it can affect the texture and how good it is at piping as it tends to loosen in the freezer. It is, however, possible to freeze leftover cakes which have been decorated in this buttercream as it still tastes very good.
Recipe Variations
Chocolate Cream Cheese Buttercream. For an alternative buttercream on your favourite chocolate cake recipe (or like in this Gluten-Free Birthday Cake recipe) this is a delicious frosting.Just add 100g (1 cup) sieved cocoa powder to the bowl after you have whipped up the butter and icing sugar and mix together well before adding the other ingredients as the original recipe.
Lemon Cream Cheese Buttercream. For extra tanginess then add 120g (½ cup) of homemade lemon curd to the buttercream before you add the cream cheese. Incredible for a lemon cake.
Salted Caramel Cream Cheese Buttercream. Possibly my favourite variation. This Cinnamon Apple Cake uses this buttercream which just adds 120g (½ cup) of homemade salted caramel to the cream cheese buttercream.
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Cream Cheese Buttercream Frosting
Ingredients
- 500 g unsalted butter
- 600 g icing sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- 360 g cream cheese
Instructions
- Cream the butter until soft then add the icing sugar and mix for about 4-5 minutes, in either a stand mixer or with an electric beater, until very light and fluffy and pale in colour. Scrape the sides of the bowl down every so often so it combined easily.
- Add the salt and vanilla and the cream cheese and mix together for a minute or until the buttercream is smooth.
- Your buttercream is now ready to use. Either fill a piping bag fitted with a piping tip to decorate cupcakes or spoon the buttercream out onto a cooled full cake and swirl into a sweeping cloudlike pattern with a palette knife.
Video
Notes
- This recipe makes enough to fill and cover a 2 layer 8 inch (20cm) cake.
- To decorate 12 cupcakes then you will need to halve this recipe.
- Before you mix the icing sugar and butter drape a tea towel over the bowl so the icing sugar doesn’t escape and cause a sugar cloud around your kitchen.
- Beat the icing sugar and butter for 4-5 minutes until extremely light and fluffy.
- Always use full fat cream cheese for this buttercream recipe. If you are in the UK then make sure your cream cheese is fridge cold before using and mix until just incorporated into the buttercream for better stability.
- Mix the cream cheese in until just combined. If you overmix then the buttercream becomes too loose and won’t pipe very well.
- If you leave your buttercream too long out of the fridge then it might soften too much for piping. Place in the fridge for 30 minutes – 1 hour to firm up again.
great recipe, i browned the butter to give it an extra layer of flavour. for a 2 layer 6 inch cake covered and filled i made the 8 serving size and had a small amount left over.
I'm happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe - thank you for leaving a comment. The browned butter version sounds delicious.