Whipped Cream Cheese Frosting (Lighter, Better)
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Made with cold cream cheese and whipped cream, this cream cheese frosting is especially light and perfectly sweet. It comes together in no time and complements many a cake from this American Flag Sheet Cake to this One-Bowl Birthday Cake to this heavenly Carrot Cake.
My friend Sally, an avid baker, passed along this Stella Park’s recipe for whipped cream cheese frosting several years ago. She told me it had become her go-to for all sorts of cakes and urged me to give it a try.
A few things struck me about the recipe, namely the use of granulated sugar as opposed to confectioners’ sugar, the use of cold cream cheese as opposed to room temperature, and the absence of butter.
For years I had made Ina’s cream cheese frosting recipe, which calls for confectioners’ sugar and equal parts softened butter and cream cheese. As you can imagine, no one complained.
But I loved the idea of a lighter, more whipped-textured frosting, and I loved the idea of not having to soften anything.
Though I knew Sally would never steer me wrong, I questioned every step of the process: Will the granulated sugar dissolve? Will the cold cream cheese lighten? Will the heavy cream work in place of butter?
It turns out: yes, yes, yes.
Friends, I have never posted about a frosting recipe on its own but I think this one really deserves its own space. It’s especially light and perfectly sweet, and it comes together in no time. Every time I make it, either for this flag cake or this birthday cake, or this carrot cake, someone asks for the recipe, always calling out its texture.
Many of you likely already have a tried-and-true cream cheese frosting recipe in your repertoire, but if you are willing to take a leap on something new, I have no doubt you will approve.
Whipped Cream Cheese Frosting, Step by Step
Gather your ingredients: cold cream cheese, cold heavy cream, sugar, vanilla, and salt.
Start by beating the cold cream cheese and sugar together until…
… soft and creamy.
Add a pinch of salt, the vanilla, and the heavy cream.
Beat until light and whipped in texture:
Taste, and adjust with more cream, if necessary, to lighten the texture further. I always add a splash more cream and often another pinch of salt, too.
Use as desired! I love it on this American Flag Sheet Cake:
And on this One-Bowl Birthday Cake:
And this heavenly carrot cake:
PrintWhipped Cream Cheese Frosting (Lighter, Better)
- Total Time: 10 minutes
- Yield: 2 cups
Description
Adapted from this Stella Park’s recipe. I use a slightly different method: I beat the cream cheese and sugar first; then add the heavy cream. And I use slightly more cream, too.
Ingredients
- 8 oz (226 g) cream cheese, cold
- 1/2 cup (100 g) sugar
- 3/4 cup (187 g) heavy cream
- pinch sea salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Instructions
- Beat the cold cream cheese and sugar together until light and fluffy, 1 to 2 minutes.
- Add the heavy cream, a pinch of salt, and the vanilla. Beat again until light and fluffy, 1 to 2 minutes more.
- Taste. Adjust with more heavy cream, if desired, and beat again to lighten. I often add a pinch more salt, too.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Stand Mixer
- Cuisine: American
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94 Comments on “Whipped Cream Cheese Frosting (Lighter, Better)”
Super easy to make, and it whips up nice and fluffy. Delish! Goes great with both my pumpkin and carrot muffins. Question – how to store leftovers? Freeze? Refrigerate? How long in the fridge? Thanks!
Great to hear! Not sure how it will freeze — haven’t tried — but it will last for at least 1 week in the fridge.
If I wanted to make it a lemon whipped cream cheese icing, how do I incorporate it?
I think you could simply add some lemon zest or some fresh lemon juice to taste — I’d start with 1 teaspoon then add more to taste.
Hi Ali!
Wow! Who’d have thought a cream cheese frosting reboot is what we all needed! I’ve been making my signature carrot cake since I was 16 and it’s getting a makeover that it didn’t know it needed! Love it! Thank you!
So nice to read this, Sheri 🙂 🙂 🙂 Thanks for writing. This frosting was a revelation for me as well!
This is the best cream cheese frosting I have ever made. It is still very sweet, but less than other recipes
This is now my go to recipe everytime I want to have a cream cheese frosting.
Outstanding
Great to hear, Debby! Thanks for writing!
I made this over the weekend. It is Fantastic!
I needed a potluck contribution with little time on my hands, so I baked a box mix cake on Saturday. Made this yummy frosting as well, but kept it in the fridge until Sunday afternoon when I needed it. Gave it a quick stir and frosted the 9×13 cake right in the pan. It was a huge success!! Easy too.
Great to hear, John! Thanks for writing. Love the idea of sprucing up a boxed cake mix with homemade frosting — easy and delicious 🙂
Hello! I would love to try this recipe but first I wanted to ask how well it pipes and how long it would hold it’s shape.
It pipes fine. I would start with 2/3 cup heavy cream… then add more if necessary. The original recipe calls for 2/3 cup. I like the way the added cream makes it a little bit more billowy in texture, but it also makes it less likely to hold its shape. 2/3 cup will work for your purposes.
I wouldn’t have trusted anyone else but I have complete faith in you. Thrilled I took a chance and tried this! Unbelievably simple and wow, absolutely delicious!! Perfect texture and sweetness. My cinnamon rolls were sublime!
Hooray! It’s so nice to read this, Kelli. I love when someone shares my enthusiasm for a recipe… it’s essentially the only frosting recipe I make anymore.
I made the cream cheese icing.it was wonderful.
Not sickly like other icing can be.
So nice to hear, Sally! I agree 🙂 Love this one.
Hi, can I reduce the sugar?
Yes! Reduce to taste.
I only have a hand held mixer. Will this work?
Yes!
Can the frosting be colored?
Sure!
Love this icing recipe ! Have you ever made a chocolate version? Thoughts on how best to add chocolate and what type?
Thanks for all of your great recipes!!
Joey
I think you could simply sprinkle in some unsweetened cocoa powder — start with 1/4 cup… I like to sprinkle in cocoa powder using my fine-mesh strainer, which removes any clumps. If I make a chocolate variation, which I will try to do soon, I will report back and add notes to the recipe.
I just made this. Delicious.
I used powdered sugar instead of reg. White sugar. The reason being powdered sugar has corn starch in it. It stabilizes the whipped cream plus I always use powdered sugar with whipped cream. I also added 2 tablespoons of butter. Turned out fantastic.
Thank you Happy Halloween 🎃🎃🎃
Sherri Szymanski