Cream Cheese Frosting

1936 Ratings
  • 5 347
  • 4 395
  • 3 691
  • 2 389
  • 1 114

All you need are four ingredients for this delicious cream cheese frosting. It’s a quick and easy recipe that starts with a package of cream cheese and adds in butter, confectioners’ sugar, and vanilla extract. The cream cheese is a shortcut to creaminess and adds a delicate tang to offset the sweetness of this decadent frosting that works so well on red velvet cake, carrot cake, pumpkin cake, and all kinds of cupcakes.

Martha Stewart Living Special Issues 2001

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Read the full recipe after the video.

Recipe Summary

Yield:
Makes about 2 cups
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Ingredients

Directions

  • Place cream cheese in a medium mixing bowl. Using a rubber spatula, soften cream cheese. Gradually add butter, and continue beating until smooth and well blended. Sift in confectioners' sugar, and continue beating until smooth. Add vanilla, and stir to combine.

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Reviews (44)

1936 Ratings
  • 5 347
  • 4 395
  • 3 691
  • 2 389
  • 1 114
Martha Stewart Member
03/02/2019
Because my husband and I are trying to be a bit more cautious about our calories, I used the 1/3 fat cream cheese and 3/4 cup of sugar. Tasted just fine! We don't like really sweet frostings anyway.
Martha Stewart Member
02/20/2019
Best cream cheese frosting ever! No changes to recipe, it's perfect as it is!
Martha Stewart Member
01/23/2019
I used organic everything and it still tasted good! There was a lot offffff butter though
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Martha Stewart Member
11/14/2018
Best cream cheese frosting I have ever worked with it uses less sugar but is sweet enough and super creamy. Stupid app only let me rate one star but I wanted 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
Martha Stewart Member
09/21/2018
My man likes lots of frosting..(me 2) so i used 2pkgs cream chz,2 cups confectioners sugar,1 stick butter and 4 teaspoons of mexican vanilla.(way better then plain vanilla extract) It was so creamy and not to sweet. Spread it on a 13x9 white cake with vanilla pudding mix recipe. shut the front door it was delicious!
Martha Stewart Member
08/13/2018
So I made the frosting for my carrot cake and it worked out perfect I just wonder how long it should take to settle because it's been almost an hour now and the frosting hasn't settled is this normal or did I mess up somewhere other than that bit the frosting has the perfect texture and taste and smelled heavenly
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Martha Stewart Member
12/24/2017
I love this recipe as is - i do not like overly sweet frosting. I made this to top some mini red velvet cheesecake bites. I made it again for red velvet cookies, i added a bit more sugar for the cookies as I needed a little more sweetness. This is a perfect and very versatile frosting recipe.
Martha Stewart Member
07/29/2017
Copy/Paste (From a client) ..."The cake's really pretty!! But the taste is even better!!!"... And that's all Im going to say about this recipe lol
Martha Stewart Member
06/17/2017
This recipe is outstanding! The perfect sweetness! If there is to much or to little sweetness just add or subtract some of the powdered sugar, so simple don't see how some people could complain!
Martha Stewart Member
05/13/2017
Perfect! I used to make my frosting with 2 cups of confectioners' sugar which was too sweet for me. One cup of sugar is plenty sweet, and the tanginess of the cream cheese comes through. My family loves it.
Martha Stewart Member
05/10/2017
I just made it to go on my red velvet bunny cake and I must say... it tastes heavenly, it is sweet and fluffy and very tasty and easy and amazing and and and! Thank you Martha! And thanks to my cousin Maribel for posting this on facebook recently.
Martha Stewart Member
04/25/2017
For all the negative comments saying its not sweet enough, that is strictly personal preference. This is a lovely and decadent cream cheese frosting, you can actually taste the cream cheese and butter. It luscious, very smooth, and tastes wonderful. It is not too sweet, which I find refreshing. I'm tired of all the really sweet frostings. This is a nice change of pace. This will be a go to frosting from now on. I love it. I would refrigerate this because cream cheese needs to be in the fridge. If someone does wants it sweeter, just add more powered sugar. I find it perfect.
Martha Stewart Member
02/09/2017
Does this have to be refrigerated?
Martha Stewart Member
01/04/2017
This is my favorite cream cheese frosting recipe. I use it on my Sour Cream Almond Cake every time and everyone loves it. The biggest comment from fans is that it has just the right amount of sweetness and you can taste the rich butter taste as well. Never fails!
Martha Stewart Member
03/17/2016
Up late here in MS, needed a cream cheese frosting for my St. Patrick Day cupcakes. Martha this was just fabulous tinted it green.
Martha Stewart Member
11/26/2015
Brought pumpkin bread and a tub of this as a spread to work for co-workers to use if they wished. It was a hit. With half to a quarter of the sugar of other recipes I found, it complemented rather than overwhelmed the pumpkin bread. Using again today for our family Thanksgiving.
Martha Stewart Member
07/14/2015
Made this recipe tonight for banana muffins, it is delicious! I definitely recommend it.
Martha Stewart Member
06/06/2015
I used this recipe for a double banana cake, substituting banana extract in place of vanilla. It was divine! I can always count on Martha's recipes to work well and taste yummy.
Martha Stewart Member
02/21/2015
Very good frosting. My family and I like it because it's not overly sweet. One thing I donot like about frosting. This was perfect for the carrot cake I made. Thanks Martha!
Martha Stewart Member
02/18/2015
I make butter cream frosting its not hard I even make it with cream cheese added makes it less sweet and creamy.
Martha Stewart Member
02/15/2015
this cream cheese frosting recipe is perfect...simple and very tasty
Martha Stewart Member
02/01/2015
Martha this recipe is wonderful. Half a sweet as my usual recipie and I love it!! I have been watching you on Create and you are inspiring to bake up a storm! Thank you.
Martha Stewart Member
11/12/2013
Delicious. Made a carrot cake and my husband won't leave it alone! Its so easy and only uses 1 pkg of cream cheese so will make this my new Cream Cheese Frosting recipe.
Martha Stewart Member
06/16/2013
I typically make a very delicious carrot cake, but lately the frosting has been too thin, so I decided to try out a new recipe. A few complained that the frosting was not sweet enough. I thought it was plenty sweet even though my typical recipe uses 2 cups, a third of the amount of cream cheese, and the same amount of butter. I ended up wanted a bot more frosting, so I used about 1 3/4 cups of sugar and it turned out great. I hope it's enough to frost my 2 layer cake! Making more as backup.
Martha Stewart Member
04/16/2013
This is the best cream cheese frosting ever. It was also the perfect amount that I needed to frost 50 mini cupcakes.
Martha Stewart Member
03/30/2013
This is the best cream cheese frosting I've ever tasted...I don't see how someone could post that it's not sweet enough...they have got to be kidding!
Martha Stewart Member
03/26/2013
Best to learn
Martha Stewart Member
03/22/2013
Thank you for the best cream cheese frosting recipe . we have tryed so many different ones all to sweet this one is perfect Bonquiqui just has a sweet tooth!!
Martha Stewart Member
01/19/2013
Perfect!! So hard to find a recipe that isn't overly sweet!! Exactly what I have been searching for:)
Martha Stewart Member
12/16/2012
This was so delicious. It wasn't as sweet as other recipes which is what I wanted. Thanks
Martha Stewart Member
11/25/2012
DO NOT USE THIS RECIPE!! Not sweet at all! Go to Kraft for a good one. I have no clue what they were thinking, this is not near sweet enough. If you ignore me and make this... HERE IS HOW YOU FIX IT Add another teaspoon of vanilla extract Add 1/2 cup of milk Finally add 1-2 MORE cups of Confectioners sugar! You're welcome!
Martha Stewart Member
09/27/2012
:)
Martha Stewart Member
09/27/2012
This is the BEST i mean the BEST frosting i have ever had! I love it. I could just eat the frosting alone! Easy simple & yummy!
Martha Stewart Member
09/27/2012
This is the BEST i mean the BEST frosting i have ever had! I love it. I could just eat the frosting alone! Easy simple & yummy!
Martha Stewart Member
09/03/2012
Love anything with cream cheese in it.
Martha Stewart Member
09/03/2012
Love anything with cream cheese in it.
Martha Stewart Member
07/20/2012
OMG IF MARTHA WAS A DUDE I WOULD SO MARRY HER!!! THIS IS THE BEST FROSTING THAT I HAVE EVERY WRAPPED MY LIPS AROUND... CAN IT GET N E BETTER???
Martha Stewart Member
05/27/2012
Pretty good, very similar to mine (less sugar than most recipes). I only made cream cheese frosting tonight (first time), but I figured something else out (physics background, it helps). To get a really fluffy frosting (way better), mix it as shown, but then chill it in the freezer for about 1/2 an hour, then take it to the mixer again. That will whip in air, and it'll be as fluffy as whipped cream (very nice texture). Less sugar, but right consistency then.
Martha Stewart Member
03/06/2011
Awesome frosting! I generally find frostings too sweet, but this isn't at all. Wonderful creamy flavor that doesn't overpower the flavor of the cake. If you like sweeter frosting, add another half cup of powdered sugar. Enjoy!
Martha Stewart Member
02/15/2011
Great, fast and easy. I was in a rush so skipped the gradual mixture and just popped it all in a bowl and used my mixer. Put the butter and cream cheese out on my counter the night before so it was super easy to mix together. Turned out great - have used this recipe three times now!
Martha Stewart Member
07/05/2010
This was so easy and fast. It made enough for 18 cupcakes and a "little" extra. It had a nice cream cheese "tang" flavor and was definitely not overly sweet.
Martha Stewart Member
11/01/2008
This frosting is so good!
Martha Stewart Member
02/24/2008
oh man, so good! The kids
Martha Stewart Member
02/11/2008
I added a 1/4 tsp of salt to the Frosting mix as it balanced out the sweetness of the recipe.
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