This Pipeable Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe is perfect for piping beautiful swirls onto cakes and cupcakes…
How much frosting does this recipe make?
If you’d like to pipe frosting onto your cupcakes just like the photo shows above, you’ll have enough frosting for about 18 cupcakes. If you just want to spread frosting onto cupcakes without piping it on in a decorative way, you’ll have enough for 24 cupcakes.
If making a cake, you may wish to make a recipe and a half. You should have enough to frost the cake. But then you’ll also have some extra to pipe frosting in a decorative way on top.
Tips for making the best frosting for piping:
Don’t over-mix the ingredients. You’ll beat the butter with an electric mixer. Then you’ll add slightly chilled cream cheese and combine those until they are evenly combined. Then STOP MIXING them together. Add in some vanilla, and then you’ll mix in powdered sugar 1/2 cup at a time just until it’s mixed in. Some people have commented that they like to refrigerate the frosting for a while before piping it onto their cakes and cupcakes.
Keep cupcakes and cakes that are frosted in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
If you’re looking for more frosting recipes, you might like to try some of these:
- Coconut Buttercream Frosting
- Classic White Frosting Recipe
- Chocolate Frosting Recipe
- Marshmallow Buttercream Frosting
- Cookies and Cream Frosting
- Orange Buttercream Frosting
- Sweetened Condensed Milk Buttercream
- Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
Pipeable Cream Cheese Frosting
Recipe Details
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, at room temperature
- Two 8-ounce packages cream cheese, at room temperature for 10 minutes
- 2 ½ cups powdered sugar, sifted
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, use an electric mixer to beat the butter; beat just until creamy. Then add the cream cheese and beat until combined. IF YOU BEAT THE CREAM CHEESE TOO LONG, THE MIXTURE WILL BE TOO SOFT FOR PIPING.
- Mix in the vanilla, then gradually add the powdered sugar- 1/2 cup at a time. Mix until the frosting ingredients are completely combined- do not over-mix. Check the consistency at this point. If it seems too soft, go ahead and add a little more sifted powdered sugar. If it seems too thick, mix in a teaspoon or so of milk. Use the frosting to frost your cake or cupcakes immediately- either by spreading or filling a piping bag, or store in a covered container in the refrigerator until ready to use (should be used to frost the same day).
- I can't stress enough... if you over-mix, the frosting will be too soft for piping. Adding more powdered sugar will just make it softer.
Notes
- Nutritional information is for the frosting only-- not the entire cupcake.
- If you spread the frosting on the cupcakes instead of piping it on tall like the pictures show, you'll be able to frost 24 cupcakes.
Nutrition
What I learned about the fickle powdered sugar is this. Adding more is wrong. Follow the recipe above and SLOWLY add in your sugar 1/2 cup at a time. The more sugar you add the runnier it will be. Don’t over mix and don’t turn your mixer on super speed. Sometimes slow is good. And as others stated if your cheese and butter are still a little cold that’s also helpful. I made 4 practice batches to get one right batch. I don’t measure anymore, I go by feel and taste.
Thanks for your tips- very helpful!
I keep reading about runny frosting. It’s because the cream cheese has been overbeaten and the solution isn’t more sugar. If you reach that doomed stage, just start over.
i need to use 450 grams cream cheese?
If that equates to 16-ounces, then yes!
This frosting was honestly so bad… in order to thicken this frosting even remotely to pipe it would have to use a ridiculous amount of sugar, which would have made it so sweet. If you use the ingredients listed above, the favour is perfect just so runny.
Worked for me! I did need to put the icing in the fridge before icing and also again about half way through to keep it cold. I added an extra half cup of sugar. Maybe the trick is keeping the icing cold until you are ready to serve the cupcakes? Thanks for posting this yummy recipie! I also used some of the icing to fill the inside of the cupcakes.
I’m not quite sure as to why everyone is saying it was too soft. I just blended my butter and cream cheese straight out of the fridge and even now its still perfect. Maybe they microwaved it?
I’m not sure why either!
This is perfect! I just used it for 4 dozen cupcakes for thanks giving.
Could I substitute the powdered sugar for brown sugar?
Definitely not!
Very delicious recipe…but a runny, sloppy mess that I would have to be poured over my cake. I can’t believe this recipe could be piped.
It’s tastey, but certainly no where near thick enough to pipe…and I followed the directions.
Yikes- real butter at room temp? Full fat cream cheese? How would it turn out runny?
Is 8 ounce 1 cup? I love your recipes but im from holland and struggeling with the messuring
yes! Look for conversions on the internet. Just google what you need – “metric conversions” will usually give you what you need.
This frosting was yummy, but lost its shape pretty quickly when piping. The good news is that it isn’t very sweet to begin with, so adding additional powdered sugar didn’t overwhelm it! Still, I added an additional cup to the recipe, and it is still too soft for piping onto cupcakes. I’ll be keeping this in my book for spreading onto cakes, but not for piping!
I like that this recipe has a higher ratio of cream cheese than others I’ve seen that use more butter, as I want that flavor. I’m going to try it today even though it’s super hot here. I have faith it will work out! I would never use low fat cream cheese. I can’t help but address previous comments–full-fat content dairy products are actually healthier/more nutrient dense. Fat is not really the problem in diets that we once thought it was. Full fat butter is far healthier than canola oil.
Rose and Lindsay,
Don’t give up on Cream Cheese Frostings! Do use the full fat cream cheese. As Lori pointed out, the lower fat content cheeses do tend to be softer. I have made cream cheese frostings for years as did my mother and grandmother. It has been my experience that the measurement for the powdered sugar is usually a reference point. I start with the 21/2 cups but usually it takes more to bring the frosting to the consistency I desire for my personal taste. My grandmother said that every batch of cream cheese frosting was different because “no two cows give exactly the same milk.” She would be 94 if she was still living. Let me encourage you to experiment until you achieve the results you desire. Every cook is different and we all have our little specialties. Hang in there. It will be worth it!
Omg to the G! These are great! I love the consistency and the taste is just right! I love the frosting too.
Was really disappointed, its really runny, I’ve added another whole cup of icing sugar and had it in the fridge for a few hours. im wondering if American cream cheese is different to British? i think im just going to have to start again as a cant see how its ever going to be pip able. a real waste of ingredients sorry!
I’m not familiar with British cream cheese, so I’m afraid I can’t be of any help there. Sorry it didn’t work out for you!
Hi
I have tried countless cream cheese recipes but it turned out to be too soft and runny and i had to throw them away. I just don’t get how you can achieve success with this cream cheese and i can’t because i tried this method before, and the one with whipped cream in it too. I use cold cream cheese but sometimes i left it out on the counter for like 5 minutes, i use the 60% or 80% less fat as it would be really fattening if not for that. Does that make a difference? I really really want to get a pipeable cream cheese and im almost giving up. When I beat the butter and cream cheese together, it always get runny almost immediately especially when i have added the icing sugar, it doesn’t thicken up. please help. thank you
I definitely wouldn’t use a lower fat cream cheese as that is always softer than regular cream cheese (not for a pipeable frosting). Have you tried refrigerating the bag of frosting for a bit before piping?
My experience with this recipe is that it has absolutely no hold whatsoever. This is not a thick recipe and adding more sugar will make it more runny.
I had success with it- on my cupcakes shown above!
Im wanting to make this tonight, and pipe my cupcakes tonight, but they won’t be served until tomorrow afternoon, will they still taste good if I serve them at room temp? and should the piping still look the same?
Sorry- I am on vacation and did not see this message until now. Let me know how they turned out!
Hi! Have not tried this recipe yet but will this be able to pipe roses? 🙂
I’ve never piped roses- not terribly experienced at cake decorating- so I’m not sure.
Can you use spreadable cream cheese or does it have to be the block kind?
Definitely block cream cheese.
thank you for this. It turn out pretty good for cup cakes.
Notes:
We needed to add food colouring, (used gel type). This didn’t water it down, but blending it in over and over till we got the colour bright enough, I think brought it to room temp or more (23ºC?) which didn’t help.
Had to put in fridge for a bit. found that as I piped it warmed. so i put that in the fridge a couple times too.
We have 36 cupcakes and this managed to cover every one of them with very little left over. I would suggest a Yield of 36. with cupcakes that are Just to the rim of the paper cup. if your over the edge, like the photo here, or more, 24 would be more likely it seems.
Used a cheap nozzle for piping. would recommend a real one rather than plastic for sharper edges.
I added perhaps an extra 1/4 cup icing sugar. in hopes to thicken it.
I haven’t tried it but i am thinking if i do again, i would use 1/2 cup white sugar first into the butter and cream cheese. (maybe blend it a little to make it smaller grains) Than add in icing sugar and 2 cups (+1/4 cup?) icing sugar.
I’m thinking that might make a stiffer icing? could be wrong. this is all new to me. 😛
Cheers.
hi, wow! your Red velvet cupcakes especially the swirls look very beautiful,definitely taste very very yummy. May i know which decorating tip did u use? thanks.
I’m afraid I don’t remember- it was a very basic swirl though.
Hey I just thought I’d let you know that I just made this frosting to use on brownies. It’s the first time I’ve ever made cream cheese frosting and I’d say it tasted pretty good! :]
I agree about the butter and cream cheese being softened but not being quite room temp. I was just being impatient, but it seemed to turn out for the better.
Lori, this frosting was FANTASTIC! I’ve been cupcaking (and learning!) for a while now and haven’t found the perfectly balanced and pipeable cream cheese frosting until now. After reading the other comment, I made sure my cream cheese and butter were slightly soft but still cold. I think that made a significant difference in its ability to pipe up. Thanks for sharing! 🙂
Hi there…
This frosting is very tasty! I love how the cream cheese flavor comes through. But, it did not work too well for me in terms of piping. I wound up doubling the amount of 10x sugar, and refrigerating it. But it was still too soft. For piping, I’m sticking with your wonderful buttercream!
Hi Shannon, oh bummer. I’ve been using this recipe lately for all of my cupcakes, and have been piping away! If the cream cheese is too soft, I add another 1/2 cup of powdered sugar or so until the consistency is just right for piping. You’re right though, I love to use the buttercream for piping too!