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
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
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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!