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.
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!