This Pipeable Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe is perfect for piping beautiful swirls onto cakes and cupcakes…

Pipeable Cream Cheese Frosting on a red velvet cupcake

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.

Pipeable Cream Cheese Frosting on Red Velvet Cupcakes

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.  

Pipeable Cream Cheese Frosting

If you’re looking for more frosting recipes, you might like to try some of these:

4.23 from 22 votes

Pipeable Cream Cheese Frosting

Great frosting recipe that is easy to pipe onto cakes and cupcakes.
Prep: 10 minutes
Servings: 18 cupcakes
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Ingredients

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

Serving: 1g, Calories: 197kcal, Carbohydrates: 18g, Protein: 2g, Fat: 14g, Saturated Fat: 8g, Cholesterol: 41mg, Sodium: 126mg, Potassium: 35mg, Sugar: 17g, Vitamin A: 496IU, Calcium: 26mg, Iron: 1mg

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

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4.23 from 22 votes (16 ratings without comment)

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107 Comments

  1. Jeannie says:

    Can you freeze this frosting? I use this all the time. Sometimes I make a dbl batch to ensure I have enough for layer cake but have left overs. Thanks

    1. Lori Lange says:

      I don’t think I’ve ever tried to freeze frosting, so I’m not sure!

  2. Susan says:

    I would love your red velvet cupcake recipe. I have tried numerous ones and they just won’t dome like my other cupcakes 

  3. Brittany says:

    SUCCESS!!!
    I was worried this might not pipe due to some comments. I pulled cream cheese and butter straight from fridge and slowly beat until mixed together. I then added 1/2 tsp of each vanilla extract and almond extract because I love that flavoring in frosting. I also added
     2 1/2 tsp beet juice to give it a light blush color, then added powdered sugar 1/2 cup at a time. It worked very well piping on my cupcakes. Thanks for the recipe!

    1. Lori Lange says:

      Terrific!

  4. Heather says:

    I just made this. Mine turned out perfect! Not runny what so ever.
      Not overly sweet, and a nice cream cheese tangy flavor.

      New pipper here. My pipping skills may not be great, but the frosting held together very well on my cupcakes.

    Thank you!

    1. Lori Lange says:

      I’m so glad you had success!

  5. Bobbi says:

    Terrible! I added 2 extra boxes of pc and still just pourable, no where near pipeable. Very disappointed! A huge waste of time and ingredients.

    1. Lori Lange says:

      It sounds like you over-beat the cream cheese (which softens it to the point of not being pipeable). Adding extra powdered sugar just makes it softer.

  6. Donna Davis says:

    Would not use again or recommend.  I have made cream cheese frosting with great success.  This was runny and I could not pipe it because it would not hold it’s shape.  There are better recipes out there.

    1. Lori Lange says:

      I’m not sure how the frosting can turn out runny unless you overbeat the cream cheese. There is nothing in the recipe to make it runny!

  7. Amanda says:

    I didn’t have success with this recipe. I would not consider it pipeable at all. I had to add more powered sugar and put in fridge because it was too runny. Late tried piping it but it began to melt as soon as it became room temperature.

  8. Kelly says:

    I’ve used this recipe before and it was amazing…and perfectly pipeable. I came back to get the recipe again and was shocked to see all the fails! With cream cheese, you CANNOT over beat it. Blend the cheese and butter with a paddle on a low stir just until blended, then add sugar a small amount at a time, again on your lowest setting, just until all is incorporated. Once you’ve beaten or whipped it to where it’s soft…you will NOT get it back unless you add pounds more of sugar, then you’ve essentially ruined it! Hope that helps!

    1. Lori Lange says:

      great advice- thank you so much for sharing your tips!

  9. Silvia says:

    Thanks for the recipe! Ive used it twice.  In both ocassions, i left the cream cheese in the fridge. I also added 3/4 cup or so of icing sugar.  I would have added a bit more but was afraid of going too far. Tadte is excellent and i was able to pipe with it but refridgeration is a must until the last minute. 🙂

  10. caro says:

    It didn’t work for me: I got a runny icing. I tried to avoid over-beating, I even re-tried without a whisk (just blending in butter and cream cheese with a spatula). Even with an increased amount of icing suger, its keeps being liquid (and then it turns over-sweet). Actually it looks like the more I add sugar, the more runny it gets! Impossible to pipe it! I used philadelphia cheese (regular one, no low-fat). i wonder if the cream cheese available in Europe is the same as in the US?

    1. Lori Lange says:

      I don’t think cream cheese in Europe is the same as US.