This whipped cream cheese frosting is a super light and fluffy icing. With only a few ingredients, it comes together easily and is the perfect way to top cupcakes or cakes.
Hey there! Before you scroll, there’s lot’s of important stuff in the post!…including the FAQ section, which may answer any questions you might have about this recipe. Enjoy!
I’ve noticed that people really like the whipped style of frosting. I’m not into that grocery store whipped icing. That stuff is just whipped up shortening anyway. To me it doesn’t even seem like it goes with cake, but that’s just my opinion.
Anyway, I wanted to come up with a super fluffy, whipped icing that was similar, but that would be made with some really tasty ingredients and would be a little more stable.
The cream cheese makes this whipped cream icing more stable than other frostings made with just heavy whipping cream. Plus the tanginess of the cream cheese cuts the sweetness a bit, so it’s not overly sweet like other frostings can be.
This frosting recipe is only four ingredients, plus the pinch of salt.
LET’S TALK ABOUT SOME OF THE INGREDIENTS IN THE WHIPPED CREAM CHEESE FROSTING:
Cream Cheese: You’re going to use 2, 8 oz. blocks of softened cream cheese.
Confectioner’s Sugar: This is what will add sweetness to your frosting.
Heavy Cream: You’ll be using heavy cream (or whipping cream) to ‘fluff’ everything up. Now, whipping cream is also called heavy cream in some areas. You don’t want to use cool whip though…that’s not the same thing here and your frosting wont turn out right if you use it.
MIXING METHOD FOR THE WHIPPED CREAM CHEESE FROSTING:
Pay attention to the mixing method on this one. It’s not complicated, but you’ll be mixing in the whipping cream a small amount at a time. You do this so everything mixes together smoothly and you don’t get any clumping.
TIPS& FAQs FOR MAKING THE WHIPPED CREAM CHEESE FROSTING:
- I haven’t tested this with low fat cream cheese. I mean you’re about to eat frosting…just go for the gusto here.
- You’ll need whipping cream. (Not whipped cream…that’s different.) Whipping cream is also called heavy cream in some locations. I’m not sure what it’s called in other countries though. You won’t be able to whip a milk or cream that doesn’t have a higher fat content.
- Add your whipping cream (heavy cream) cold. Use a metal bowl that is cold if you have one. That helps when whipping it up. You’ll also want to make sure to add in your cream in small amounts at a time like the recipe indicates, so that you don’t get any clumpiness going on in your frosting.
- This is super easy and fast with a stand mixer, but you don’t have to have one. It’s completely do-able with a hand mixer.
- Make sure if you’re using a stand mixer, that you use the whisk attachment.
- Make sure to add the vanilla extract and salt. That’s going to round out the taste.
- How long does whipped cream cheese frosting last? This frosting will last around five days or so, however it’s at its fluffiest the day you make it and the day after. It’s still very good for the rest of those days, but it just gets a little creamier.
- How do you store whipped cream cheese frosting? You’ll definitely want to store this covered in the fridge.
ITEMS AND TOOLS USED TO MAKE THIS RECIPE:
- KitchenAid Stand Mixer or Hand Mixer
- Whisk Attachment for the stand mixer (if you’re using a stand mixer)
- Vanilla Extract (I used this really tasty french vanilla extract)
- Piping bag
- Sprinkles (optional)
Ok, let’s get to the recipe!
***I write recipes using volume (cups) measurements because here in the U.S., this is what people are used to seeing and using. For weight in metric measurements, click the ‘metric’ button under the ingredients in the recipe card. The weights are converted by a program, not me, and it’s a best guess. Please note that because I develop recipes using ‘cups’ I can’t guarantee that weighing the ingredients will produce the exact same results.
Recipe:
Whipped Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients
- 2 8 oz pkgs of cream cheese (softened, but not warm)
- 3 cups confectioners sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- Pinch of salt
- 2 ½ cups cold heavy cream (sometimes called whipping cream…NOT cool whip or ‘whipped’ cream)
Instructions
- Add the cream cheese, confectioners sugar, vanilla and salt to a bowl.
- Use a whisk attachment if you’re using a stand mixer. If you don’t have a stand mixer, just use a regular handheld mixer and mix it very well until smooth and creamy.
- Now, you’ll add in your heavy cream, but only a small amount at a time. You’ll add it in four parts as follows:
- Pour in a small amount of the cold heavy cream. (Only pour in about a ¼ cup at this point.) Mix well until creamy.
- Pour in a bit more of the heavy cream and mix that until very creamy. (You’re slowly adding in the heavy cream, so that the mixture doesn’t become lumpy.)
- Do this two more times (until the rest of the heavy cream is all added).
- Once everything is incorporated, whip on high until stiff peaks form (about a couple minutes).
- Add to a cooled cake or cupcakes.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
How to Share
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Ok, let me know what you think! I could not keep myself out of this stuff. I ate it like it was pudding…straight out of the bowl. (Not a proud moment.)
Pollyrose
Looking forward to trying this one, can it be used on red velvet cake?
Kara Jane
Oh yes, I think that would taste amazing.
Carol
Can I make the whipped cream cream cheese frosting on Thursday night and refrigerate it in Rubbermaid type covered bowl and place it in a cold Yeti then whip it again then Frost the cake on Saturday morning? Or should I frost the cake Thursday night and the keep it in the yeti till the party Saturday at noon?
Kara Jane
Carol, I have not tried re-whipping it, so I can’t say whether that would work or not. This is a pretty soft icing and stayed mostly whipped for a couple days for me. It did deflate a little though over the course of a couple days. If it’s a heavy cake, I’d probably wait to frost it, since the weight of the cake might deflate and press down the icing a bit. If you can whip up the icing the day of the party, that would be best case scenario. If you have to make it ahead of time and re-whip it later, just be careful not to re-whip it too long because it could break the icing and it will start looking curdled.
Lind
Hello today im icing a stacked carrot cake for this evening.is this cream cheese frosting good for stacked cakes? How long can it sit out? Lastly, will the icing get hard if i refrigerate it? Thanks!
Kara Jane
Hi Lind, I may be too late replying, but this is a more delicate icing. If you kept it refrigerated, then it might be okay on a stacked cake, but personally, I would go with a more traditional American buttercream that’s not necessarily whipped for a stacked one. It will firm up a bit in the fridge as it’s made with butter.
Tracy Merlau
Could there be a possible typo in this recipe? Either the powdered sugar amount or the heavy cream? It’s a very, very, loose consistency. Just add more powdered sugar?
Kara Jane
I double checked it, but it’s correct. There is quite a bit of heavy cream added as this is basically whipped cream with cream cheese added and a bit of confectioner’s sugar. You’ll want to add the cream four parts though and it needs to be whipped at high speed until stiff peaks form. If it’s not whipped, then it won’t get fluffy and will still be a more runny consistency.
Pam
Kara,
I just topped my Hawaiian Carrot Cake muffins using this recipe and I have to say… WOWZA!!! It’s like a fluffy cloud of cream cheese!! It is so light and not overly sweet like many traditional cream cheese frosting recipes…. which perfectly balances the sweetness from the pineapple in my cakes! I only had two cups of heavy whipping cream and it came out perfectly. I also refrigerated my mixing bowl for about 10 minutes before I started. Will definitely make this again!
Thank you for the delicious recipe❣️
Kara
Hi Pam…yay!!! So glad you liked this one! 🙂
Stephanie
I am working on a second batch of this currently as I think I may have overwhipped it previously. It looked like it was coming together and then suddenly got runny again. I added more sugar but could not save it! Hopefully the second will be successful!
Kara
Oh no! Let me know how it goes?
Carri
What a fake recipe!
I am EXTREMELY disappointed in this! If anyone is looking for anything other than a glaze, DO NOT use this recipe! The photo is extremely inaccurate!!!!!!!
Just like a previous comment where someone asked if the measurements were off, the frosting is so runny it’s obvious that something is wrong… This completely ruined my sons birthday cupcakes with no time to make new frosting.
I wish I could share a photo of the sloppy drippy mess that followed. Sad, especially since I followed the recipe exactly…
– A throughly frustrated Mom
Kara
Hi Carri, I’m sorry this recipe gave you trouble. I can assure you that I’ve made this recipe multiple times and that it is NOT a fake recipe, nor is the photo inaccurate. That is the photo I took after one of the times I made the recipe. I am so sorry it gave you trouble though. I never post recipes on my website unless they’ve worked well for me.
Regina Madison
I’ve made this recipe so many times. I promise, this recipe is the real deal and it is amazing! Just have to add that cream in nice and slow and then whip it just until it forms stiff peaks. Keep EVERYTHING NICE AND COLD. The beaters the bowl and the cream. Makes all the difference. I certainly hope you give this another go and that you get to experience this wonderful frosting. My husband for some crazy reason doesn’t care for it but he also likes his frosting on the sweeter side. So I always make traditional and and this one. 😊
Kara
Regina, thank you so much for this comment. 🙂