My Favorite Cream Cheese Buttercream Recipe for Cake Decorating

This is my go-to Cream Cheese Buttercream recipe for decorating cakes and cupcakes. It tastes like a dream and is the perfect consistency for piping, filling, and frosting layer cakes! Get the full recipe and all my tips for working with this frosting on my blog here: sugarandsparrow.com/cream-chee...
Yield: 3 Cups
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Ingredients:
4 Cups (480g) powdered sugar
¼ Cup (32g) cornstarch (optional)*
½ Cup (113g) unsalted butter, room temperature
8 Oz (226g) full-fat cream cheese**, room temperature
1 ½ tsp pure vanilla extract
1/4 tsp salt
Instructions:
1. Sift together the powdered sugar and cornstarch, if using, and set aside. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and cream cheese on high until light, fluffy, and uniform (no lumps), about 5 minutes.
2. Turn the mixer to low and add the powdered sugar and cornstarch mixture one cup at a time, mixing thoroughly after each addition. Add the vanilla and salt and mix on low for another minute, until fully combined and smooth.
*Cornstarch helps thicken the consistency of the cream cheese buttercream without adding any flavor. I highly recommend it if you’re using this frosting to pipe intricate details.
**You’ll want to use brick-style cream cheese in this recipe, not the spreadable kind. The latter has too much liquid content to make a stable frosting.
To Make Ahead:
You can store this Cream Cheese Buttercream in an airtight container and keep it in the refrigerator for up to two weeks. When you’re ready to use it, bring it back to room temperature and re-mix it with your stand mixer on low speed until it’s smooth and uniform.
Storage:
Decorated cakes and cupcakes with Cream Cheese Buttercream should be stored in the refrigerator until an hour before serving.
Find me on Instagram: / sugarandsparrowco
Get more cake recipes and decorating tutorials here: sugarandsparrow.com/

[@TaraMcGuire-co9uv]

Absolutely perfect!!! Thank you so much ❤

[@ilaisaanejr]

Wow thank you. I made my butter cream frosting and it was delicious. My family loves it ❤

[@mariacmelo2024]

Just what I was looking for. Yummylisious

[@fefejohns4587]

Thank you for this video! Will try it soon♥️

[@kimberlyward5796]

Miss Whitney, I saw in your post to how to make chocolate cream cheese buttercream. It came out beautifully❤❤, thank you so much, also, in the post I saw something about using cornstarch, it really helped stabilizing the frosting while piping, thank you again❤❤

[@raven-chan]

The icing looks soo smooth and easy to deal with!! I can't wait to try this out! :D Thank you so much for sharing, Whitney!

[@SugarandSparrow]

I'm so excited for you to try it!!

[@noorskitchenconnection]

Woooow Amazing Recipe a nice Recipe thanks for sharing such a nice Recipe 👍👍👍 Great job well done 👍👍👍

[@rachelboothe5075]

Oh my goodness! This recipe has come along right when I need it. Thank you so much!

[@SugarandSparrow]

Yay, Rachel! I hope you love it as much as I do :)

[@rachelboothe5075]

@@SugarandSparrow I look forward to trying it. How would I go about making it chocolate? Would I just replace some of the powdered sugar with cocoa? If so, dutch processed or non-dutch processed? Thank you.

[@krishnpriyabhaktichannel7224]

Is this become hard if we store cake in fridge...and one more thing can we use fondant topper on it

[@SugarandSparrow]

@@krishnpriyabhaktichannel7224 Yes! It will firm up in the refrigerator and would work well under fondant

[@violetaperez4470]

Can I used for a wedding 3 tiers cake ?

[@amaliatianca3062]

I am so happy I found your page and recipes ! I wanted to know , if I wanted to add the Black cocoa powder to this recipe so you recommend letting it sit for 24hr to get the dark black color as well ?!

[@nopenotme2631]

This is amazing!! Thank you! It was fantastic!

[@yackattack1312]

you’re not lying to me right

[@nopenotme2631]

@@yackattack1312 nope, it was to die!!

[@deshannsears5392]

Thanks for the info

[@nazanbayrak7230]

hi this is so nice 👏👏👏please can you share the recipe for butter cream please 🌸

[@sheetal1626]

Really impressive👍🤩 🙏.

[@n009.5]

Thank u 💗

[@suejose]

I just made this. Could I cut back on some of the sugar. A lil to sweet for my taste and I'm not tasting the cream cheese as much as I like. My daughter loves it the way it is lol. I had to put it in the freezer as my climate is really hot. I am in the Caribbean. So what can I do for it to not be soo soft in warmer climate. Can I use the butter and creamcheese a bit colder? Thank you. Great receipe. Love it on my chocolate cake.

[@laurazeller2014]

Thank you, Whitney!

[@SugarandSparrow]

I hope you love this recipe as much as I do!

[@laurazeller2014]

@@SugarandSparrow I'm always trying to find a sturdy cream cheese frosting and never thought about cornstarch!

[@SugarandSparrow]

@@laurazeller2014 I hadn't thought about it either until recently and it works wonders! Powdered sugar is made with cornstarch already, so it makes a lot of sense that this would help thicken the buttercream (only without all that extra sweetness)!

[@laurazeller2014]

@@SugarandSparrow Makes perfect sense! Very good thinking. :)

[@damarisbg5856]

Thank you so much for your recipe, I will give it a try. Can you tell if this is heat resistance? I want to do flower cupcakes, but where I live the weather is hot

[@AngelaMerici12]

Did you made it? I want to know about the heat resistance.

[@yasaniy316]

I did this recipe yesterday for a small 6 inch 4 layers strawberry cake, and it was a hit the birthday girl loved it! It tasted so good! I had to make 2 batches for the cake. Can I add food colouring in the icing? Thank you! Recipe saved!! 😊

[@SugarandSparrow]

Yay! I'm so happy it was a hit!! You can absolutely add food coloring to this!

[@pineapplesyumyum]

Bomb recipe!

[@SugarandSparrow]

Thank you! So happy you love this one!

[@Simple_and_natural]

I am going to try it. When using this frosting. Does the cake need to be refrigerated all the time?

[@erin6692]

You had me at not using so much powdered sugar! This is exactly what I was looking for. I am making a dark chocolate cake with a cheesecake in between the layers. My mom wanted it for Mother’s Day. But it sounds sickeningly sweet to me! Lol. I know it will be for her too. So I was looking for a cream cheese frosting that wasn’t insanely sweet and would still allow me to make the cake cute with piping. Thank you!

[@SugarandSparrow]

Yay! I hope you love this one!

[@shadurg]

I’m so excited to use this recipe. Should I double the recipe for a two tier 9inch cake?

[@millasuini8307]

I did double for a 3 8inch layer cake

[@safy4782]

جاري التجربه

[@beebboop9226]

Thank you so much! But I have a question, if I add a runny(ish) ingredient such as blueberry sauce, would it lose consistency, or would it still hold up? If it wasn't firm enough for decorating a cake what can I add? ❤

[@Vamos_Ramos]

Thanks so much for this recipe! I am wondering if you have ever added any fruit or other wet ingredients to your frosting. Any suggestions on how I can add blackberries without making the frosting too runny? Thanks

[@SugarandSparrow]

Hi there! I always prefer to add freeze dried fruit (ground into powder) to my buttercream so there’s no additional liquid added. But I did just make a blackberry buttercream where I reduced the puréed blackberries first to get rid of as much liquid as I could and it worked stunningly! Here’s the recipe: sugarandsparrow.com/blackberry-crisp-layer-cake/

[@mistypender9329]

Should I double or triple this recipe for a 9” round double layered cake?

[@_lafilledhiver_]

If the butter cream is placed at room temperature/hot, it will melt like whipped cream?

[@John-zp7xr]

Thank you. What kind of attachment would you use to beat cream cheese with a hand held mixer? I tried this yesterday with regular attachments and the cream cheese got stuck in the blades which necessitated my scooping it out. Very messy. Tutorial was A+.

[@SugarandSparrow]

Hi John! I don't think hand mixers come with attachments other than the standard whisk-like ones. If you can find more of a paddle attachment then that would probably work better, or just make sure the cream cheese is super soft (room temp) before beating it.

[@kbugelli93]

Can you add gel colour to this?

[@ChefStew2023]

Can I use strawberry extract instead of vanilla?

[@sheririch1734]

How does it hold up in hot weather?

[@anavargas2716]

Looks amazing! How long will the buttercream hold its shape outdoors in hot weather?

[@SugarandSparrow]

Thank you! It lasts several hours! I still recommend keeping the cake in the refrigerator until an hour or two before you plan on serving it.

[@lornasalomia6623]

Can it cover two 9" round cake?

[@atalina08]

Does this need to be refrigerated?

[@dunjakriskovic3459]

💓💓💓

[@monsex0]

can you add cornstarch to any frosting recipe to thicken it up ?

[@keonabanks5345]

I do

[@tiffanyharris5116]

Can you tell that it’s butter cream like is it sweet like butter cream or does it taste more like a cream cheese frosting

[@trishajanecreates]

Can I use this frosting to shag cake. Thank you for the recipe😊

[@SugarandSparrow]

Yes you can!

[@trishajanecreates]

@@SugarandSparrow thank you

[@trishajanecreates]

@@SugarandSparrow thank you

[@snowchen6262]

could,put less,sugar? like 200g?

[@Kryystalwiththak]

Hi can we use food coloring in this cream cheese buttercream recipe? Would it change its texture or anything?

[@SugarandSparrow]

Hi Jocelyn! You can absolutely use food coloring in this recipe.

[@rosanaclaro4181]

Gostaria que você colocasse a tradução da receita,pois não sei o inglês,mas achei uma cobertura suave e me interessei. Fico no aguardo de sua resposta obrigada

[@SugarandSparrow]

Hi there! English is the only language I speak but here's a way to translate the recipe: translate.google.com/

[@arbellah8639]

Rendimento: 3 xícaras Tempo de Preparo: 10 minutos Ingredientes: 4 xícaras (480g) de açúcar em pó ¼ Xícara (32g) de amido de milho (opcional)* ½ xícara (113g) de manteiga sem sal, temperatura ambiente 8 onças (226g) de cream cheese integral**, temperatura ambiente 1 ½ colher de chá de extrato de baunilha puro 1/4 colher de chá de sal Instruções: 1. Peneire o açúcar de confeiteiro e o amido de milho, se estiver usando, e reserve. Na tigela da batedeira equipada com o acessório da pá, bata a manteiga e o cream cheese em velocidade alta até obter um creme claro, fofo e uniforme (sem grumos), cerca de 5 minutos. 2. Coloque a batedeira no mínimo e adicione o açúcar em pó e a mistura de amido de milho, uma xícara de cada vez, misturando bem após cada adição. Adicione a baunilha e o sal e misture em fogo baixo por mais um minuto, até ficar totalmente combinado e homogêneo. *O amido de milho ajuda a engrossar a consistência do creme de queijo cremoso sem adicionar sabor. Eu recomendo fortemente se você estiver usando esse glacê para canalizar detalhes intrincados. ** Você vai querer usar cream cheese tipo tijolo nesta receita, não o tipo para barrar. Este último tem muito conteúdo líquido para fazer uma cobertura estável. Para fazer à frente: Você pode armazenar este Buttercream de Cream Cheese em um recipiente hermético e mantê-lo na geladeira por até duas semanas. Quando estiver pronto para usá-lo, leve-o de volta à temperatura ambiente e misture-o novamente com a batedeira em velocidade baixa até ficar homogêneo e homogêneo. Armazenar: Bolos e cupcakes decorados com Cream Cheese Buttercream devem ser guardados na geladeira até uma hora antes de servir. Encontre-me no Instagram: instagram.com/sugarandspa..

[@hendhosny8891]

جميل جدا

[@SydneyFortune-rm1lp]

@0:22 what piping tip did you use

[@canankyvn2202]

can i use this cream to cover an entire buttercream cake? say this cream instead of a Swiss Merinque 🥰

[@averyshenan958]

Mine never turns out

[@cocoquette]

is this frosting overly sweet? because 4 cups of sugar seems like a lot to me could i add only 1 cup and a half or would that drastically change the consistency?

[@SugarandSparrow]

It's not overly sweet to me! The powdered sugar helps stabilize the frosting, so adding only 1 1/2 cups would create a frosting that is too liquidy.

[@cocoquette]

@@SugarandSparrow okay I’ll try it with 4 thank you!

[@Hladnokrvna24]

Will this work for a tiered wedding cake or would it sink in ?

[@SugarandSparrow]

It will definitely work for a tiered wedding cake!

[@jaylenerubio6861]

could I substitute the cornstarch with ap flour?

[@madebyliann]

I would not recommend that substitution, that will affect the flavor and is not safe to eat raw flour

[@iman123ify]

If brick creamcheese doesnt exist in my country is it ok with creamcheese spread?

[@gabci268]

Same here 😅 but I will try it this week anyway :D

[@sofiam6461]

@@gabci268 Have you tried? How did it went?

[@gabci268]

@@sofiam6461 It tasted fantastic with raspberries, but it was about 35°C so it was melting even while I was trying to spread it on the cake. A traffic circle on my way to the birthday party gave it the last push 😅 buut the point is, I think it wasn't the cheese's fault

[@user-rs6rc9vg7g]

Does it sweet like American buttercream?

[@SugarandSparrow]

It is intentionally less sweet than traditional American buttercream!

[@nastiaiouchtchenkova8155]

Could I use this to fill a cake too?

[@rroman2752]

In the vid she says yes but without the cornstarch

[@sandrarash2020]

Do you chill this before piping?

[@SugarandSparrow]

Only if my kitchen is super warm, then I'll chill it for 10-15 minutes before piping.

[@anacalderonhernandez5078]

Isn’t it better to add instant pudding instead of the corn starch??

[@SugarandSparrow]

I've never heard of adding instant pudding! My thought is that it would flavor the buttercream, while cornstarch doesn't add any additional flavor.

[@happyir8]

Cornstarch need to be cooked?

[@SugarandSparrow]

Nope!

[@peweida]

I need frosting for 40 cupcakes. Can I double the recipe

[@gabbysgallery24]

Yes, of course

[@alexialopez5685]

what size of cake can this recipe cover?

[@SugarandSparrow]

This would be enough to fill and frost a 2-layer 8 inch cake. If you're making a triple layer cake I recommend doubling the recipe.

[@ilyas-fan619]

it looks so nice but what about corn flour taste without cooking?????

[@SugarandSparrow]

You can’t taste it at all!

[@averyshenan958]

If you beat the cream cheese that long mine breaks down.. cream cheese does that quick IMO. Your frosting looks perfect and I’ve tried every cc I’ve seen online and still isn’t pipeable

[@SugarandSparrow]

Interesting! What brand of cream cheese are you using? I've never had issues with the cream cheese breaking down.

[@Carissa__]

I tried this recipe and it didn’t come out pipe-able. I used the Walmart brand cream cheese. I wonder if I creamed the butter and cc for too long… I followed the 5 min instruction. I ended up adding a bit more corn starch because it was just too runny.

[@SugarandSparrow]

@@Carissa__ did you use block cream cheese or the kind that comes in the tub? It’s really important to use block cream cheese in this recipe

[@brentanoschool]

used instant vanilla pudding

[@rwn8aro7]

I tried this recipe today and was sure it would work, but it became liquid and incoherent😢😢😢 please what can I do to fix it?

[@SugarandSparrow]

Did you use block cream cheese or the spreadable kind?

[@axutau]

I tried this recipe but frosting came up so soft ...

[@SugarandSparrow]

Did you use brick style cream cheese or the spreadable (tub) kind?

[@rouvitca15]

Turned out runny..What should I do? 😢

[@SugarandSparrow]

Did you use the cream cheese spread instead of block style cream cheese?

[@certifiedugly9635]

Followed the recipes and it was way too runny, i had to add more powdered sugar and it still didnt hold. Id recommend finding a different recipe it you were hoping for non runny frosting

[@SugarandSparrow]

Did you use the block style cream cheese or the spreadable (tub) kind?

[@lamirada90638]

No chalky taste?

[@SugarandSparrow]

Not at all!

[@lamirada90638]

@@SugarandSparrow thank you

[@kholoudfayed5733]

I knew there has to be something else added

[@Briloveskeroppi]

No cornstarch❌

[@linanguyen8164]

​@@Briloveskeroppi why no cornstarch?

[@Briloveskeroppi]

@@linanguyen8164 it doesn’t seem right to me

[@beatricepitts549]

@@linanguyen8164 0p

[@yasaniy316]

​@linanguyen8164 I've made this a few times and you don't taste the cornstarch. The frosting is delicious!

[@jaquiorozco6105]

I tried this recipe today and it is NOT good for pipping. It’s literally MELTING off my cake even if I put it in the freezer.

[@TheBeckyOrtiz]

The taste with the cornflour is horrible!

[@kott8949]

If it’s possible to use less powder sugar ?480g still a lot🥲🥲

[@SugarandSparrow]

Feel free to experiment with the amount but know that the less powdered sugar you use, the thinner (runnier) the buttercream will be.

[@kott8949]

@@SugarandSparrow I see.thank you for the explanation 😀

[@martinh2091]

yea well this does not work at all. such a fucking let down once again. you can only taste sugar and it does not even hold. waste of all the ingredients. does Americans like this overly sweet nonsense? NEVER AGAIN.