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Snack

Cream Cheese Frosting

Tangy, smooth frosting for chocolate, vanilla or carrot cake. A cake frosted with it lives in the refrigerator.

⏱ 10 min (10 min prep) 🍽 Serves 16 · about 3 tablespoons (makes about 3 cups) make aheadquickfreezer friendly vegetariangluten free

In our collection Birthday parties: menu and shopping list β†’

πŸ“… Add to my plan

ContainsMilk. Check the labels on what you buy; brands differ.

Ingredients

Make 16 servings
  • 8 oz Cream cheese, softened, full-fat block
  • Β½ cup Butter, unsalted, softened (1 stick)
  • 3 cup Powdered sugar, sifted
  • 1 tsp Vanilla extract
  • 1 pinch Table salt (to taste)

Make it yourself

Make the butter yourself β†’ Out of powdered sugar? Make it β†’

In the planner, Make it on the shopping list swaps the store item for these ingredients and puts the work on your prep day.

Nutrition

Nutrition coming: the USDA numbers for these ingredients are being added.

Steps

You’ll need: mixer, large bowl, spatula.

  1. Beat the cream cheese and butter together until smooth, about 2 minutes. Both should be soft, or you’ll get lumps.
  2. On low speed, beat in the powdered sugar a cup at a time, then the vanilla and salt. Beat just until creamy; overbeating makes it runny.
  3. Chill 15 minutes if it’s too soft to spread.
  4. Keep a cake or cupcakes with this frosting in the refrigerator, and set it out for the party for no more than 2 hours (USDA).
Make aheadKeeps 5 days in the refrigerator.
❄️ FreezerFreeze up to 1 month; thaw in the refrigerator and stir.
πŸ§’ With kidsKids can add the sugar on low speed.

Goes well with

🍫 Chocolate Birthday Layer Cake

Good to know

Cooking Fats Compared Salted vs. unsalted butter Table salt vs. kosher salt vs. sea salt

An original Teddy Rook Book recipe, written for our Birthday parties collection; safety steps follow USDA. Nutrition is estimated from USDA FoodData Central and changes with brands and portions.