This no butter cream cheese frosting is light, fluffy, and melts in the mouth just like whipped cream. A simple and easy recipe that gets done in less than 10 minutes. Perfect for cupcakes or your favorite carrot cake recipe.
Table of Content
- Why make this frosting
- Cream cheese frosting with or without butter
- Ingredients and substitutes
- Best cream cheese frosting (no-butter)
- Flavored cream cheese frosting
- What can you frost with cream cheese?
- More frosting recipes
- Frequently asked questions
- You may also like
- Printable Recipe
- Join the conversation
Have you ever wanted to make a cream cheese frosting with just cream cheese? How about a cream cheese frosting without butter? right?
The best part is it's rich, delicious, creamy, and melts in the mouth. While I should not favor one of my recipes over another, I will say that this is my favorite frosting. I could eat it right out of a bow.
Why make this frosting
- It really takes only 5 minutes to make this treat so the next time you need a delicious frosting, don't go grabbing that tub at the super instead grab some good quality cream cheese and make this. It is so delicious you will find excuses to make it again. I promise.
- It is light and airy like whipped cream. Delicate in texture with a strong cream cheese flavor.
- The secret to making this frosting successfully is to use full-fat cream cheese. The fat in the cream cheese works similar to butter and gets whipped up with powdered sugar which results in this wonderful airy texture.
- I usually use a large bowl and whisk but you can also use a hand mixer or electric mixer.
- This recipe is an excellent treat for your favorite cakes, cupcakes, or cookies. You can also use it over dessert or to fill pastries.
- The one important thing to note when working with this frosting is the temperature of the ingredients. If you live in a warm place, do not cream the cheese for too long, as it warms up it will lose volume. Instead, place it in the fridge as required. In this post, you can see my images of my red velvet cupcakes using this recipe.
- You can freeze leftover frosting in the freezer in an airtight container for up to a month so don't hesitate to make more than enough frosting
Cream cheese frosting with or without butter
While both recipes are absolutely delicious, there are advantages and disadvantages to both
- No Butter - This frosting is really light and has a whipped cream kinda consistency. Because there is no butter. You can pipe swirls and also use them to frost a cake. And yet, it's a soft icing so there are limitations to what you can do with this. If I make cream cheese frosting for the family - this is it. Light and fluffy just like whipped cream.
- Classic cream cheese frosting has butter, which adds stability. Also, butter can be whipped to make a more light and fluffy buttercream kinda frosting. So you can use it in a cake covered with fondant too. It does make some nice firm cream cheese swirls on cupcakes. In addition, you can pipe borders around a cake. For my business cakes, this frosting with butter is usually my go-to recipe. Customers love it and I love working with it.
Ingredients and substitutes
- Cream Cheese -No low fat! Please use full-fat cream cheese such as Philadelphia or Mascarpone. Nothing less than 38%. I usually use 40% mascarpone in mine especially when I'm using it for my fondant-covered cakes.
- Lemon - Just a tiny amount to cut the sugar. And it makes a huge difference. It does not affect the taste. So if you want the lemon flavor you will need to add more.
- Salt - Sounds like a lot but it does help cut the sugar a lot!!
- Powdered sugar - Use good powdered sugar made from cane sugar, not beet sugar. And you will never have a grainy buttercream or frosting recipe.
- Flavoring - I love the classic vanilla extract or vanilla bean scrapings, but almond, orange, or rose extract are wonderful too.
- Optional ingredients - feel free to spice your frosting to match the cake you are making. For example, in winter I use pumpkin spice or gingerbread spice when possible.
Best cream cheese frosting (no-butter)
- In the mixing bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment on medium speed combine cream cheese, lemon juice, cornstarch, salt, and heavy cream for a minute.
Pro tip - the cream cheese must be at room temperature otherwise it will be lumpy. - Gradually add powdered sugar one cup at a time until you've used all of the powdered sugar. Then, add the vanilla extract and continue to whip on medium-high for 1 to 2 minutes more until it is smooth light, and fluffy.
Pro tip - do not overwhip cream cheese as it can separate or become curdled. - Consistency – Add a few tablespoons of powdered sugar to make it firmer or add a few tablespoons of heavy cream to loosen it
Pro tip - if using it to frost a cake keep the frosting to a smooth but firm spreadable consistency or it will be too soft to smooth with the bench scraper.
Flavored cream cheese frosting
- Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting - replace 2tbsp powdered sugar with cocoa powder - mix together before you add into the mixer.
- Lemon Juice - Replace the fresh cream with 1 tablespoon of lemon juice - more if you like a tart buttercream
- Peppermint - replace 1 teaspoon of vanilla in the recipe with 1 teaspoon peppermint extract for the above frosting
- Maple - Replace the cream in this recipe with Maple syrup - the syrup will lighten the frosting so you may not be able to pipe firm swirls but it will still be absolutely delicious
- Caramel - Omit the fresh cream in the recipe - Add ¼ cup thick caramel sauce (see my homemade caramel sauce recipe here) - and add the caramel sauce at the last stage and you have whipped the cream cheese frosting. The consistency will be softer so you won't be able to pipe firm swirls. Since caramel is added to sugar the resulting frosting is rather sweet. You can add salt flakes to cut some of that and get a salted caramel effect. Personally, I prefer to make the classic cream cheese frosting recipe and then drizzle the caramel over the finished cupcake or cake as an added effect which is usually more appreciated than adding caramel into the frosting.
What can you frost with cream cheese?
A cream cheese frosting is very versatile and can be used on a number of cakes, desserts, and pasties. For example
- Layered cake - Red velvet cake, carrot cake, or pumpkin cake are of course popular with cream cheese, and for good reason. The richness of the veggies is perfect when combined with veggies like carrots, pumpkins, or beets.
- It is the perfect frosting for sheet cakes whether you use chocolate cake or vanilla sheet cake.
- Of course, can you imagine cinnamon rolls without cream cheese?
- The same goes with pastries such as cream puffs, profiteroles, danish pastries, as well as puff pastry desserts like mille Feuille.
More frosting recipes
- Italian Meringue Buttercream, Swiss Meringue Buttercream
- French Buttercream Recipe, How to make German Buttercream
- American Buttercream Frosting, Vanilla Buttercream Frosting
- Ermine Frosting (Less Sweet), Eggnog Buttercream Frosting
- White Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
- Bakery Style Vanilla Frosting or Bakery-Style Chocolate Frosting
- Best Coffee Buttercream Frosting
- Caramel Buttercream Frosting, Butterscotch Buttercream Frosting
- 30 + Buttercream Recipes - FrostingSee all frosting recipes
Frequently asked questions
Why does no-butter cream cheese become liquid when I started to add sugar?
This is probably to do with the low-fat cream cheese lecture I gave you above. You must use cream cheese with at least 32 to 38% fat or more. Cream cheese is not an extra ingredient here used instead of butter. So the powdered sugar needs to mix with the fat in the cream cheese and butter, which gives us that light and fluffy texture.
What temperature should the cream cheese be at?
Always room temperature. This will give you a smooth texture. Cold ingredients will give you lumpy cream cheese and very sweet frosting because it has not been emulsified enough.
Does cream cheese have to be a certain brand?
NO!! This frosting is not brand sensitive but rather fat percentage sensitive which is no less than 32% fat. Of course, the cream cheese has to be unflavored so it does not influence the final flavor of the frosting.
Why doesn't this frosting stay at the same consistency after a few hours?
Cream cheese is a perishable product just like milk and yogurt or whipped cream. Hence, it must be treated with the same courtesy. The high powdered sugar content does work as a preservative. So we can keep the finished product out for a few hours. And yet, in general, you must treat cream cheese just as you would milk or yogurt.
Similarly, just like whipped cream - cream cheese becomes fluffy with all the mixing, and a lot of air is incorporated in the frosting. And yet, over time it loses its volume when kept outside. Especially in warmer climates.
Printable Recipe
No Butter Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe
Print Pin Rate Share by Email Share on FB Save GrowCalories: 97kcal
Adjust Servings Here: 4 Cups
Description
This no butter cream cheese frosting is light, fluffy and melts in the mouth just like whipped cream. A simple, easy and effortless recipe that gets done in less than 10 minutes. Perfect for cupcakes or your favorite carrot cake recipe.
Ingredients
- 1 lb (450 g) Cream cheese
- 1 lb (450 g) Powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoon Heavy cream
- 2 tablespoon Cornstarch (or tapioca starch)
- ½ teaspoon Lemon juice
- 2 tablespoon Vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon Kosher salt
Instructions
- In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment on medium speed combine cream cheese, lemon juice, cornstarch, salt, and heavy cream for a minute. Pro tip - the cream cheese must be at room temperature otherwise it will be lumpy. K-mix
- Gradually add powdered sugar one cup at a time until you've used all of the powdered sugar. Then, add the vanilla extract and continue to whip on medium-high for 1 to 2 minutes more until it is smooth light and fluffy. Pro tip - do not overwhip cream cheese as it can separate or become curdled.
- Consistency – Add a few tablespoons of powdered sugar to make it firmer or add a few tablespoons of heavy cream to loosen itPro tip - if using it to frost a cake keep the frosting to a smooth but firm spreadable consistency or it will be too soft to smooth with the bench scraper.
Recipe Notes
Flavored cream cheese frosting
- Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting - replace 2tbsp powdered sugar with cocoa powder - mix together before you add into the mixer.
- Lemon Juice - Replace the fresh cream with 1 tablespoon of lemon juice - more if you like a tart buttercream
- Peppermint - replace 1 teaspoon of vanilla in the recipe with 1 teaspoon peppermint extract to the above frosting
- Maple - Replace the cream in this recipe with Maple syrup - the syrup will lighten the frosting so you may not be able to pipe firm swirls but it will still be absolutely delicious
- Caramel - Omit the fresh cream in the recipe - Add ¼ cup thick caramel sauce (see my homemade caramel sauce recipe here) - and add the caramel sauce at the last stage and you have whipped the cream cheese frosting.
The consistency will be softer so you won't be able to pipe firm swirls. Since caramel is added sugar the resulting frosting is rather sweet. You can add salt flakes to cut some of that and get a salted caramel effect.
Personally, I prefer to make the classic cream cheese frosting recipe and then drizzle the caramel over the finished cupcake or cake as an added effect which is usually more appreciated than adding caramel into the frosting.
Nutrition Information
Serving: 44- gramsCalories: 97- kcalCarbohydrates: 6.3- gProtein: 2- gFat: 6.1- gSaturated Fat: 3.8- gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2.3- gMonounsaturated Fat: 0- gTrans Fat: 0- gCholesterol: 19- mgSodium: 93- mgPotassium: 0- mgFiber: 1- gSugar: 0.9- gVitamin A: 0- IUVitamin C: 0- mgCalcium: 0- mgIron: 0- mg
The nutrition information and metric conversion are calculated automatically. I cannot guarantee its accuracy. If this data is important to you please verify with your trusted nutrition calculator. Thank you
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Nanette wilson
Hi can I layer a cake with this recipe thank you x
Veena Azmanov
Yes, you can use it on a cake but the frosting is much softer than one will butter. Even when chilled it won't become firm like butter. But it is absolutely delicious.
Simone
My friend is allergic to dairy. Can I use water instead of cream?
Veena Azmanov
You can use almond milk or coconut milk. I have not tried water but I think it might work.
Naowara Siddiqua
Hey, I can't wait to top my oreo cupcakes with this frosting! But, can we store it in the freezer? And what difference does it make with and without butter?
Veena Azmanov
Naowara. You can store cream cheese frosting in the freezer too. Butter does make it more stable but cream cheese gives a more creamy rich cheesecake kinda taste. Those who love cream cheese appreciate it more. But, some prefer the butter and cream cheese combination.
Soni
Love cream cheese and love this frosting. It really holds well as long as you use full fat cream cheese. I used these along with chai cake recipe.
Veena Azmanov
Thank you, Soni. yes, it works best with full-fat cream cheese. Chai latte and cream cheese sound like a wonderful combination.