Home
Recipes
Dessert Recipes
Frostings and Icings
Cream Cheese
Chef John's Cream Cheese Frosting

Chef John's Cream Cheese Frosting

Name: Chef John's Cream Cheese Frosting
Prep time: 15 min
Total time: 15 min
Yield: 2 cups
Ingredients: ¼ cup butter, softened; 1 (4 ounce) package cream cheese, softened; 1 teaspoon vanilla extract; 1 teaspoon lemon juice; 1 ¾ cups confectioners' sugar, or more to taste

Rating: 4.69 stars

111 Ratings
93 Reviews
27 Photos

This is the frosting I use on delicious red velvet cupcakes. Is this the easiest recipe I've ever done? Maybe!

By Chef John

Gallery

Watch

Recipe Summary

prep:

15 mins

total:

15 mins

Servings:

Yield:

2 cups

Nutrition Info

Ingredients

Original recipe yields 12 servings

The ingredient list now reflects the servings specified

¼ cup butter, softened
1 (4 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon lemon juice (Optional)
1 ¾ cups confectioners' sugar, or more to taste

Directions

Step 1

Place butter, cream cheese, vanilla extract, and lemon juice into the work bowl of a large stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment; beat mixture on medium speed until smooth.

Advertisement
Step 2

Scrape down the attachment and sides of bowl; add confectioners' sugar to butter mixture. Mix at low speed until confectioners' sugar begins to incorporate into butter mixture. Raise mixer speed to high and beat until frosting is light and fluffy, scraping sides occasionally, about 3 minutes. Frosting will set up and become firmer when refrigerated.

Cook's Notes:

Start with 1 cup confectioners' sugar and add more to taste, up to 3 cups. Double recipe if you like a thicker layer of frosting.

Nutrition Facts

Per Serving:

139 calories; protein 0.8g; carbohydrates 18.6g; fat 7.1g; cholesterol 20.5mg; sodium 55.3mg. Full Nutrition

Reviews (93)

Most helpful positive review

cookinmom

11/18/2013

Very tasty and creamy frosting. I'd probably use half the sugar next time or twice the cream cheese. As written I only got about a cup so double the recipe for a 9" round 2-layer cake. Read More

Helpful

(16)

Most helpful critical review

Jim Mason

12/03/2019

It was ok but I felt it was too sweet and didn't have the thick cream cheese flavor I wanted. Read More

111 Ratings

5 star values: 86
4 star values: 20
3 star values: 2
2 star values: 2
1 star values: 1

Reviews: Most Helpful

Most Helpful Most Positive Least Positive Newest

cookinmom

11/18/2013

Very tasty and creamy frosting. I'd probably use half the sugar next time or twice the cream cheese. As written I only got about a cup so double the recipe for a 9" round 2-layer cake. Read More

Helpful

(16)

Mrs. Peterson

05/13/2014

This Cream Cheese Frosting is verry yummy! I have been making various cream cheese desserts for years now and this is the first one I have found that can be used on any type of dessert like carrot cake cheese cake desserts withc cheese cake fillings etc. Do yourself a huge favour and try it its fail proof!! It's number 1 in my kitchen and as Chef John said add the confectioner's sugar in increments and you will get just the amount of sweetness/cream cheese balance you want. Thanks Chef John!!! Read More

Helpful

(12)

SNicker28

01/14/2014

Very good frosting that can be used on different cakes because its so basic & simple. I doubled the recipe and adjusted the sugar to taste for my Lemon Cupcakes therefore I did not add the optional lemon extract. The cream cheese is definitely more pronounced then the sugar and butter which is exactly what I wanted. Kudos to the trusty Chef John who wisely points out that the amount of sugar would vary. Other recipes I looked at list a specific amount of sugar which is a no-no for frosting (IMO). It all depends on your preferred taste palette. Of course the trick is to add a little at a time taste and repeat. Thanks Chef John! Read More

Helpful

(10)

Tiana

08/08/2014

Absolutely wonderful! This recipe I would recommend to my friends. I only thing I did was adjust the sweetness of it thanks Chef John Read More

Helpful

(7)

Ruth_Xu

10/10/2013

This comes out great and exactly like the video ones. I did everything accordingly. But personally i feel that it is a little too sweet for me. Can lesser the icing sugar to a cup. Read More

Helpful

(6)

pamnola

04/18/2014

excellent! I did use Madagascar Bourbon vanilla paste which measures the same as vanilla extract and the lemon juice. Very nice consistency but you must beat on high for three minutes to get that fluffiness. Read More

Helpful

(5)

Windy Yvonne

01/30/2014

very very good exactly what I was looking for perfect blend of sweetness and cream cheese will definitely make again Read More

Helpful

(4)

Barbara

03/29/2014

This is so delicious I can't say enough. I made this recipe with the lemon juice the first time and the second time I used fresh juice from an orange. It is so good. Read More

Helpful

(4)

maria

07/30/2014

I followed exactly the recipe and its the yummiest cream cheese frosting! Chef John gives the best recipes! Read More

Helpful

(3)

Jim Mason

12/03/2019

It was ok but I felt it was too sweet and didn't have the thick cream cheese flavor I wanted. Read More

More Reviews

Reviews for: Photos of Chef John's Cream Cheese Frosting

1 of 93

All Reviews

Very tasty and creamy frosting. I'd probably use half the sugar next time or twice the cream cheese. As written I only got about a cup so double the recipe for a 9" round 2-layer cake.

Absolutely wonderful! This recipe I would recommend to my friends. I only thing I did was adjust the sweetness of it thanks Chef John

This comes out great and exactly like the video ones. I did everything accordingly. But personally i feel that it is a little too sweet for me. Can lesser the icing sugar to a cup.

very very good exactly what I was looking for perfect blend of sweetness and cream cheese will definitely make again

This is so delicious I can't say enough. I made this recipe with the lemon juice the first time and the second time I used fresh juice from an orange. It is so good.