How to make delicious cream cheese buttercream perfect for decorating carrot cakes and red velvet cakes.
I’m happy to say that after a lot of trial and error, I’ve finally mastered an easy carrot cake that I absolutely love. It started life as carrot cake cupcakes as recipe testing is far easier for little cakes but they’re delicious too.
In this post I’m sharing my recipe for the delicious, smooth cream cheese buttercream that I use in both recipes. It’s the perfect match for my fruity carrot cake as well as other recipes like red velvet cake.
This cream cheese buttercream is perfect for piping as it has a lovely smooth texture. In the recipe, I’ve mentioned using a splash of milk if the buttercream is a little firm, but generally, I find this isn’t needed.
One thing to note is that this is a soft buttercream and it doesn’t crust like some other buttercream recipes. That means it’s better for popping on cupcakes or decorating a simple layer cake, rather than for elaborate decorations or putting under fondant.
This also means that it freezes brilliantly and it just as perfect for piping after it’s defrosted than on the day it was made. I’ve also tried freezing the cupcakes after they’ve been decorated and this also works well.
Can you freeze cream cheese buttercream?
❄️ Suitable for freezing
Absolutely yes! This buttercream freezes extremely well and once defrosted is as smooth and perfect for piping as when it was first made.
To freeze the buttercream, simply put it into an airtight bag and pop it into the freezer. Allow it to defrost thoroughly in the fridge before using.
It should be fine in the freezer for up to three months.
Free From/Suitable For…
The ingredients I used to make this recipe are all free from the following allergens. However, please check any labels carefully for allergens you need to avoid as brands can vary and product recipes can change over time.
- Suitable for Vegetarians
- Gluten-Free
- Egg-Free
- Tree Nut-Free
- Peanut-Free
- Sesame-Free
- Soya-Free
- Sulphur Dioxide & Sulphite-Free
- Lupin-Free
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Cream Cheese Buttercream
INGREDIENTS
- 125 g butter - soft at room temperature
- 125 g icing sugar
- 250 g cream cheese
- ¼ tsp vanilla extract
- A little milk - This may be needed to ensure the buttercream is the right consistency
INSTRUCTIONS
- Cut the butter (125g) into cubes and beat (either by hand or using a mixer on a slow speed ) until soft.
- Sift the icing sugar (125g) and beat it into the butter until fully combined and smooth.
- Add the cream cheese (250g) and vanilla extract (¼ tsp) and beat until thoroughly combined and smooth.
- Check the consistency of your buttercream. It should be firm, but soft enough to pipe. If it is too firm, then beat in a little milk (no more than a teaspoon at a time) until you have the right consistency.
- Your buttercream is now ready to use.
NOTES
NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION
Any nutritional information provided is the estimated nutritional information per serving. Please refer to my guide to Charlotte’s Lively Kitchen nutritional information if you would like to learn more about how this is calculated.
Dalia says
hey,
it was nice, but i had to use a LOT of extra icing sugar for it to be firm enough to pipe, at which point it became just a little too sweet (if there’s such a thing).
what am i doing wrong?
Charlotte Oates says
Is it possible that you used a margarine/spread/spreadable butter rather than block butter? This is the usual reason why buttercream is overly soft. The other possible reason in this case is if you used a lower fat cream cheese.
Ewa says
Hi. After combined butter and sugar and added soft cheese my icing went wrong. Everything separated . I’ve used static mixer on medium speed. Please help.
Charlotte Oates says
Did you soft cheese have any liquid on the top? Sometime that extra liquid can cause what you observed. Also, did you use full fat cream cheese. If it was a lower fat version it has a higher water content which can also cause the buttercream to split.
Jess says
Which cream cheese do you use for your frosting? Is it block (American style) or tub (eg Philadelphia in the U.K.)? Many thanks
Charlotte Oates says
I am in the UK so I use tub style cream cheese in this recipe.
Simona Fisichella says
Hi! Are these quantities enough to fill and cover a two layers cake, 20cm round tin? I will be using your vanilla birthday cake recipe! Many thanks!
Charlotte Oates says
It depends on how thick you like your buttercream, but I would expect these quantities to be a little too low for what you’re trying to do. I’d probably add an extra 50%.
Linda says
Fantastic recipe. I iced exactly 14 red velvet cupcakes with roses. The consistency was perfect after 15 minutes in the fridge and it’s tastes divine! I used aldi full fat cream cheese and poured the small amount of water at the top of the tub down the drain. Hope the fathers enjoy the cupcakes tomorrow. Hope kids
Melissa says
Best cream cheese buttercream I have come across! Especially for piping, where I have found other recipes just haven’t been firm enough. Thanks for an awesome recipe!