Cupcake Frosting Recipe (VIDEO)
This fluffy whipped cream and cream cheese frosting is the perfect cupcake frosting. This vanilla frosting is easy, lightly sweet, pipes beautifully, and keeps well in the refrigerator.
This is our go-to frosting for our Perfect Vanilla Cupcakes. A single recipe will frost 24 cupcakes but it’s easy to double the recipe if you’re making a big batch for a birthday party.
This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy.
Watch Cupcake Frosting Video Tutorial:
This frosting pipes so beautifully onto cupcakes, cakes and even cookies! I used the Wilton 1M Tip with a large piping bag. These 3 piping tips are the only ones I use for frosting cupcakes. Watch the video below. If it doesn’t load, be sure your ad blocker is turned off.
Homemade Cupcake Frosting is Best!
Flashback: as a child, I used to hide in the pantry and sneak spoonfuls of canned frosting [gross]; there’s something about the store-bought one that was just terribly addictive. Maybe all those fabulous chemicals? Well, take that addictive trait, minus the chemicals, and you get this frosting.
It also stays put pretty well in the fridge for, well, mine has been in there a week and I’ll go poke my finger in it. Be right back……… ok that’s just ridiculous. It’s still good!
Ingredients for Vanilla Frosting:
Combining cream cheese and whipped cream creates a soft and airy frosting that keeps its shape when piped. Make it once and you will make it over and over.
- Cream Cheese – should be softened at room temp, but not overly soft. If cream cheese is too soft, the frosting will end up runnier and won’t have that brilliant white color
- Powdered Sugar – also known as confectioners sugar, adds sweetness and helps build texture
- Heavy Whipping Cream – make sure it’s labeled HEAVY which has a 35-38% fat content
- Real Vanilla Extract – the flavor of real vanilla can’t be beat
How to Make the Cupcake Frosting:
Cooks Tip: For best results with whipped cream, freeze your mixing bowl and whisk attachment 10-15 minutes before using. Also, keep the heavy whipping cream refrigerated until ready to use.
- Whip the cream on high speed with an electric hand mixer (1-2 minutes) until thick, fluffy and spreadable.
- In a second mixing bowl, using a hand mixer, beat cream cheese and powdered sugar (start on low speed unless you want to be standing in a cloud of powdered sugar), then beat in 1 tsp vanilla extract.
- Fold the whipped cream into the cream cheese mix.
That’s it! Just three steps and you’ve nailed it! Keep it covered in the fridge until ready to use on these Vanilla Cupcakes, our moist Chocolate Cupcakes, or even these super fluffy Pumpkin Cupcakes.
Tips for Making the Best Cream Cheese Frosting:
- Use a full-fat cream cheese for the best taste and texture (avoid low-fat). Soften cream cheese inside of it’s packaging at room temperature for 1 to 2 hours.
- Heavy whipping cream which has a higher fat content and will whip much easier. Avoid “whipping cream” or “light cream.”
- Make Sure Heavy Cream is Chilled until ready to use. Cold cream will whip up better.
- Don’t cut the sugar too much. We have tested with 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar which works but if you take out more, the texture will be affected.
Can I Use this to Frost A Cake?
You’ll fall in love with this frosting and naturally, you’ll want to use it on all your desserts. This makes enough frosting for a 2-layer, 9-inch cake. If you want a super generous amount of frosting, or if working with a 4-layer cake, you can make 1 1/2 times the recipe.
More Frosting Recipes:
If you love to change up your cupcake frosting, try these top-rated frosting recipes. We have everything from rich chocolate frostings to marshmallow-soft creams.
- Swiss Meringue Buttercream Frosting – the flavor and texture are heavenly
- Chocolate Frosting – decadent but light with cream cheese
- White Chocolate Frosting – adding melted white chocolate is genius
- Chocolate Ganache – use it as a glaze or whip it into the best frosting
Cupcake Frosting Recipe
Our go-to cupcake frosting recipe. This vanilla frosting always gets rave reviews and doubles as a perfect cake frosting!
Ingredients
- 8 oz cream cheese at room temperature
- 2 cups powdered sugar (confectioners sugar)
- 1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream (keep chilled until ready to use)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
-
In a large mixing bowl with an electric hand mixer, whip the cold heavy cream on high speed (1-2 minutes) until thick, fluffy and spreadable.
-
In a second mixing bowl (using the same electric mixer - no need to wash it), beat cream cheese and powdered sugar. Start on low speed to incorporate then beat on high speed for 2 minutes until creamy and whipped, then beat in 1 tsp vanilla extract
-
Use a spatula to gently fold the whipped cream into the cream cheese mix until well blended. Pipe onto cooled cupcakes or cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
If you make this recipe, I’d love to see pics of your creations on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter! Hashtag them #natashaskitchen
We first published this recipe in June 2012. We re-photographed and added new photos. After much testing, we now use 2 cups of powdered sugar instead of 1 1/2 since it gave the cream a better structure.
Natasha Kravchuk
Pumpkin Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting (VIDEO) 
Perfect Vanilla Cupcake Recipe (VIDEO) 
Hydrangea Cupcakes Recipe 
Cherry Surprise Honey Cupcakes Recipe 
Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting 
Greek Yogurt Cupcakes with Blackberry Frosting 
Hi! I'm Natasha Kravchuk. Here you'll find delicious, trusted recipes with easy step-by-step photos and videos. 
Is it possible to freeze this recipe if I am making cupcakes a few days in advance of a party? Thank you!
Hi Tricia, I haven’t tried freezing this frosting so I’m not 100% sure. I think it would work to pipe it onto cupcakes and then freeze, but it might not be the ideal consistency to pipe after it is thawed. If you experiment, please let me know how it goes
Hi Tricia, you can freeze, but if it is just a few days, you can also cover and refrigerate the cupcakes. You can even keep them frosted, covered, and refrigerated for a few days and they will taste great. The cupcake frosting and the cupcakes keep really well refrigerated.
Does powdered sugar contain only sugar? Or is it ok to use granulated sugar and mix it to powder form and use it that way?
Hi Hadicha, powdered sugar is a mixture of sugar and cornstarch. Blending together 2 cups sugar + 2 Tbsp corn starch would work well to keep the sugar dry. Here is a tutorial from a friend of mine on making powdered sugar.
So easy to make and so yummy!! Thanks! 🙂 🙂 🙂
Thanks for your great review, Matt!
I love a good cream cheese frosting and this one is so good! Lighter and fluffier than most cream cheese frostings and so good on cupcakes!
So happy to read your comments, Cyd. Thank you for giving this recipe an excellent review!
I made cupcakes with my daughter and we used this frosting recipe. We loved it and it was so scrumptious. Thanks!
That’s just awesome! Thank you for sharing that with me, Beth!
Hi Natasha,
Thank you for sharing your amazing recipes!
A quick question about your cream cheese frosting: will the frosting crust/hardened like regular american buttercream?
Hi Mayco, it doesn’t harden the same way. It remains more fluffy and soft even after refrigeration.
Great cupcakes!
I wanted to make the frosting but realized I don’t have heavy whipping cream is there something I can substitute? Half-and-half? Whole milk?
Hi Karen, those substitutions won’t work and will result in a runny frosting. Try our cupcake frosting from the pumpkin cupcakes instead. It’s awesome!
Hi Natasha, is it possible to replace part (maybe half) of the cream cheese with yoghurt/sour cream? Will it ruin the consistency? Thanks!
Hello, I haven’t tried that to advise, if you will do an experiment, please share with us how it goes.
Hi Natasha! I would like to ask if the frosting are able to fully frost your Vanilla Cupcakes (15 cupcakes) or will there be any leftovers?
Hi Eve, it all depends on how much frosting you like on your cupcakes. I doubled the recipe and (generously) piped it onto 45 cupcakes for my sisters baby shower with some left over.
I’ve been using this recipe for YEARS. It is so light, not too sweet, and beautiful on cupcakes. Holds up pretty well too!
So nice to hear that, Kelly! Thank you so much for the great review
Hi Natasha, I am making cupcakes for my daughters birthday party… Which frosting would you recommend? The Swiss Meringue Buttercream or the Cupcake Frosting? The cupcakes themselves will be vanilla with sprinkles in them…
Thanks!
Hi Natasha, I would say it depends on how you plan on piping these, how sturdy your frosting needs to be, and if it will be out of the fridge for a long time or not. I recommend reading through the comments of bother recipes. There are some great suggestions there.
Do you think this frosting would hold up with fondant over it?
Hi Sherry, I haven’t tested that but I think it could work. If you experiment, let me know how you liked the recipe
Hi Natasha,
Thank you for sharing wonderful recipes. I tried few cake recipes, and they were awesome. I am naive in frosting the cakes. My question may sound silly. Please can you help me explain if heavy whipped cream and double cream (45% fat) are same. I am in Europe and the Florap whipped cream can available (We get whipped cream in cans with nozzle here) is 27%. We get whole fat cream 35% as well. Many thnks
Hi Meg, Heavy cream generally has 36% fat in it.
Hey! Thanks for your reply. So can I use full fat cream and beat it in this recipe instead of heavy whipped cream?
Thanks
This is the best frosting ever it’s so light and creamy I used to cover a cake and to make the flowers. I added dye, liquid one, and it worked just fine. The only extra thing I did was after I put the frosting on the piping bags I left it in the freezer for maybe three minutes. It was chilly while using it and it allowed to make flowers with no problems.
Thank you so much for this wonderful recipe.
I’m so happy you enjoyed that. Thank you for sharing that with us!
Hi Natasha! I have a party at 5 pm and want to make these cupcakes with the icing but want to try to time it so I don’t have to keep it in the fridge and be able to make them to stay out for a few hours. What would you suggest doing time wise? I have the whole day free before the party. Would you do anything the night before? Thanks!
Hi Lita, they will hold up for several hours at room temperature (out of the sun) and they should be refrigerated overnight if not eaten the same day. In the refrigerator, they can last for days.
Thank you so much! Is it ok to premix the cake flour the night before and leave sitting out to use the next day? And are the ingredients proportional to just triple everything if I need to my 3x the amount.
Hi Lita, I am assuming you are asking about the cupcake batter? I would not combine the wet and dry ingredients ahead of time. It’s best to make the batter and bake right after. I haven’t tried tripling but I assume it should work if you can bake all of the cupcakes at once.
Hi, It’s the first time I tried making cupcakes and they look great but I could taste the baking soda. Have I under mix?
It’s a great recipe and I really hope to get it right next time. Thank you
Hi Meg, are you certain you didn’t accidentally swap baking powder and baking soda? I’ve had that happen before and that would cause it to taste like baking soda, otherwise the buttermilk should activate the baking soda so you shouldn’t be tasting it in the finished cupcakes.
Made those using your beautiful fluffy vanilla cupcakes. It’s a perfect frosting! Although it won’t hold up as good as butt cream ( wouldn’t do it in a hot day!) but people at my son’s party LOVED It! So did I! So light and airy! My pregnant friend was very fond of them 😀thx! Will make again !
I’m so happy you enjoyed that. Thank you for sharing that with us, Vika!
Privet Natasha! So i did make this frosting but for cupcakes…It’s DELIC! So easy to pipe and so light! I made it in 3 color for a swirl effect. Very nice! Thank you!
That’s so great, Vika! Thank you for that awesome review!
Hi,
This might be a strange question, but if I were to make a cake, and I put it in a cake carrier with a few ice packs, could that help the cake stay out longer (such as 5-6 hours) in room temperature? Also, could I add stabilizers such as pudding mix, Dr. Oetker’s “Whip it”, to stabilize the cream even more? Lastly, could this be frosted under fondant?
Thank you
Hi Anna, Without testing that I cannot advise. The ice pack sounds like a great idea however. If you experiment please let me know how it goes!
Ok. Thank you for your reply.
Hello Natasha! I will be trying the Vanilla cupcakes and this frosting on cupcakes and a rainbow cake (made by using buttermilk) do you think i could frost the cake and cupcakes the night before? Party is at 11am the next morning. Or they won’t hold? Thx! Some decorations will be going on the cake too and possible Pinata in the cake 🙂
Hi Vika, you can absolutely frost them the night before and refrigerate overnight. They will hold up really well. I’d recommend keeping them covered with something (like a cake carrier if you have one), so they don’t take on any smells from the fridge.
This recipe, cupcakes and frosting both sound delicious! I am a seasoned baker and cannot wait to try these! Can you tell me, after the frosting is applied to the cupcakes, how long will the frosting hold up before the cupcakes must be eaten, or do they need to be refrigerated if not eaten right away
Hi Lori, they will hold up for several hours at room temperature (out of the sun) and they should be refrigerated overnight if not eaten the same day. In the refrigerator, they can last for days.
Natasha, do you think this recipe would work well with Russian piping tips? Or would you recommend a different, stiffer frosting recipe? I wanted to make cupcakes for Easter but didn’t want to make the frosting too much like traditional buttercream as my family doesn’t like it. Any recommendations?
Hi Tanya, yes that should work fine with this recipe.
Amazing icing!
We had a little left over after cupcakes, and, since my husband was making cinnamon buns we decided to use that extra icing on them too – oh my gosh, it was so lovely on the cinnamon buns. Hubby makes a dang fine bon, and this just elevated then even further. Goodbye old cinnamon bun icing recipe, this is now our go to!
That’s just awesome!! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review with us Laura 🙂 I will have to try this on cinnamon buns.
Great recipe!! We used it for a strawberry valentines cake and works splendid! Highly recommend this recipe for any kind of cake/ cupcakes. Heads up, mix cream cheese & powdered sugar together well then, slowly add cream.
I’m so happy you enjoyed that, Melanie!! Thank you for that awesome review!
Hi Natasha
I would like to use this cupcake frosting to frost your 9″ Chocolate Cake. Should I be doubling the recipe or will the recipe be enough as is? Thank you so much. I’ve been following you on facebook and your website. I love your recipes, they are so easy to follow and foolproof, everything always turns out!
Hi Izabela! This definitely works for cakes! I think this should work for one case granted it isn’t too tall. This makes about 22 cupcakes for one batch.
Thank you! There was plenty! And my bookclub ladies loved it! Will be using this recipe again.
This looks amazing . I went to try this for a 2 year old birthday party however their colors are pink and yellow for a Minnie Mouse theme . What type of dye could I use to color the icing ?
Hi Brittanny, I would recommend a gel coloring a few drops at a time, at the end so you don’t water down the frosting.
Great flavor I just cut the powdered confectioners sugar to almost half and it was perfect. We don’t like too sweet.
I’m so happy you enjoyed that Margarita!
My husband loves your vanilla cupcakes! And he is very picky. My favorite part is the frosting. Combination of both is just perfect. Thank you for this recipe!
You’re so welcome! Thank you for that great review!
I didn’t know if the cream cheese and powder sugar mixture was suppose to be fluffy until I looked again at the picture. The instructions didn’t say beat til fluffy or that it should be fluffy. I think my cream cheese may have been to soft. I added it anyway to the whipped cream to keep from wasting it. Will adding food color break down the consistency? I will be using this recipe again. Thank you.
Hi Cynthia, yes you can add food coloring. I would recommend a gel coloring a few drops at a time, at the end so you don’t water down the frosting.
Made this lots of times but everytime my frosting has so many bubbles. They taste good but don’t look so pretty when piped on the cupcakes. What am I doing wrong?
Hi Emma! The only thing I can think of is if in step 3 the mix wasn’t folded but beaten in allowing too many air bubbles? Did you alter anything in the recipe?
Yes I fold in the whipped cream with a spatula. I didn’t alter anything in the recipe. The only thing I don’t do is put the mixing bowl in the freezer for a few minutes
Hi Natasha,
How many cupcakes does this frosting frost?
Hi Yelena! When I made it I doubled the recipe and (generously) piped it onto 45 cupcakes. So about 22 cupcakes for one batch.
Hi Natasha,
My kids loved the vanilla cupcakes. They were gone in mins.
Making this icing to go with the cupcakes for my daughter’s birthday. She wants me add some nutella to the frosting. Will it hold it’s shape and mix well in this frosting?
That’s so great Nerissa! I haven’t experimented with different add-ins with this one. I just use it as-is. For chocolate frosting, I would highly recommend this recipe.
Thank you Natasha for recommending the Chocolate cream cheese frosting. My daughter, her friends and my family loved the cupcakes. Made a double batch and they were all gone. New family favourite
I’m so happy that worked out for you Nerissa! 🙂
Hey! I just made this frosting and it tastes delicious but it was way too runny to pipe with 🙁 I used heavy whipping cream and froze the bowl and mixing utensils before and everything. I don’t have a standing mixer so i just used my hand mixer for the cream instead could that be the problem?
Hi Tatiana! Possibly! Depending on the power of your hand mixer you will need to mix it longer than the recipe calls for until you get the desired consistancy
I will be trying these tomorrow and LOVE the look of your cupcakes in the photos. What did you use for the green with the strawberries and raspberries? Mint? Basil? Thanks, and I look forward to trying these.
Hi Courtney, The leaves are basil 🙂 You can also use mint.
Hi I half the ingredient and made the frosting just now.
However the frosting is quite soft and not able to pipe.
I uses only 1/2 cup of icing sugr
Hi Yvonne! When you half the recipe you would need at least 3/4 cup of sugar to help with the consistency. Hope this helps 🙂
😍Love love love this recipe! 😍 Thank you Natasha! When it comes to cream cheese frosting, I choose yours!
Thank you for that wonderful compliment!
How well does the frosting hold outdoors.
Hi Natalie, it can hold up for an hour or two in milder weather (75-85˚F or so). I would suggest keeping them chilled as long as possible and keeping them out of direct sunlight.
Will the frosting hold overnight piped on a cupcake?
I’m making 3 dozen cupcakes for my Daughters Birthday.
Thank You
Hi Jessica, They should be fine as long as you store them properly. Do you have a cupcake carrier or something with a lid to cover them in the fridge? You want to cover them to keep from drying out and to keep other food odors from getting to them.
Best.frosting.ever. Just made a batch for my daughter’s first grade class. The consistency is perfection and the sweet/tangy taste is to die for!
I’m glad you love the recipe Gladys! Thanks for sharing your fantastic review!
Hi Natasha, I love this icing and it’s always been a hit! If I wanted to change the flavor to strawberry could I add a couple tablespoons of strawberry syrup or jam? Or how do you suggest I add the flavoring? Thank you!
Hi Ami, I haven’t tested that, but if you experiment using syrup or jam, you might add it to a small batch to see if you like the consistency, also be sure to add a little bit at a time so the frosting doesn’t get too thin. Let me know how it goes if you test that out 🙂
Can i freeze The frosting?
Hi Carolina, I haven’t tried freezing this frosting so I’m not 100% sure. I think it would work to pipe it onto cupcakes and then freeze, but it might not be the ideal consistency to pipe after it is thawed.
Hi Carolina, I haven’t tried freezing this frosting so I’m not 100% sure. I think it would work to pipe it onto cupcakes and then freeze, but it might not be the ideal consistency to pipe after it is thawed. If you experiment, please let me know how it goes 🙂
Can you decorate the cupcakes with frosting a day before and store it in the refrigerator? I am worried about it not holding its shape.
Hi Ania, we do this frequently. Refrigeration will keep the frosting firmed up and it will hold it’s shape well.
Can you add coloring to this frosting recipe?
Hi Letty, yes you can add food coloring. I would recommend a gel coloring a few drops at a time, at the end so you don’t water down the frosting.
Awesome! That’s what I thought but wanted to be sure! Making cupcakes for a baby shower this Saturday! Yay!!! Can’t wait to try this!! 😀😁
I hope they turn out fabulous! Please let me know what everyone thinks!
This is my absolute favourite. Do you think I could use it on a cake? I am not a big fan of buttercream frosting and your recipe is just soooo good, I want to use it everywhere 😉
Hi Sophie, absolute! This works well on cakes 🙂
I ‘ve used this once for frosting a cake and agree it can be thin, so for me I use it right before serving. But what my family really loves it for, is we put it in between two Beth’s Spicy Oatmeal Raisin Cookies ( a recipe I got from allrecipes.com). They taste like oatmeal cream pies but soo much better.
Yum, that’s a great suggestion! Thanks for sharing your great review with other readers!
Hi,
I’m from the U.K… I tried both the vanilla and chocolate cupcake recipes- they were delicious! Thank you!
Unfortunately, the frosting came out too runny to pipe… I followed all your instructions as above… (used philadelphia original cream cheese and whipping cream)… can I just check how many cups of cream cheese/kg and g you used? Has anyone from UK tried this recipe – do we have different fat content in our creams? what did i do wrong or any additional tips? I tried to refrigerate add sugar/cream cheese but made no difference :'(
Thanks – really liked the taste but wish it worked.
Hi Sadie, I wonder if it could be a difference in the fat content of the cream since I used HEAVY whipping cream which has about 36% milk fat while regular whipping cream has 30% milkfat which makes it more difficult to whip and also more difficult for it to maintain it’s shape. An 8oz package of cream cheese is 226 grams. I hope that helps!
Hi Natasha. I was wondering of i can use cool whip instead of heavy whipping cream to make this frosting? 16 oz?
Hi Katya, I haven’t tried that in this particular recipe. I imagine it would work though. Keep in mind cool whip is quite a bit sweeter so add it to taste.
I did go with 16 oz cool whip. I reduced sugar to 1 cup only. The frosting held its shape beautifully even after a couple hours without refrigeration and it was not overly sweet. I will have to make it with heavy whipping cream to see the difference next time. Can you taste cream cheese when you make it?
Hi Katya, I’m so glad you enjoyed it!! The cream cheese balances the frosting well but should not overwhelm the frosting.
Tried your cupcakes today and they are just divine. Thank you got such an easy recipe.
Delene from Johannesburg
You’re welcome Delene! I’m glad you love the recipe as much as I do! Thanks for sharing your excellent review!
I’m elicited to try the perfect vanilla cupcakes and frosting.
In the frosting the powdered sugar and whipping cream calls for 1.5 cups. Is that 1 and1/2 cups?
Thank you.
Hi Vi, yes that is correct. I updated the recipe to read a little more clearly with 1 1/2 cups instead of 1.5.
can I add food coloring to tint the frosting and will it change the consistency? I have both liquid coloring and paste….
Hi Beth, you can but I would suggest using a gel food coloring and adding a small amount at a time so you don’t change the consistency.
Hi!! I made this frosting tonight to practice the rose cupcakes, its taste amazing however mine came out a little runny and my roses didnt look that good, any ideas on what I should do to thicken it a bit? I just love the taste and really wanted to use this recipe for Saturday.
Thank you
Ginni
I also wanted to add, after reading other reviews, I used heavy whipping cream, froze my bowl, and made the cream cheese mixture in a separate bowl then folded the whipping cream in, I absolutely love the taste!! Just wish it didnt turn runny 🙁
Oh ok, got it! Sorry I didn’t see this reply when I answered. I hope the softening tip and using Heavy whipping cream tip helps!
Hi Ginni, I have found that for best results, the cream cheese should be softened at room temperature (not speed softened in the oven or microwave) and the cream must be HEAVY cream and beat until it is stiff and spreadable. If the cream is under-whipped, it will be a softer frosting.
Thank you so much for responding!! I will try it again!!
My pleasure Ginni!
I would like to make this frosting for a work event and I am wondering if it will hold up in the car ride and sitting out for maybe an hour or two.
Other frostings I’ve made with cream cheese get melty if they’re not keep refrigerated.
THANK YOU!
Hi Alexa, I think they would keep well in an air conditioned car for 1-2 hours as long as they are not in the sun. The sun will make them get melty much quicker.
Hello – just a couple of questions about this frosting recipe. When mixing the heavy whipping cream, I’ve read about adding cream of tartar – what are your thoughts on this? Also, you just fold the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture, but you don’t beat them together, correct?
Hi Sherry, that is correct, I just fold them together. I haven’t tried adding cream of tartar to whipping cream. I usually use it to stabilize meringue. Now I’m curious and I’m off to do some research! 🙂
Ha ha! Ok, would love to know what you find out! Thanks!
Hi Sherry, so far, I’m not finding much. I did read that it adds unwanted flavor I think it was on cooks illustrated or someplace so I’m not sure…
Would this be a good frosting to use instead of like buttercream to make roses on a cake?
Hi Tabitha, I have used this to pipe roses and it does work well.
Hi Natasha,
The last line of the recipe says ‘keep it covered in the refrigerate until ready to use’, so can I prepare the night before and keep it in fridge so that I can frost the cupcakes the next morning?
Should I whip/beat the frosting again just before using ?
How many mini cupcakes we frost with this recipe ?
Thank you,
Kiran
Hi Kiran, you can rewhip to lighten it up if desired. I think this pipes the prettiest when you pipe it after it is made. You can also pipe the cupcakes with frosting then refrigerate those overnight and they keep really well frosted.
Natasha,
How many mini cupcakes will this recipe frost?
I only have space in my freezer, would it be ok to frost the cupckes and freeze them ?
I am not sure how to thaw them on the day of the event. Please advise.
Thank you,
Kiran
Hi Kiran, I haven’t tried that but I think it would work to pipe the cream on and freeze them. If you don’t have a container for them, once they are frozen, I would cover them so they don’t absorb other food smells from the freezer. Let them thaw at room temperature for an hour or so or let them thaw in the fridge overnight (if you have room). Let me know how it goes!
Thank you Natasha!
Will let you know how it goes.
My pleasure! Please do 🙂
Hey Natasha,
I made best vanilla cupcakes and this yummy frosting for my son’s birthday and it was a bit hit.
Everyone loved them.
I frosted the cupcakes in a cupcake container and kept them in the freezer .
I took them out 2 hours before the party and they were perfect .
I can’t Thank you enough for all the suggestions 🙂
Kiran
That’s great to hear! Thanks for sharing Kiran 😀
Hi Natasha , i made the cupcakes sans frosting and they were fantastic , thank you so much ….but i have a question for the frosting recipe – does powdered sugar mean icing sugar or do I need to powder granulated sugar in a mixie ? Please confirm ! Thanks in advance
Hi PC, powdered sugar is the same as confectioners sugar or icing sugar. Great question and I will clarify in the recipe.
Can you use this frosting recipe when using the Russian decorator tips?
Hi Kathy, yes that should work fine 🙂
Perfection! My son is so happy today) He was asking me to make him cupcakes with frosting. I used your recipe for both. And oh my.. They came out so good. I am not a cupcake person, but those are fantastic! Thank you Natasha🌹
Natalia, you are very welcome and thank you for sharing such a great review 😀
The Best frosting I’ve ever tried!!
Thank you!
Awesome! I’m glad you love the recipe Natalya! 😀
How can i make the vanilla cupcakes you posted chocolate. Can i add a tablespoon of cocoa powder and remove a tablespoon of cake flour?
It didnt allow me to add a comment to that posting thats why i am asking here since i will be making this frosting with it.
Thanks!!
Hi Tina, I haven’t tried that substitution and without testing it myself, I can’t say for sure but I assume it would work 🙂
This frosting is sooo good! I used it to top the Easy Pumpkin Cake from your website (cutting the amount of ingredients of frosting in half though). Turns out amazing!! 😋
So glad to hear Alena! Thanks for sharing 🙂
Hello, Is there a way I can use food coloring with this frosting? since you fold the two combinations in I don’t know how the color would be even. Any help is appreciated.
Thanks,
Hi Ines, yes you can add food coloring. I would recommend a gel coloring so you don’t water down the frosting.
I’ve made this recipe with the perfect vanilla cupcakes many times and every one that tries it, adults or children, say it’s the best vanilla cupcakes they had!!!
Thank you for sharing it!
I wanted to ask if this frosting will hold inbeetween the layers of a birthday cake. One I plane to cover with fondant.
I was thinking if putting this frosting between the Kaye’s and to use a buttercream recepie for the outside. This way it will be lighter.
What do you think?
I’m so glad you all enjoy the recipe! 🙂 I think it would work the way you’re describing 🙂
I cannot stress enough how important it is to chill the bowl and mixers prior to use. I spent a good 20 minutes attempting to whip the heavy cream in a room temperature bowl and it wouldn’t work. Once I chilled the bowl and mixers it whipped perfectly
Hi Makenzie, it does help for sure, but it still should have whipped even in a room temperature bowl. Did you have your cream chilled? Also did you make sure to use HEAVY whipping cream, which usually has a higher fat content than regular whipping cream and the higher fat content makes it easier to whip.
Can you add flavor, such as chocolate, etc? if so you have suggest a certain amount?
Hi Annette, I haven’t experimented with different add-ins with this one. I just use it as-is. For chocolate frosting, I would highly recommend this recipe.
Hi! Hi! For some strange reason I can’t seem to leave a comment in the Perfect Vanilla Cupcake recipe post, so I can only comment on an unrelated post. So sorry about that!
As most regular muffin pans make 12 cupcakes, how do you handle recipes that serve 15? Do you use 2 pans instead? I’ve only got one so thats not quite feasible for me, and I don’t want to bake twice as that would waste electricity. It’s also a hassle to cut ingredients like 2 eggs by a fifth. Can I distribute the extra 3 servings worth of batter among the 12 cupcakes?
Hi! We had to turn the comments off on that post because it got too large. It is a tough one to reduce, I agree. when I don’t want to make 2 pans, I just fill 12 and discard the last bit of batter left in the bowl :-O. Fill the cups to half full or they will overflow on top. I’ve tried distributing them before and they just look terrible because they overflow. I hope you love the recipe!
Hi Natasha, these cupcakes are amazing!! I made them many times before, always a hit. My question for you is, can I add raspberries and lemon juice to the frosting?
Hi Anna! Thank you for the wonderful review :). I haven’t tried those add-ins but my guess is that it would soften the frosting since you will be incorporating more liquid. If you try it, let me know how it works out 🙂
I have made this recipe for a big party I am hosting tomorrow.
The cupcakes are a runny, melting disaster. August in DC is too hot for this recipe.
For those asking if this icing melts… YES
Hi, it gets pretty hot in Idaho as well. What temperature did you have the cupcakes sitting in and for how long? Also, did you beat the heavy cream until stiff and spreadable before blending with the cream cheese? If you are planning to serve these outdoors, be sure to refrigerate them prior and keep them chilled as long as possible.
The icing probably sat for 30 min before I used it. I think that was the problem. It’s very hot here.
So, I made these cupcakes and they are fantastic. I also made the Cupcake frosting, which is also delicious and turned out fabulous as well. Silly question, how long can the frosting sit out for? I made these for my daughters birthday and a bake sale, which I may have to forfeit! I didn’t think about how long they might be left on the bake sale table! Thanks!!
Hi Laura, I think they would still work for a bake sale. Keep them refrigerated as long as possible and they can be ok for about 4 hours (probably max 6 hours but that’s pushing it) at room temperature. You might consider keeping some in a cooler and adding them to the bake sale table as they sell. It will make everyone think those cupcakes are the hot commodity if there aren’t very many left on the table! lol. 🙂
Would this be a good frosting to make roses on cupcakes? Would it be stiff enough?
Hi Samantha, yes, I have used it that way, just make sure to beat the cream until stiff peaks.
If I add gel or liquid food coloring will it water down the frosting?
I would add gel since it’s less likely to water down a frosting and add it a little at a time to maintain the consistency you want.
Great recipe! I made it for cupcakes and cake and have left overs,how long can I keep it covered in the fridge.Any suggestions on how else to use it..can it be baked. Thanks
Hi Tanya, I have frozen the frosting before and it worked (I thawed in the fridge before piping it on anything else). It keeps in the fridge for up to a week.
i just made your vanilla and chocolate cupcakes. they are delicious. I am not serving them until sunday. Can i make the frosting today and keep it in the fridge two days?
Kristina, that’s totally fine 😀 and thank you for the nice review!
Hi Natasha,
I made these cupcakes a few weeks ago for Memorial Day and they were a smash hit! I am planning on making them again for a women’s bible study potluck this week. I wanted to know what is the green leaf you used on the outside of the strawberries and rasberries?
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! The leaves are basil 🙂 You can also use mint.
Thanks
This frosting is delicious! It tastes like fluffy cheesecake. I used this to top vanilla cupcakes (your recipe) and they were a huge hit!
I’m so happy to hear that! Thank you for sharing your great review!
hi natasha! will this frosting melt if i make it for a outdoor party in june? around 80 weather. it’ll be in the shade
Hi Emily, it depends on how long it will sit at that temperature. It should be ok for about an hour or 2. Keep it refrigerated for as long as possible before taking it outdoors.
What can I use if I don’t have heavy whipping cream?
I really don’t think there is a substitute that is as good as the cream. You could try cool whip but heavy whipping cream will have better flavor 🙂
can i make roses out of this frosting? will it hold up?
Hi Ann, I have before and it worked fine. 🙂
Hi, I’m new in baking thing and i wanna try make the cupcake and the frosting using your recipe for my mom’s birthday, for the whipping cream, if i whisk the whipping cream and mix with the cream cheese, is the whipping cream can be melt or no?
No it won’t melt but if you beat the whipping cream and then try to beat in the cream cheese it won’t be as stiff as following the method that I have outlined above.
I rarely make desert and have already made this twice in one month to frost chocolate cake. I added green liquid food coloring to the St. Patrick’s Day cake and it held up perfectly. This is now a family favorite!
Green cupcakes – cute!! I’m so glad you are enjoying the recipe 🙂
How do I stop this frosting from melting? I put it in the fridge after making and once my cupcakes had finished baking and cooling, about half an hour, I frosted them. After just ten minutes on the cupcakes the frosting started melting.
Hi Cory, I’ve never seen it melt before. Did your frosting holds it’s form when you piped it on? I’m wondering if you possibly under-beat the cream? Also, what temperature are you keeping them at that they are melting?
Same here. The frosting does not hold its shape. It is too runny. I had to add more powdered sugar to at least keep it from dripping on the sides. The cupcake recipe is perfect, though.
Hi Tina, are you sure you used heavy whipping cream and beat it until it is stiff and spreadable? Also, what temperature are you keeping it at? Runny frosting is usually due to the following reasons: underbeating whipped cream or using too warm of cream so it doesn’t firm up, over softening your cream cheese (such as partially melting in the microwave or oven to soften it), keeping the frosting in too warm or humid of a place. I hope that helps for next time.
Hi I’m just wondering if this frosting tastes like a cream cheese frosting or more like a buttercream?
It’s more like a cream cheese frosting. It doesn’t have any butter in it. It doesn’t taste overly cream-cheesy though.
Hi Natasha. Do you know of this frosting likes food coloring? I want to try to make colored frosting. Thanks! By the way, HUGE fan of your blogs and recipes! I haven’t had one recipe that didn’t turn out delicious! Thank you!
Thank you Nelly! You can use a small amount of food coloring and I’d recommend using the gel food coloring – it works better in keeping frosting from becoming liquid.
Hi, I was wondering if this frosting would hold up well in a room temperature ranging from 85-90°F.
Also, I haven’t tried making frosting before, do you think this is a good frosting for beginners?
If not, is there any other recipe you could recommend which would go well with the cupcake recipe? Thanks!
85-90 is pretty warm. I wouldn’t keep it at that temperature for longer than an hour. It is a good frosting for beginners but you definitely want to keep it refrigerated until serving if your room temperature is that warm.
In refrence to the frosting, are you using whipped cream (cool whip) or heavy whipping cream…
Hi Angela, this recipe uses: 1.5 cups cold heavy whipping cream. There is no cool whip, although you could probably use it just fine instead of heavy cream and use a little less sugar to taste 🙂
I need a frosting I can put on cupcakes then freeze them. Would this frosting work?
Paula, I have frozen this frosting before in a bag but not sure how it will hold up when piped on the cupcakes. Let me know how they turn out if you decide to give this recipe a try 😃.
Thanks for the recipe! Is this frosting easy to pipe? Does it work well with different tips to get different designs?
Yes it pipes really well with various tips. I hope you love it! 🙂
Hi! Love this recipe! Do you think it would be okay to ice cupcakes a day before using them for a party? They would be refrigerated!
Yes that would be just fine! I’ve done that many times just cover them and refrigerate (I cover them in a cake carrier so they don’t take on other food smells and don’t dry out)
I made these cupcakes yesterday! They are delicious! Not too sweet, light and moist. Followed recipe exactly ( used cake flour) and had no trouble. The frosting was the best I’ve ever had. Different than buttercream. My husband loved them and he is not one to love sweets. I will make these again.
That’s so great! Thank you so much for sharing your fantastic review 🙂
Hi, can i refrigerate the frosting overnight to be used in the morning?
Hi Deborah, it can be done but it pipes the prettiest when done after it’s made.
Thank you Natasha for your amazing frosting. I just have a question. Unfortunately ,I don’t have heavy whipped cream. Can I use something else ? Does milk work ? If yes how much milk should I use instead of whipping cream !?!
Thank you.
Hi Ayla, unfortunately you really do need heavy whipping cream for this frosting to work correctly. Otherwise it would not be thick and spreadable.
This was my first time making frosting from scratch, and I didn’t have a blender at hand, so the frosting came out with small chunks, which clearly was my fault. Other than that it still tasted amazing. I love it!
Did you use an electric hand mixer or did you try to whisk it together by hand? It’s very important in this recipe that the cream cheese is at room temp to prevent the small pieces of cream cheese, but it still does need some kind of blender/mixer to really make it super smooth. 🙂 I”m so glad you liked it! 🙂
Hi Natasha! Was wondering can I use Whip Cool instead of whipping cream?
Tanya, I haven’t tried it, but I think it would work fine. Please let me know if you test it out.
I want to make this frosting recipe for a Christmas potluck party that my boyfriend is going to, but with it being a pot luck the cupcakes w/frosting will most likely be sitting out for a few hours. I won’t personally be there to put them in/take them out of the fridge. Would this frosting still be a good option?
If they are initially refrigerated and then left at room temperature for about 2-3 hours, they should still be fine. I wouldn’t leave them out longer then that since they are dairy based.
Love how easy the cupcakes and frosting are to make!
I actually added more vanilla to each as I couldn’t really taste it the first time.
If I use whipping cream rather then heavy whipping cream will it still be okay to use?
Heavy whipping cream will beat better than regular whipping cream because of the higher fat content. I only use heavy whipping cream for frostings.
Could I add a colour to this frosting? And by powered sugar do you mean icing sugar? Here in SA we only have icing sugar.
Yes. Powdered sugar, icing sugar and confectioners sugar are all the same thing 🙂
Hello! I actually tried to make this recipe but it was wayyyy to liquid.. Could you tell me a solution to make it thicker?
Normally, this is thick and easily spreadable. I wonder if maybe you didn’t beat the heavy whipping cream long enough? Was it thick and fluffy as in step 1’s photo? Did you make sure to use HEAVY whipping cream and not just regular whipping cream. The higher fat content helps with beating the frosting. I hope that helps! 🙂
This recipe is AWESOME! It works even with beginners like me 🙂 I’m making cupcakes for a friend and I really wanted a good frosting recipe (I just can’t stand packaged or store bought foods.) This worked out perfectly it’s not overly sweet nor is it bland. I think my buddy is going to LOVE these cupcakes.
Hi Ned! I’m so happy you liked the recipe :). Thank you for sharing your awesome review!
Can you freeze this frosting?
Hi Lesia, I haven’t tried freezing it so I really can’t say if it would work well. Sorry I’m not more helpful.
I made this and it is very sweet I don’t know what I did wrong. Is there something I can do to save it?
I’m surprised that it’s too sweet, since this frosting isn’t really that sweet, especially compared to American frostings. Hmm…. You could beat whipped cream and fold it in. That should do the trick.
Are you kidding me? Why did I not know about this frosting sooner? I made the vanilla cupcake and this frosting and they were a huge hit. Added a little sprinkles on top for my daughter’s first grade classmates on her birthday and they were great. Thank you so much
I’m so happy to hear that and happy birthday to your daughter!! 🙂
How long can the frosting sit out of the fridge? Once I frost the cupcakes, do they need to be served right away..or can they sit for a few hours?
They would probably be OK at room temperature for up to three hours or so.
I would like to add a strawberry flavour to the frosting. Is it possible to do it with fresh strawberries? What is the best method to do it?
I would suggest using this frosting for strawberry flavored. Follow the same method as you would for the blackberries, just add the strawberry syrup to taste since strawberries are a little juicier than blackberries and you don’t want to water down your frosting.
These look great! I’m going to try this frosting on the vanilla cupcakes this weekend. If I frost the cupcakes on Saturday for a party on Sunday would you recommend storing the frosted cupcakes in the fridge overnight or will they keep fine stored in an airtight container in a cold and dry place?
I would recommend frosting them the day before and covering them and keeping them in the refrigerator overnight. You definitely want to keep them refrigerated since the frosting has dairy in it. But they do refrigerate really well.
Hey Natasha, so I’m making a dress made of cupcakes for my cousins bridal shower and I was thinking of doing you cupcakes with this frosting. I was wondering if this frosting is good for decorating like for example making a frosting flower Would this frosting work with that?
Yes, that would work fine. This is the same frosting I used in this video tutorial on making frosting roses: https://natashaskitchen.com/2013/05/10/how-to-make-easy-frosting-roses-a-video-tutorial/
Hey, so I am making the cake for my cousins bridal shower and it is shaped like a dress with cupcakes. I was thinking of using this recipe for the frosting and I was wondering if this frosting is good to decorate cupacakes with like for example make a frosting flower?? Would it work?
Yes, I’ve made roses out of this frosting and it works well. Here is my tutorial :).
Just made the vanilla cupcakes and this frosting- A PERFECT 10 on both! Since my son and I just discovered your website we will be searching through it to find more great stuff! Thanks for the great explanations and wonderful photos- made it a fun and easy!!
Judie, welcome to the site and thank you for such a great review. I hope that you’ll find many more favorite recipes :).
My daughter and I made these cupcakes and substituted oat flour and almond milk, they turned out pretty good, but were excellent once we coated the top of the cupcakes with melted chocolate as the frosting, marshmallow and sugar! I wish I could upload a picture because they were very pretty and yummy
I wish there was a way to upload pictures too. I would have loved to see it! I guess you could always upload it on my facebook page ;). That topping sounds fantastic!
Im still chuckling about your intro…. the canned frosting thing 🙂 so true….
Haha yeah 🙂
Hi,
Can I make these cupcakes on Thursday for Sunday party? I will be leaving out of town on Friday and one of my friend wants the cupcakes on Thursday. Will they dry out?
They should be fine as long as you store them properly. Do you have a cupcake carrier or something with a lid to cover them in the fridge? You want to cover them to keep from drying out and to keep other food odors from getting to them.
My experiences with frosting have been quite weird. Every time I ate cake at a birthday party or some gathering, I always removed the frosting. Store bought frosting is grainy and overly sweet. When I try to make frosting myself, it always turns out so sweet that I would just remove it on the spot. When I found this recipe, I had such high hopes for it, and I’m so glad this exceeded it. This frosting is the BEST FROSTING I HAVE EVER TASTED IN MY WHOLE LIFE. I’m not a fan of frosting, but I just wanted to eat an entire bowl of this frosting by itself. The balance of sweetness was just right. I mean–cupcakes are darn sweet already. Thank you so much for this recipe! I love it!!!! If only I could add more stars to the rating
I’m all smiles after reading your review! Thank you so much Jasmin. You’re awesome! 🙂
Great cupcake recipe. I have made them twice to rave reviews from the family.
Thank you Dale for the great review, I’m happy to hear that everyone loves it :).
I live in the tropics with constant heat and humidity. Temperatures are normally at 90-93degress. My kitchen isn’t airconditioned but thankfully the party is (packaging and transportation an issue also). I made a trial batch of half cream cheese and half butter today and they completely curdled and turned to water. I need them for carrot cupcakes, badly! We also dont have the option of HEAVY whipping cream here, just the regular ones. Hope you can help!?!?
You might try replacing the whipped cream with a cool whip. Do you have cool whip where you live? It’s usually sold in the freezer section of the grocery store.
I want to make these for a birthday party in July. It will most likely be in the 90’s outside. Will the frosting melt outside in the heat?
Rebecah, I won’t leave them outside for more than couple hours, especially when they have dairy. You definitely want to keep them out of the sun.
Can you frost the cupcakes the night before you are going to serve? I wasn’t sure with the whipping cream if I could or if I needed to wait until right before serving. Wondering if I could frost and then refrigerate them overnight.
You can absolutely frost them the night before and refrigerate overnight. They will hold up really well. I’d recommend keeping them covered with something (like a cake carrier if you have one), so they don’t take on any smells from the fridge.
I have trouble with frostings in general, bad luck all around. Your recipes never failed me, so I will be giving this a shot.
Would this frosting hold up to me adding some caramel sauce or caramel chips into it? (Fingers crossed). Would the consistency change?
Thanks a bunch!!
I think it would be best to drizzle caramel sauce over the top. I’m not sure if it would make the frosting too loose for piping if you mix it into the frosting.
I was asked to make some cupcakes for a wedding, (never done it before so very nervous!) but I’m limited on time before the event. Would it be okay to make the actual cupcake (with your attached recipe) 48 hours before the wedding and make the frosting and frost, say, 36 hours before, storing in a fridge? Of course they need to be perfect for a wedding! 🙂
I’d be a little nervous to make the cupcakes four days ahead. If you cut back by just one day, I think you’d have a solid plan. 🙂
Hi Andrea, I’d be a little nervous about making the cupcakes that far ahead. If you can push everything forward by at least 1 day, it would be much better. I’d be concerned about the cupcakes getting dry. I think it would work to make the cupcakes and frosting 36 hours or less. Once they are frosted, you’ll want to make sure they are refrigerated since the frosting has dairy.
Hi Natasha! I really want to try this frosting, unfortunately I couldn’t find any cream cheese here. What’s the best substitute for cream cheese? Is сирок same as cream cheese? I see lots of сирок in the grocery store, some plain others with raisins, vanilla and other flavor. They also have сливочный сыр but it doesn’t look and taste like cream cheese. Can I use quark cheese or farmer’s cheese (творог)instead? Thanks in advance! Oh I made your Apple Sharlotka cake and it was great! I dredge the apples in 1 tbsp flour and 1 tsp. ground cinnamon. Thanks a lot! Can’t wait to try your Keks recipe, a few bakeries here sell Keks with different add-ins: dry cottage cheese and raisins; dried cherries; fresh apples – all covered in powdered sugar!
HI Cher, to be honest I haven’t tried anything besides cream cheese. I think the next closest thing would be mascarpone. Farmers cheese wouldn’t have the same consistency and I don’t think it would work.
I also can’t find any mascarpone here (in Ukraine). I’ll try with pureed cottage or quark cheese – this would be a whole new recipe, don’t you think?…and less calories! I don’t mind the consistency as long as it tastes great! 🙂 Will report the outcome! Appreciate your time!
Do let me know how it works out. Thanks Cher! 🙂
Cupcake was super moist (I used evoo rather than canola oil), and frosting so light and fluffy! Everyone loved them, thanks so much!
Thank you for the great review Caris, I’m happy to hear that everyone loved it :).
Oh my God, thank you so much for sharing the best frosting recipe ever! I’m not kidding, it was soo good, my friends who ate the cupcakes are still talking about them! I had sort of a weird question: I’m trying to make a rosette covered cake and I was wondering if you’ve ever tried decorating a cake making shapes with this frosting? It holds so well on the cupcakes that I have a feeling the rosettes will stay but perhaps you have some experience with this. Appreciate any suggestions:)
Hi Raquel! Thank you so much for the awesome review! I’m so happy you all loved the frosting :). Good news! Yes, this frosting does pipe well. I’ve even created a little how to video making frosting roses with this very frosting: http://youtu.be/1XP9Yz7QAME
Made the frosting today, and it made fine. I guess I am just used to butter, because it tasted like a cousin to cool whip. I might try it again and cut the whipping cream in half and increase the powder sugar and Mabie add a touch of milk. Do you have any buttercream frostings?
I’m embarrassed to say that after 5+ years of writing this food blog and about 500 recipes into it, I don’t have a true, simple buttercream. I actually have it on my to-do list already and it will happen one of these days 🙂 I do have a crazy amazing cream cheese chocolate frosting recipe coming soon to the blog 🙂
This frosting is great! So much better than the canned junk! To add a hint of raspberry flavor, I added 2 tbsp. of white chocolate raspberry flavored coffee creamer. Yum
Wow that sounds awesome! Where did you buy that kind of creamer?
Can I use regular whipping cream or will it melt?
It’s best to use heavy whipping cream or the frosting may not whip up as well.
I love your frosting!! I put them on your cupcake recipe and they were wonderful! I am about to make the frosting for my son’s birthday cake for tomorrow but I had a quick question.. is it ok to use heavy cream instead of whipping? Thank you!
Heavy Cream and Heavy Whipping Cream will work the same way :). It’s actually the same thing. The one you don’t want to use is jut plain whipping cream – it has a lower fat content and doesn’t whip as well.
Thanks for sharing this recipe! I can’t wait it try it, I need a sturdy frosting to make the “hair” on my thing one thing two cupcakes!
Just like all your other recipes that I’ve tried – amazing Natasha! I’m not the biggest fan of frosting purely because most places make them far too sweet – this was just too perfect. Had quite abit of it off the spatula. Thank you yet again!
Hi Maya! I’m so happy you loved it 🙂
Now this is a keeper. Light, fluffy, not too sweet (best part), holds it’s shape, easy to make, tasty….have I said enough??? This is exactly what I was looking for and I am so glad my search is over. Thank you Natasha!
I’m so happy to hear that you loved it! Thanks Lucka for the great review 🙂
This is great. It’s the third time I tried it out and the first it was perfect the second time I think I under whipped the cream so it was running and now I’m afraid to try it again. Any advice?
To get the best results with the whipped cream, freeze the mixing bowl for 10-15 min before beating the cream and keep the cream in the fridge until you are ready to use it. Also, make sure you are using HEAVY whipping cream since it has a higher content of fat than standard whipping cream and will whip better. I hope that helps. Don’t quit! 🙂
Love your blog! Just came across it as I’m researching frosting recipes.
For my daughter’s 1st birthday, i’m making vanilla and chocolate cupcakes and I want to make all natural pink, blue and chocolate frosting. My question to you is, can I add powdered freeze-dried blueberries and strawberis to this recipe of yours to make it blue and pink respectively?
I’ve never tried freeze dried powered fruit in frosting, but I do love the concept of using a natural flavoring and color rather than food food coloring. Where do you buy those? I wish I had a good answer for you, but without testing it myself, I can’t say for sure. I’d recommend testing small batches in ramekins so if it doesn’t work out to the color you want, you can still salvage the remaining frosting. I hope that helps!
Freeze-dried blueberries and strawberries is available at Trader Joes’s and Whole foods. Will give it a shot in small batches as you’ve suggested and will let you know how it turns out! Thanks!
Do you turn them into a powder yourself?
Yes. You just grind them into fine powder.
Thank you so much!
UPDATE:
Hey Natasha,
Had a test run this morning. Used your AHmazzinng frosting as a base; Split it into 4 portions (4-5 tablespoons each). To every individual portion , I added 1 Tbsp strawberry powder, 1-2 Tbsps mango powder, 1 Tbsps Blueberry powder and 2 tbsps Hershey’s Cocoa powder. Got pink, yellow, blue and chocolate frosting. Refrigerated the piping bags for about an hour and VIOLA!!! It piped on perfectly.
Unfortunately, couldn’t take any pics as I had the almost 1 year hanging onto my ankle the whole time!. But when I make it again for DDay – Nov 22, will definitely take pics and share.
Thanks for your recipes!
What a cute scene of you piping cupcakes and your little one hanging on to your ankle :). I love it! 🙂 Thanks so much for sharing your add-ins with me.
Afterthought:
Hey Natasha,
I’m wondering if I beat in some butter with the cream cheese in this recipe, it will make it a little bit less tangy. But do you think it might screw up the great consistency of this frosting?
Hi Harshada (cool name by the way!), I’m not sure about adding the butter. I haven’t tried it but I’m not sure how it would blended with the heavy whipping cream. If you want it less tangy, I’d just add a little more powdered sugar.
Thanks Natasha! As the big day approaches, i keep getting “ideas”. i should stop that and just stick to your great recipe. I appreciate your taking the time to replying promptly!
how much is 1.5 cup sugar?? is it 1 and 1/2 cup???
Yes, 1 and 1/2 cups. 🙂
natasha, i’ve tried the recipe but the frosting turned out runny. what do you think might be wrong? i’ve followed the instructions and ingridients but it did not become stiff. please help. 🙂 i’m in the philippines. i love your cupcake and i adore the frosting. unfortunately it could not last out of the fridge
Celia, I’m sorry to hear that. Have you used regular whipping cream or heavy whipping cream? There is a difference in a fat content and heavy whipping cream will stay firmer. Also, make sure to beat heavy whipping cream until its stiff and spreadable. I hope this helps :).
thank you. your reply means a lot to a newbie like me. :-)God bless you natasha!
ДОБРЫЙ ДЕНЬ! СПАСИБО, ВАМ, НАТАША, ЗА ТАКОЙ ЗАМЕЧАТЕЛЬНЫЙ САЙТ.
Я ТАК ЖЕ ЖИВУ В ШТАТАХ И ПЫТАЮСЬ ГОТОВИТЬ “НАШУ” ЕДУ, НО НЕКОТОРЫЕ БЛЮДА НЕ ПОЛУЧАЮТСЯ ИЗ-ЗА РАЗЛИЧИЯ ПРОДУКТОВ. ПРОБОВАЛА БЛЮДА ПО ВАШЕМУ РЕЦЕПТУ У СВОИХ РУССКИХ ПОДРУГ И МНЕ ВСЕ ОЧЕНЬ НРАВИЛОСЬ. ОНИ МНЕ ДАЛИ ВАШ САЙТ, ЗА ЧТО Я ОЧЕНЬ БЛАГОДАРНА И ИМ, И ВАМ!!!! ВСЕ ПРОСТО ЗАМЕЧАТЕЛЬНО ПОЛУЧАЕТСЯ! ХОТЯ Я КОНДИТЕР ТАК СКАЗАТЬ “НЕ ОЧЕНЬ”.:) ЕЩЕ РАЗ СПАСИБО! ВАШИ РЕЦЕПТЫ ПРОСТО СУПЕР!ВСЕ ВСЕГДА ПОЛУЧАЕТСЯ!
ВСЕ БЛЮДА ОЧЕНЬ ВКУСНЫЕ БЛАГОДАРЯ ВАШИМ РЕЦЕПТАМ!МОИ ДЕТКИ ВСЕ ЛЮБЯТ, ЧТО Я ИМ ГОТОВЛЮ С ВАЕЙ ТАК СКАЗАТЬ ПОМОЩЬЮ 🙂
С УВ. СВЕТЛАНА.
Thank you so much Svetlana 🙂 your comment was so thoughtful and really blessed me this morning. I’m so happy to hear that you and your family are enjoying the recipes 🙂
I am making your dark chocolate and vanilla cupcakes for a birthday party, but made a batch of this icing as a test beforehand. It is a very good icing, although I think I will have to stick with a buttercream icing for the kids. Unfortunately, there is too much of a cream cheese flavor in this frosting. Adults would enjoy it much more. I baked in a gourmet cupcakery and your chocolate cupcakes taste a lot like the ones we sold 🙂 Very delicious recipes!
I’m so glad you liked the cupcakes! You can always add more powdered sugar if you like a sweeter frosting :). Thanks so much!
I need to make 75 cupcakes for a baby shower. Can I just times all the ingredients by 5 to make it all in one large batch (including the frosting recipe you posted)… or will that adversely affect the cupcakes??
I think it would be really hard to do the frosting unless you have an industrial mixer. Can you imagine how high 7.5 cups of powdered sugar would fly when you turned on your mixer? It’s probably safer to do it in batches; not more than doubling the frosting at one time. Are you referring to these cupcakes? https://natashaskitchen.com/2012/06/29/perfect-vanilla-cupcake-recipe/. When I made triple the recipe, I made it in three separate batches. I haven’t really tested it any other way. I don’t see why it would effect the cupcake recipe, but without testing it, I couldn’t say for sure.
Amazing recipe .. Very quick and quite reasonable .. Thank You so much .. x
So glad you liked it 🙂
Hi Natasha! I hope you can get back to me sooner than later! I made the vanilla cupcake recipe of yours and now the frosting. Taste and looks delish! Only thjjk is I don’t know how to store them. I made them last night ( 10pm Thursday evening) and the frosting around midnight. Frosted around midnight and out into pretty cardboard boxes!now they are out on the counter frosted. They are only being eaten Saturday afternoon!what tondo with them?Does the sugar in frosting preserve the cheese sont doesn’t have to be refrigerated???will they become stale in the freezer? The boxes aren’t air tight… Help pls! To refrigerate or not to refrigerate? What’s the best way to keep cupcakes that are already frosted??
They should be refrigerated with the dairy in the frosting. They do refrigerate well. 🙂
Ok but there is no dairy in it. Cream cheese and heavy cream are both soy based… Like non dairy. They were out for about 8 hours and now in front of the air conditioner! I don’t have fridge room didn’t thing I needed it 🙁 can i in frost and re frost with something else? Or remake the frosting? Leave as is??? I’m bringing it somewhere that does have fridge space in about 6 hours but before there not sure how to manage them! Any idea??? Will Will they go bad? Can I in frost? Should I?
I have no idea about how long soy based products can be left out at room temp. I just don’t have enough experience with them. You might google it to see if your specific ingredients will be ok at room temp. Sorry I don’t have a great answer for you. The cupcakes themselves will be fine overnight at room temperature; I’ve left them out before without any problems. I just don’t know for sure about the frosting you’re using.
I tried this recipe for a vanilla cupcake that I had and though it tasted dreamy, it just didn’t work for me! 🙁 I think it was too hot that day and I couldn’t get it to stand up on my cupcakes. However, I’ll tell you what it did do! I put it in a tub and was going to put it in the fridge because I didn’t want to toss it, when I decided to freeze it. The next day I checked it and to my delight, found that it turned into the most delicious cheesecake icecream ever. I’m actually using the recipe for icecream again with the addition of raspberries that I reduced into a syrup. Maybe this will work for frosting on a cooler day!
Cheesecake ice cream? Wow that sure does sound good! What a brilliant discovery! I’m bummed to hear that it didn’t work though. I imagine if it’s warmer than room temp, it would need some refrigeration before piping it on.
This seems to be the perfect frosting for the cup cakes I’ll bake for my son’s first birthday party in a few days! One question though – how much is a “cup”?… I live in France so I’m used to ml, cl, kg and such 🙂
All the way from France, wow! There are several calculators available online for easy conversions. I just googled “powdered sugar conversion.” For liquid measurements, 1 cup = 240mL, 1 cup powdered sugar is about 125 grams.
I’m wondering if anyone has tried freezing the cakes with the frosting on? I know you can freeze buttercream and regular cream cheese frosting, but not sure about the whipping cream.
I don’t, but I can try to find out who made them. They were little korzinki (tartlets) filled with green frosting and little mushrooms on top. They were adorable!
Hi Natasha! This recipe looks fabulous. I’m doing cupcakes for my friends wedding (Actually using your vanilla cupcake recipe!)and it’s going to be outside in September. Will this frosting hold up to warm outside temperatures? Thanks!
Leesa
The frosting should be fine outdoors. How warm do you think it will be and how many hours will they be in the sun? You definitely want to have them in the shade unless you’re ready to serve them though. Keep them refrigerated as long as possible before setting them outside.
Hi, I had a question. I made this a couple of weeks ago and it was delicious. I was wondering if I leave it to sit in the fridge for a couple of hours will it stiffen? It was a little runny but it stayed up. I would just have liked the consistency a little more thicker.
It will stiffen up a little if you refrigerate it 🙂
This is a great alternative to the heavier cream cheese frostings! It’s one of our new favorites. I made a chocolate version by adding 1/3 cup cocoa and 1 T milk along with the powdered sugar (needed the milk or the mixture was too thick). It was sweet enough and very delicious!
At what point did you add the cocoa? that sounds wonderful and now I really want to try it! thanks so much for the tip 🙂
Great recipe!!! Definitely a keeper. I just made a double batch and frosted a double layer cake beautifully. Frosting nice consistency & I was able to pipe some details with extra frosting. Tastes wonderful!!
Thank you so much Diane! I’m so happy you liked the recipe 🙂 I would love to see your cake! Did you post it somewhere?
Haven’t tried it yet, but am wondering if I could use it to pipe roses on a 12×18 lemon birthday cake? Thanks in advance!
Yes I don’t see why not! 🙂 You should have enough for the top; I can’t guarantee the sides, but maybe.
How much is 1.5 cups???? Is it 1 1/2 cups.
Yes, 1 1/2 cups. 🙂
OMG! This is seriously the best frosting ever! It’s not super sweet like regular cream cheese frosting but the taste is amazeballs!
ha ha! I couldn’t have said it better myself… ‘amazeballs’ lol