ButterCream Cheese Frosting: a Stable and Thick Buttercream
Cream cheese buttercream can be a cake decorator’s nightmare. Most I tried were frustratingly loose and runny; they never frosted smoothly and would squeeze out between cake layers during assembly. Twenty-two rounds of testing, and 4 months later, I came up with this cream cheese frosting recipe for layer cakes.
My cream cheese buttercream is thick, creamy, and tangy. Adding meringue powder and milk powder helps stabilize the extra water in the cream cheese. This stable frosting supports the weight of multiple cake layers, frosts super smooth, and pipes intricate designs.
What is the texture of my ButterCream Cheese Frosting?
If you’ve only ever worked/ with or tasted one type of cream cheese frosting, my guess is that it would be an American butter cream-type frosting (that uses butter, cream cheese, and powdered sugar). This frosting will be slightly different than that in that it’s more similar to a French or Swiss meringue Buttercream.
These types of buttercreams are typically much smoother. To make this one, we’ll use my method of emulsifying a sugar syrup with butter, which creates a super smooth, creamy, dense texture. It melts in your mouth at room temperature and has a slightly firm texture when chilled, which is ideal for large and small cakes.
What is the taste and flavor of my ButterCream Cheese Frosting?
This frosting has a lower sugar content than most cream cheese frostings, giving it a mildly sweet taste with a slight tanginess from the cream cheese. It’s very well-balanced and not overpowering in sweetness or acidity.
If you want to increase this recipe's tanginess or cream cheesiness, add lemon juice or another acid at the end of the frosting process.
The flavor is cream cheesy with a slight buttery aftertaste. You can add a bit of vanilla to this frosting, but I love it without it.
What ingredients are needed to make my ButterCream Cheese Frosting?
1 | UNSALTED BUTTER
Butter provides fat, stability, flavor, and emulsifiers for this frosting. The unique combination of milkfats (around 80-84%) gives butter its wonderful creamy and spreadable texture. Butter is integral for True Buttercreams because it also contains various emulsifiers, which hold water-based and fat-based ingredients together. I always use unsalted butter in all my frostings and add salt based on taste.
2 | DRIED MILK POWDER
For this frosting, you can use nonfat milk, whole milk, and buttermilk powder. Without the water, these powders contain milk solids (proteins, fats, sugars, and other nutrients). It contributes by thickening the cream cheese component and adding emulsifiers, which stabilize water and fat for the final frosting.
3 | WATER
We must rehydrate the milk powder; otherwise, the final frosting will be grainy.
4 | CREAM CHEESE
Cream cheese is the flavor star of this buttercream and brings water (stabilized with a bit of gums) and some milkfat. And because we destroy the solid structure of the cream cheese, you can use either blocks or tubs of cream cheese. Just ensure that it’s full-fat. You can most likely use almost any brand since I’ve tested a wide variety, all with great results, including:
1. Lucerne;
2. Walmart’s Great Value;
3. Target’s Good and Gather;
4. Trader Joe’s; and
5. Philadelphia
5 | GRANULATED WHITE SUGAR
Have you ever seen regular white sugar in a cream cheese frosting recipe? Most of the time, it’s powdered sugar! You can use any sugar because we dissolve the sugar in the cream cheese’s water through heat. We first add the sugar to the cream cheese to break apart the cream cheese and loosen it up, then heat the mixture over a double boiler.
6 | EGG WHITE POWDER (OR WILTON’S MERINGUE POWDER)
Dried egg whites contain just the egg white proteins (and no water). These proteins give additional structure to the cream cheese so it can hold up better when incorporated into the butter.
You can use either egg white powder or Wilton’s Meringue powder, although I prefer pure egg white powder. (Meringue powder contains additional sugar and cornstarch.) Click here to buy the egg white powder I use from Amazon.
I often get asked if liquid egg whites can be substituted here - sadly, the answer is no. Powdered ingredients are my favorite ingredients to work with in baking because they allow me to alter the concentration of the stuff I need (protein) and reduce or even get rid of the other things I don’t need (water.) Liquid egg whites are almost 88% water! We have so much water from the cream cheese that liquid egg whites would make the frosting overly runny.
7 | LEMON JUICE/ACID
You can boost the cream cheese flavor of this frosting in a few ways. When most people say they like cream cheese or want to increase its flavor - it’s usually the acidity. Lemon juice has citric acid, which is delicious paired with cream cheese. My favorite is to add lactic acid, which is the fermentation byproduct of all the dairy products we love to use in baking: sour cream, buttermilk, yogurt, and cream cheese. I buy mine in powdered form, adding a pinch by taste to the final frosting. (Here’s the kind I use, it’s from Amazon)
8 | FINELY GRANULATED SALT
A pinch of salt enhances the flavor and balances the overall sweetness of this frosting. I typically use flaky kosher salt in my baking, but crispy salt bits are not appealing in frostings, so I exclusively use finely granulated salt. This allows the salt to dissolve more readily.
Step by step:
STEP 1 | PREP BUTTER AND MILK POWDER.
Cut cold, unsalted butter into roughly inch-sized chunks and place back into the fridge to keep cool (1a).
In a small bowl, rehydrate the milk powder with water (1b). Stir until most milk lumps are dissolved (it is still too lumpy here, so keep stirring) and set aside (1c).
STEP 2 | SET UP A DOUBLE BOILER.
Pour water into a pot and start the heat. You want it to be a nice simmer so the rising fog will heat the bottom of your mixing. Also, ensure that the bowl does not sit directly in the water but as close to the water's surface as possible.
STEP 3 | LOOSEN CREAM CHEESE.
Add the cream cheese (cold is fine) and granulated sugar to your mixing bowl (3a). With the whisk attachment, mix on high speed for 5 minutes (3b). The mixture will be grainy but looser (3c).
STEP 4 | HEAT CREAM CHEESE MIXTURE.
After simmering, place the mixing bowl atop the double boiler. With a spatula, stir periodically until the mixture reaches 170-180°F/76-82°C.
As the cream cheese heats up, you'll notice it will undergo various physical changes. At first, it will be thick and creamy and won’t fall off the spatula easily (4a). Then it will loosen up (4b).
It will then turn more yellow and run off the spatula easily (4c). Once you reach the final temp, carefully feel the mixture (it will be hot, so use caution) (4d) and ensure no sugar granules are left. If there are, you need to cook them until they melt.
STEP 5 | ADD STABILIZERS AND WHIP.
Add the milk powder paste and egg white powder to the warm cream cheese mixture (5a). With the whisk attachment, mix on high speed for 5 minutes (5b). When done, the mixture will be cream-colored and consistent with Elmer’s glue (5c).
STEP 6 | EMULSIFICATION OF BUTTER.
Grab your chilled butter from the fridge, and with the mixer on low speed (still with the whisk), drop in the chunks of butter one by one (6a). They won’t integrate immediately so you may see big chunks, but once everything has been added, turn the mixer up to high speed (6b). This step is variable timing-wise and will depend on air, ingredient temps, and the quantity of frosting. But you will see the butter melt; then the mixture thickens, turns lighter in color, and has large air pockets (6c).
Taste for flavor! Do you want to add a pinch of salt or a bitty to give it a more cream-cheesey flavor? Add those here and mix on high speed for another full minute.
STEP 7 | SMOOTH OUT BUTTERCREAM.
Switch to the paddle attachment (7a). I’m using my flex-edge one, but you can also use the standard metal one. Smooth on low speed for one minute or until you like the texture. The final frosting should be smooth, creamy, and slightly creamy (7b).
Do cream cheese frostings need to be refrigerated?
Per the USDA (US Department of Agriculture), all cream cheese-containing desserts must be refrigerated within 2 hours. This frosting recipe cooks the cream cheese to 180°F /82°C. For that reason, I’m comfortable keeping my cakes similar to my Swiss meringue buttercream cakes, which are around 73°F/ 22 °C at home for up to 4-8 hours. After this point, I usually place my frosted cakes in the refrigerator.
However, do what you are comfortable with (or what is required in your state/country). The great thing about this cream cheese frosting is that its texture is still semi-solid and quite pleasant to eat straight from the fridge. If you’d like that melt-in-your-mouth consistency, I usually let my cakes (6 or 8-inch) sit out from the refrigerator for about 30 minutes to an hour before serving, so it’s the perfect temperature.
If you need to make this cake ahead of time, keep it in the fridge. The frosting will get firm, so even if you do any piping work, you can wrap the cake in saran wrap for a few days to keep all the fridge smells out.
Can you freeze cream cheese frosting?
Yes, you can freeze this recipe.
It is an emulsion-based frosting, which may seem broken when it returns to room temperature. You’ll need to remix it on the stand mixer to get it back to the right consistency.
If you need help with this, check out my Swiss meringue buttercream videos. They guide you on how to freeze buttercream and bring it to a smooth consistency for frosting. (Like this video on YouTube for beginners on Swiss meringue buttercream.)
Make Ahead and Storage Tips
Leftover Swiss Meringue Buttercream stores well in the fridge or freezer. It can also be made ahead of time for larger cake projects.
For a detailed tutorial, check out my How to Store Buttercream Guide.
Video
I have two videos about this cream cheese.
I made this first one a couple years ago and it goes more heavily into the process of making this recipe.
My more recent video explains the science of this recipe and how if differs from all the other cream cheese recipes on my site:
Read this before you begin
Measure by weight, if possible.
Measuring by weight is the best way for you to replicate my recipes. I develop recipes using ingredients (even liquids) measured in grams, which is why you see them listed first in the recipe cards. For measurements under 5 grams, I will typically only list the volumetric measurements (teaspoons, etc.), as most home scales are not precise for such small weights.
In most cases, I have converted grams to volumetric measurements (aka US customary units) for bakers who prefer this method. However, the measurements are not as precise and may have awkward proportions. The recipes should still work, but for the ultimate precision, try to use weight.
This is the OXO scale I use daily. I also purchased this budget version of a good scale, which I keep at my Mom’s house for baking. If you’re interested in other tools I use for my baking, I’ve compiled a list here.
Use room temperature ingredients.
All my ingredients should be used at room temperature, or 65-75 °F/18-24 °C. I will always indicate if you need something outside this range. If no details are given, room temperature is the default.
Pay attention to the ingredient descriptions.
I try not to be brand-specific, but I will always note an interesting result from a type of ingredient, be it negative or positive.
A specific note regarding salt: I use Diamond Crystal Kosher salt for everything on this site except for frostings. In frostings, you want the salt to dissolve more easily, and kosher salt tends to leave granules behind. If you substitute table salt (more finely granulated) for recipes that list kosher salt, you must use half the volume indicated in my recipes.
Substitutions are hard.
That said, substitutions aren’t impossible but can be the toughest part of recipe development. Small swaps, like reduced-fat milk (2% fat) for whole milk (3.5% fat), usually work fine. However, bigger changes—such as replacing oil with applesauce or sour cream with Greek yogurt—can significantly impact texture and density.
Be wary of general, all-purpose substitutions in baking; I find that usually there is never a one size-fits-all solution. I carefully select ingredients for my recipes, so for the best results, start with the original recipe and modify with caution.
Read all the recipe instructions before beginning.
I’m in the “Pre-read the Chapter before Class Lecture” club... and I invite you to join! Baking new recipes can be intimidating, so let’s set you up for success. I want you to think about timeframes. Most fillings and frostings can be made ahead of time, and give you an extra day for mental space. Also, as you become a more proficient baker, you can anticipate and recognize steps. (“Oh, this has a meringue step, so I’ll need an extra clean bowl…” etc.) Ensure you go down the ingredient list and have everything at the right temperature.
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ButterCream Cheese Frosting
- 113 g (½ cup) unsalted butter, cold from the fridge
- 4 g (¾ tablespoons) dried milk powder*
- 5 g (⅓ tablespoons) water
- 57 g (4 tablespoons) cream cheese, full fat, cold from the fridge**
- 50 g (¼ cups) white granulated sugar
- 3 g (½ tablespoons) dried egg white powder or Wilton's meringue powder***
- 0.75 g (¼ teaspoon) lemon juice (or other acid, see below)****
- pinch of fine salt (taste before adding)
For larger quantities or to pair with a cake recipe, go to my Cakeculator and choose “ButterCream Cheese Frosting.”
- 113 g (½ cup) unsalted butter, cold from the fridge
- 4 g (¾ tablespoons) dried milk powder*
- 5 g (⅓ tablespoons) water
- 57 g (4 tablespoons) cream cheese, full fat, cold from the fridge**
- 50 g (¼ cups) white granulated sugar
- 3 g (½ tablespoons) dried egg white powder or Wilton's meringue powder***
- 0.75 g (¼ teaspoon) lemon juice (or other acid, see below)****
- pinch of fine salt (taste before adding)
For larger quantities or to pair with a cake recipe, go to my Cakeculator and choose “ButterCream Cheese Frosting.”
- 339 g (1 ½ cup) unsalted butter, cold from the fridge
- 12 g (2 ⅓ tablespoons) dried milk powder*
- 15 g (1 tablespoon) water
- 170 g (12 tablespoons) cream cheese, full fat, cold from the fridge**
- 150 g (¾ cups) white granulated sugar
- 9 g (1 ½ tablespoons) dried egg white powder or Wilton's meringue powder***
- 2 g (½ teaspoon) lemon juice (or other acid, see below)****
- pinch of fine salt (taste before adding)
For larger quantities or to pair with a cake recipe, go to my Cakeculator and choose “ButterCream Cheese Frosting.”
- Prep butter and milk powder.
Cut cold butter into 1-inch chunks and return it to the fridge. In a small bowl, hydrate milk powder with water, stirring until smooth. Set aside. - Set up a double boiler.
Prepare a double boiler for your stand mixer bowl. Ensure that the bottom of the bowl is as close to the water's surface as possible without directly touching it. Remove the bowl and bring the water to a boil. - Loosen cream cheese.
Add cold cream cheese and sugar to the stand mixer bowl. Whisk on medium speed for at least 2 minutes until the mixture is smooth and slightly grainy. Set that aside while the water heats. - Heat cream cheese mixture.
Place the mixer bowl on the double boiler. Stir the mixture with a spatula, heating until it reaches 170-180°F (78-82°C). At the end, carefully check the texture by rubbing a small amount between your fingers; it should feel smooth, like Vaseline, with no sugar grains. If you feel sugar, keep cooking until it all dissolves. - Add stabilizers.
Remove the bowl from the double boiler and stir in the dried egg white powder and milk powder paste. Place the bowl on your stand mixer and with the whisk attachment, whisk on high speed for 5 minutes until the mixture thickens to a glue-like consistency. - Emulsify cream cheese with butter.
Gradually add the cold butter chunks with the mixer on medium speed. Increase to high speed once all the butter is added, and mix until the mixture becomes a thick, off-white buttercream, about 1 to 5 minutes. Add the lemon juice (or other acid) and salt to taste and mix on high speed for another minute. - Smooth out air bubbles.
Switch to the paddle attachment. Mix on low speed for about a minute to smooth out air pockets. This frosting will firm up slightly as it rests and cools. If the frosting is too soft for you to work with, chill the bowl in the fridge for 5 minutes, then mix on low until smooth. This is an emulsion, and if one component is too warm/ cold, it may look soupy/curdled. The name of the game here is mixing and patience. It will come together.
Also, if the frosting has been sitting out for more than an hour and you need to frost with it, mix it on low speed to smooth out all the air bubbles.
Recipe Card - Adriana's Notes
*Non-fat, whole, and buttermilk powders can be used in this recipe. Buttermilk powder is my favorite for this recipe as it lends extra creaminess and stability. Most powders are sweet cream buttermilk, but if you can find one cultured, you’ll have an extra-tangy, super-stable cream cheese buttercream.
**You can use either block or tub cream cheese for this recipe, just ensure it’s full-fat. I’ve tested Lucerne, Walmart’s Great Value, Target’s Good and Gather, Trader Joe’s, and Philadelphia.
***Pure egg white powder is best because it’s 100% egg white protein, whereas Wilton’s meringue powder contains sugar and other ingredients that aren’t as helpful for stabilizing this frosting. I know that some bakers don’t have access to egg white powder, so I’ve tested both.
****To increase the cream cheesiness of this recipe, you can add an extra acidic ingredient. My favorite is powdered lactic acid, which I buy from Amazon (here). If you go the powdered route, start with the smallest pinch first, and taste your way up. Lemon juice has citric acid, which also works but has a slightly different tanginess.
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